Article by Nathalie Alvaray – Impact Hub Madrid
Impact Hub Madrid’s DNA includes our passion for spreading te expertise we have accumulated on impact entrepreneurship over the years. That is why, when the opportunity arises to be part of programmes like The Circle, we don’t think twice about embarking on such an adventure.
You may have never heard of this programme, created within the giant Erasmus+ initiative, the European project to support education and training. The famous Erasmus is no longer just an exchange programme for university students. A few years ago, it was given the surname “Plus (+)” which broadened the curricula for adult education, putting the focus on social inclusion, green and digital transitions, and promoting participation in democratic life.
A bit of history
The Circle was launched in mid-2021 and, since October, online and face-to-face meetings have been held in Bucharest and in the Italian city of Matera. The Circle is developed by four partners (Impact Hub Bucharest, Impact Hub Madrid, Matera Hub and Zitec). A total of 60 entrepreneurs are participating in the face-to-face circles and more than 120 are joining us for the online activities.
In July 2022, Impact Hub Madrid oversaw the welcome and training of 15 participants from different nationalities and backgrounds.
The Circle from the inside
This programme for entrepreneurship deliberately focuses on ensuring that participants are as different as possible: different ages, different countries of origin, and, in particular, very different professional fields. Participants from the business and technical management fields were mixed with people with a more artistic, cultural and creative background, resulting in extraordinary mutual enrichment.
We have seen how technicians who are specialists in ICT, artistic managers, social innovators, creative freelancers and entrepreneurs from different fields have shared knowledge and points of view about the world of startups and impact businesses.
We have also generated discussions around the three impacts of sustainability –environmental, social and financial– providing tools to analyse these impacts in their projects or businesses.
Our journey in Spain
At Impact Hub Madrid, we have provided 40 hours of training in entrepreneurship, with very practical classes in which participants have been able to apply the concepts and techniques to their own projects. In addition, we have developed workshops to enhance entrepreneurial creativity, unlocking and exercising both the creative and the analytical sides of the entrepreneurial mind. We have also practiced with digital tools to improve business strategy and amplify and measure impact.
In short, we have experienced a week of networking, classes, ideas, brainstorming, sharing and creating. A triple learning experience, both for students, teachers and mentors, as well as for the Impact Hub Madrid team, who have been lucky enough to meet great impact entrepreneurs eager to change the world.
