Organizations and institutions, large and small, are taking responsibility to promote economic recovery in a sustainable way and driving global change. Impact Hub is collaborating with a wide range of organizations to drive inclusive and sustainable change across sectors, both public and private. We believe that only through collaboration, we can solve today’s complex challenges.

By combining various areas of expertise, joint action between different actors has the power to advance innovation and develop new solutions. To carry out our collaborative programs, we combine global and local knowledge and tools. We also offer valuable services that help companies transform and pivot towards more sustainable business models that place their economic, social and environmental impact at their core.

But, how to achieve change and transformation? How to apply a more sustainable approach in organizations? Find out more about 8 programs developed by Impact Hub Madrid in collaboration with the Impact Hub global network, other local Impact Hubs and various public and private organizations, to drive change in sectors such as food, training and impact investment.

Responsible food and consumption

• Agrobridges

This program is supported by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 initiative and has been launched by a consortium of 15 companies from 11 countries, including Impact Hub Madrid. Through local ecosystems, aims to analyze and understand agricultural processes to find mechanisms and tools to shorten supply chains, thus bringing production and consumers closer together and promoting healthier and more sustainable food in different communities.

Entrepreneurship, training and innovation

• Resilience challenge

Following the current economic crisis, we are contributing to the recovery of social entrepreneurs and startups with new support programs. In particular, Impact Hub Madrid has joined forces with the US Embassy and Consulate in Spain and will collaborate with the US Impact Hubs to set up a mentoring and training program for Spanish startups that need alternatives to relaunch their activity and see the American market as an attractive target.

• Strate Crowd

How to promote youth entrepreneurship as a form of economic recovery? By training trainers.

With this Erasmus + program, various European organizations use their experience in entrepreneurship and crowdfunding to create innovative tools and methodologies that can be offered to professionals who are in contact with the young entrepreneurs of the future. This transfer of knowledge aims to offer high quality, practical and specialized training.

• The Circle

This is another Erasmus + program, but in this one, the exchange of knowledge happens between professionals from different fields: creative, digital, management, etc. The project allows them to acquire skills and tools from different disciplines that they can then apply to their entrepreneurship projects. This program also has a cultural exchange element, as professionals come from Italy, Romania and Spain. Impact Hubs in Madrid and Bucharest are among the allied organizations.

• Global Goals Jam

This collective intelligence initiative launched by the United Nations Development Program (UNPD) collaborates with local organizations in over 85 cities — Impact Hubs in many cities, such as Taiwan, Hamburg, amongst them. Through working groups that use innovative and disruptive methodologies, it allows participants to design the 2030 Agenda and seek solutions to the challenges posed by the Sustainable Development Goals.

Program participants at Impact Hub Madrid

Social economy and impact investment 

• Med Up

This initiative is led by Oxfam Italy, with Impact Hub Florence and other local organizations. The program has created a collaborative partnership of Southern Mediterranean regions (Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine) to develop the social entrepreneurship sector as an engine for inclusive growth and job creation.

• Recruit COSME

This partnership involves the Impact Hub Network and ALDA (European Association for Local Democracy). Set up by Impact Hubs in Atenas, Bari and Madrid as well as local municipalities, we bring our experience and expertise in the social economy to develop this sector in Greece, Spain and Italy. Learnings are exchanged with local experts to identify strategies to tackle unemployment through the social economy with a special focus on underrepresented groups.

• EU Programme for Employment and Social Innovation “EaSI”

Financial support is key to boosting social impact projects. Social enterprises need finance mechanisms that adapt to their structure and operations, which is why La Bolsa Social, an online crowdfunding platform, is promoting new financing tools with the support of Impact Hub Madrid and that of other private entities. New technologies enable more open, innovative and inclusive financing systems that drive impact investment.

Developing collaborative partnerships and networks is key to driving global change. At Impact Hub, we have been developing collaborative communities for impact at scale through innovative programs for the last 15 years. 

*This article was written by Impact Hub Madrid. If you want to transform your organization and increase your impact, ask them about their consulting services and solutions to kick start your sustainable business.