Dear partners,
Since our last newsletter, we all have seen a summer of extremes with record-breaking temperatures. The unprecedented global heatwaves we experienced are a salutary reminder of the need for us all to redouble our efforts to tackle the climate emergency.
The circular economy is a vital component of the response to the climate crisis. Since 2018, we have been leading the Circular Economy Transition (CET) in Switzerland, a pioneering initiative together with sanu durabilitas and MAVA foundation, supporting more than 100 circular solutions yearly.
We are looking forward to continuing our efforts for a circular Swiss economy and invite you to celebrate the achievements of the last three years of collaboration and learn how we can accelerate the transition to a regenerative, circular economy and a more sustainable Switzerland together!
Join us at Impact Hub Switzerland’s first national event: The ExperienCE, on Friday, September 30, in Lausanne, and identify the challenges and solutions needed to accelerate the transition!
This is also an opportunity to discover Impact Hub Lausanne’s brand new home – Beaulieu Circulaire – the first innovation space in Switzerland dedicated to circularity and inclusivity – hosting as well Mentor Energy & Atelier L’Eveil.
And this is just the beginning. Impact Hub Switzerland invites you all to join us on a collective journey to shift Switzerland to become a leader in circular innovation.
Yours,
Amanda (Geneva / Lausanne), Luzia (Zurich), Rahel (Basel), Noora (Bern) and Tommaso (Ticino)
Impact Hub Switzerland Board
PS: This update comes 2x per year. Please let us know in case you’d like to have your email address deleted from our stakeholder list.
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Please find the following info below:
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Top Stories: Recent highlights within Impact Hub Switzerland
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Coming Up Next: Exciting events and initiatives in the near future
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Impact Hub in the News: Links to latest news articles
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Impact Hub in Numbers: Current key metrics of Impact Hub
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Impact Hub Switzerland: Board Members and Impact Hubs
1. TOP STORIES
#Impact Hub Switzerland: The ExperienCE – The Circular Economy Transition National Event
The ExperienCE will be held on Friday, the 30th of September in the new flagship space – Beaulieu Circulaire in Lausanne – and present over 100 circular initiatives of the Circular Economy Transition taking place across the country and globally. The day will be filled with workshops open to the public, inspiring round tables, circular startups, artists, music, and celebration, enriched by the participation of André Hoffmann, Isabelle Moret, artist George Nuku, and many others!
#Impact Hub Switzerland: The 6 Swiss Impact Hubs join forces for a 4th edition of the Swiss-wide Circular Economy incubator
The Circular Economy Transition (CET) Incubator enables teams and startups to prototype and develop solutions to accelerate the transition toward a Circular Economy in Switzerland. The selected entrepreneurs work on developing their minimum viable product (MVP) and validating their business model with the support of advisors, experts, and our network of impact investors. Each program edition incubates 25+ startups Swiss-wide, split among cohorts in Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Ticino, and Zurich. Now the incubation program goes into the third round. Stay tuned for the call for applications in a few weeks. The fourth batch will start in January 2023. Please fill in this interest form to stay updated regarding all important news about this edition.
#Impact Hub Switzerland: Laurène Descamps awarded as Digital Shaper for the third time!
The Digital Shapers 2022 are announced! Laurène Descamps from the Circular Economy Transition (CET) team and Impact Hub Zurich was selected for the third time as one of them! In addition to her national engagement with CET, Laurène is also strongly implicated in the local transition in Zürich with her Lead in the Climathon Zürich and her new mandate to support the city of Zurich in achieving its climate strategy with the help of the participation platform “Klimaforum.” In her programs, Laurène pleads for a radical change of trajectory regarding climate change mitigation and a more reflective discourse on tech-solutionism. Congrats to Laurène!
#Impact Hub Zürich: Klimaforum
The “Klimaforum’s” aim is to support the city of Zurich in the implementation of its Net Zero strategy in order to achieve the Net Zero 2040 target in the city of Zurich. This is done through a dialogue and participation platform that brings together – online and offline – various actors from politics, business, education, NGOs, startups, and climate youth. The city of Zurich launched the “Klimaforum” in October 2020 in response to the climate strikes. Since April 2022, Impact Hub Zurich has taken over the mandate as the operationally acting external office and is in the process of re-shaping the participation platform Stay tuned!
#Impact Hub Zürich: Clima Now
It is time to find, test, and support new solutions for the climate. Clima Now and its partners aim to reach and mobilize many more people than before. The One Planet Lab (hosted by WWF Switzerland) and the Impact Hub Zürich join forces and support ambitious projects on their journey to activating 100,000 people for the climate. The foundation Clima Now just announced the finalists of the Clima Now Spotlight 2021. This year’s Climate & Arts projects will be further supported by Impact Hub Zurich in a follow up programme starting 2023.
#Impact Hub in Romandy: Kickstart announces 43 Scaleup Finalists for its 2022 Cohort
After growing its presence in the Romandy region in collaboration with Impact Hub Lausanne and Impact Hub Geneva through the Circular Economy Initiative, Kickstart – one of the largest European Innovation Platforms bridging the gap between startups, corporations, cities, foundations, and universities to accelerate partnerships and deep tech innovation – catapults innovation with 43 high growth startups selected for the 2022 core program from 16 countries, including two from the UK. This year, circular economy and sustainability were clearly at the forefront of the +170 judges’ decision-making process – with 40% of the final pitches involved in the circular economy, compared to 30% in 2021 Discover all selected start-ups!
#Impact Hub Geneva: Accelerate2030
The global Accelerate2030 program – the world’s largest program for scaling entrepreneurial solutions toward the SDGs brought to life a variety of initiatives:
Impact4Water Forum titled “Geneva ecosystem catalyzing solutions for the SDGs in the Global South” was held on 3rd March 2022 by Accelerate2030 and Impact Hub. The session presented the Accelerate2030 model of connecting the Geneva ecosystem with ecosystems across the globe to scale the most promising solutions for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing mainly on financing entrepreneurial circular economy solutions from the Global South. Speakers included Agi Veres – Director of UNDP Geneva, Geneva Ecosystem Opportunities – iGravity, Morgane Loisel, Mauricio Schneider – Chief Revenue Officer at Solubio, Brazil (Accelerate2030 Alumni entrepreneur), and other Accelerate2030 partners and stakeholders from the Geneva ecosystem. Watch the session here.
ChangeNow – Accelerate2030 hosted an interactive workshop, “Building Partnerships for the Circular Economy Transition,” at the ChangeNOW summit in May 2022. It shed light on new perspectives on building partnerships across sectors and borders to drive the transition and create financial and impact returns for everyone. It was an opportunity for all: experts and amateurs, investors and entrepreneurs, champions and skeptics, to come together and explore our roles in achieving a circular economy by exchanging and working with Accelerate2030 entrepreneurs already driving the transition.
Demo Day celebrated its 4th edition. The Accelerate2030 Demo Day allowed the outstanding entrepreneurs to reflect and showcase what they have achieved through their participation in Accelerate2030 – from national selection to global finalists – and share their plans. It also gave space for members of the Accelerate2030 community – mentors and partners – to share their experiences with the program, and see their work’s impact on the ventures’ scaling journeys.
#Impact Hub Geneva: New mandate to support SMEs in their ecological transition
The Canton of Geneva mandates Impact Hub Geneva to support two SMEs in their ecological transition. The “diagnosis-action” measure of the Directorate General for Economic Development, Research and Innovation aims to empower SMEs in their transition toward a sustainable economy and generate a positive environmental impact at the cantonal level.
#Impact Hub Lausanne: a SHIFT to sustainable food systems!
Co-organised by Impact Hub Lausanne, SHIFT Switzerland, and EasyVrac, on the 9th of May 2022, SHIFT Vaud 2022 brought together the agri-food ecosystem of Vaud and actors who had never met. The event combined different co-creation formats to raise awareness and highlight the challenges and future perspectives for the Swiss agri-food sector. SHIFT Vaud will return for an edition in 2023.
#Impact Hub Bern: Lean Innovation Award 2022
Lean Innovation Award LIA started its third round: LIA supports exciting projects, promising business ideas, or motivated, budding entrepreneurs in their start. To make dreams come true, the Impact Hub Bern awards prizes worth a total of 15’000 Swiss francs. Open for applications until October 16th.
#Impact Hub Ticino: Impact Club – the first social impact incubator in Ticino
Impact Hub Ticino launched Impact Club! Ten teams have been selected to participate in the first edition. The program supports entrepreneurial and social innovation projects with a strong impact on the region. The next module on Impact Business Modeling will take place on September 23. The program is supported by Migros Pioneer Fund and Mercator Foundation Switzerland and a group of local investors and philanthropists.
#Impact Hub Ticino: Town Hall
On June 23, Impact Hub Ticino launched its first Town Hall, a collaborative and co-creative session to gather ideas and new projects on how to make Impact Hub Ticino an even better place for all its members. 35 hubbers got together to imagine our community’s future and our coworking space’s evolution. As many as 11 potential projects came out of this co-creation exercise. A follow-up on the project’s status will take place on September 30.
#Impact Hub Ticino: Webinar Series on Impact Entrepreneurship
Impact Club offers a series of motivational webinars on business activities’ social, economic, and environmental impact with experts in impact entrepreneurship. The webinars are held in English or Italian and will be online via Zoom upon registration. The guest speaker of the first webinar was Katharina Norden – entrepreneur, facilitator and coach committed to co-creating projects and communities for meaningful change. Katharina shared with participants her experience with practices for aligning personal values with the values of the impactful enterprise. Get more information on how to register for the next webinar.
#Impact Hub Basel: Sustainability meeting – connecting, improving, enjoying
How do we take Basel to the next level of sustainability? What prevents projects, associations, start-ups, companies, research groups, and politicians in Basel from becoming more sustainable? How can we help each other, and where can we join forces? Ecological, social, ethical, and responsible – these terms are in focus when it comes to sustainability.
On September 2, together with Basel Wandel, the Office for Environment and Energy, the Basel Food Network, and the Climate Justice Initiative, we discussed the needs, strengths, and trends of sustainable players in a Design Thinking session during the Gleisbogen Fest in Dreispitz.
#Impact Hub Basel: IDG Swiss Hub – Immunity to change workshop
The Inner Development Goals initiative is focused on identifying and supporting the development of key abilities and skills for individuals and organizations to better address global challenges and advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The IDG Swiss Hub, based in Impact Hub Basel, is organized a highly interactive workshop with Immunity to Change (ITC) facilitators who will create an experience for you to build your personal immunity map following the Immunity To Change (ITC) framework. At the end of the workshop, participants devised a set of actions connected with the SDGs to create a more sustainable future.
#FEMALE INITIATIVES
#Impact Hub Switzerland: Elle Impact
Impact Hub Switzerland, together with Alliance f and Business and Professional Women, has launched a new initiative called Elle Impact, which aims to create special and personal experiences for high-key female decision makers of our Swiss corporates, politics, and society in the form of dinner events – the first event has successfully taken place Mid-September in Bern and was very well received. We thank our supporters Standortförderung Bern, The Swiss Post, and furrerhugi. We are still looking for partners for the next dinner, taking place in the spring in Zurich. Reach out to us.
#Impact Hub Bern: Girls Getting Started – 2nd year
After a successful start in 2021, Girls Getting Started has finally been established as an event series for young and motivated female entrepreneurs. In the upcoming months, the participants will visit our partners Swisscom & Liip, learn new superpowers on their way and discover how to create more impact with some original methods.
#Impact Hub Lausanne: Celebrating Women – Political Round Table
On the occasion of International Women’s Rights Day in March, Impact Hub Lausanne organized a round table with politicians to discuss women’s current place in politics, the challenges they face, and the progress that still needs to be made. We had the honor to welcome five personalities from the political sphere: Carine Carvalho – Member of Parliament and Head of the Equality Office of the UNIL (PS), Claire Richard – President of the Green Party, Séverine Evéquoz – 1st Vice-President & Member of the Grand Council (Les Verts), Denise Gemesio – Member of the Committee & Municipal Councillor – Lausanne (PLR) and Laurence Cretegny – President of the Grand Council – Vaud (PLR). Rewatch the event here.
#Impact Hub Geneva: Women Entrepreneur Week
From 8-10 March 2022, in honor of Women International Day, Impact Hub Geneva celebrated women entrepreneurs in collaboration with GENUINE WOMEN, SINGA Switzerland, Global Shapers Geneva, LA CORDE À LINGE, and HumanImpact5 with a highly empowering and insightful 3-day workshop and conference series exclusively facilitated by the economic development female actors from our region. The stellar, empowering workshops and conferences took place both at our Hub and online in English and French and covered a multitude of topics, including business, economy, construction, luxury, virtual reality, LGBTQ culture, women’s empowerment, art, and were open to everyone.
#Impact Hub Zürich: Female Founder Co-Working Mornings
Impact Hub Zürich started a new format to easily connect (aspiring) female founders with each other and share your skills and opportunities to support one another. Every couple of weeks, we invite them to one of the three Impact Hub Zurich locations for a morning of coworking and connecting in our premises. There will be room to work, croissants to eat, and coffee to drink in order to create an inspiring and motivating atmosphere until midday. We have already done six events this year with up to 100 women attending and will have two more until the end of the year.
2. COMING UP NEXT
SEPTEMBER
#Impact Hub Zürich: Climate Community Event
Changemaker communities come together to connect at a summer apero after the holiday break. The Impact Hub Zürich, One Planet Lab Suisse, B Lab Switzerland as well as the CE Transition – Circular Economy Transition Alumni Community and partners are inviting everyone to join.
This event is also kicking-off the Klimatag with many events and challenges around the whole climate topic.
#Impact Hub Zürich: Cultural and culinary events & parties
The IHZ KULTURRAUM is growing bigger. Our new Monthly overview will help you keep track of the many exciting public events happening at Kraftwerk, Auer & Co, and Viadukt. Co- Create!: If you are a Cultural Entrepreneur, Label, Artist, Producer, or creative with a need for event space, send us a message, and we will help you to realize your event together with us.
#Impact Hub Bern: Girls Getting Started #4/22
Learn about superpowers from Nadja Perroulaz – Partner at Liip – the digital agency. Find out what opportunities Nadja sees for (young) women in the professional world – what skills are needed today, and what exciting opportunities await them in a “modern” company. Girls Getting Started promotes entrepreneurship among young women and individuals who identify as women. The program is free of charge and is aimed at female vocational school students, high school students, and college students.
#Impact Hub Bern: Lean Innovation Award – info event
The LIA info event is for entrepreneurs or future entrepreneurs with a business idea who have just yet to start but are still unsure how to approach it. Not quite sure if you want to apply, so get your info at this info event.
#Impact Hub Basel: Nachhaltigskeits-Träff, Digital Days in Basel (IHBS Incubator), CE Pharma Workshop, ZEWIL Consumer Event, Immunity to Change Workshop – IDG Swiss Hub
#Impact Hub Basel: FUTURE SKILLS: thinking, telling, sharing – Workshop at the Swiss Digital Days
Impact Hub Basel offers a Future Skills Lab during the Digital Days Basel, bringing together the skills of coworking members and incubator startups. We invite participants to shape the future together by learning how to collect exciting ideas, make them concrete and form them into an exciting story through Personal Knowledge Management and Storytelling training.
#Impact Hub Zürich: Female Entrepreneurship Roundtable
The number of programs, organizations, and communities supporting and empowering female founders is increasing. However, many of the available startup support offers are rather inconvenient for female founders who are mothers. Thus, we have initiated the Female Entrepreneurship Roundtable on “Lowering Hurdles for Motherpreneurs.” The event takes place online and is a collaboration between the Female Founders Initiative of Impact Hub Zürich, FEMtrepreneurs from the Innovation Office, University of Basel, and Swissnex in San Francisco. We are excited to have an amazing keynote speaker Klara Zuercher, the Co-Founder of Tadah AG, a co-working space with integrated, flexible childcare taking part and sharing her expertise as a mother and founder in the business. Afterward, we will map out and leverage the existing challenges for mothers in the Female Entrepreneurship ecosystem in order to ideate how these hurdles can be lowered. Present will be a variety of founders, supporting organizations, and stakeholders from Switzerland and the San Francisco Bay Area.
OCTOBER
#Impact Hub Zürich: Female Founder Podcast
The Female Founder Podcast features women entrepreneurs in Switzerland who share their journey as entrepreneurs, where they are today, their tips & tricks, and what they wish they had known earlier. With this podcast, we will take you behind the scenes of entrepreneurship and inspire women to adventure into entrepreneurship by making great role models visible. The episodes vary from talking about the female startup landscape to the circular economy in fashion over to investing in female businesses – and there are many more to come. You can find us on Spotify, Apple Podcast, and Amazon Music. And of course, on our LinkedIn page.
#Impact Hub Zürich: Gender Bias Test
Implicit bias can lead to discriminatory decisions (e.g., in the fundraising process for female startups). Our goal is to reduce gender bias in the Swiss startup sector. To uncover unconscious bias, we developed the Gender Bias Test using the Harvard Implicit Association Test. In this online test, participants can find out to what extent unconscious thought patterns influence their actions. The data generated will be used to determine the bias in the Swiss startup eco-system, raise awareness for the topic in Switzerland and develop measures to counteract it. Help us to better understand how bias shapes decision-making in the Swiss startup ecosystem by taking the test. The launch is planned for mid of Oct.
#Impact Hub Zürich: Climathon Zürich
The Climathon is a 24-hour hackathon dedicated to creating climate action through tangible projects, supporting climate positive projects, startups and businesses in Switzerland, and addressing local policy changes. At Climathon Zürich you will work for 24 hours with a diverse team of students, entrepreneurs, scientists, policymakers, and creative thinkers to address real climate challenges This year’s challenges are: Let’s play: Gamification towards net-zero, Better together: Empower citizens to be climate scientists, Repair: The new normal, Potential unlocked: Rethink Zurich’s parcel stations, Company challenge: Together towards net zero.
#Impact Hub Geneva: Building Bridges Week
Impact Hub Geneva will be at Building Bridges Week 2022, a high-level initiative in Geneva, bringing together diverse actors from the finance industry, the United Nations, international organizations, and government around a shared vision of advancing sustainable finance to address the SDGs. We aim to connect global entrepreneur champions from the Accelerate2030 program with the Geneva ecosystem.
Accelerate2030’s main event at Building Bridges: “Accelerate2030 meets Geneva: Unlocking Financing for the Missing Middle,” will feature alumni champions presenting their regenerative solutions for the SDGs. It will also feature investors presenting their innovative financial solutions (including those enabled by technologies such as blockchain and cryptocurrency investment platforms). Connect with us at Building Bridges Week
#Impact Hub Geneva: Accelerate2030 Scaling Week
The Sixth Accelerate2030 Scaling Week is on the horizon! The upcoming Scaling Week aims to connect the entrepreneurial champions from across the Global South working on transformational solutions for the SDGs – with the Geneva and Swiss ecosystem for catalytic conversations about partnerships and funding that could significantly scale their impact toward the SDGs.
#Impact Hub Bern: Fail Night 2022 – autumn edition
The Impact Hub Bern wants to initiate a change in discourse and contribute to breaking the taboo surrounding the topic of failure that prevails in many places. The Hub invites entrepreneurs to tell about their faux pas at FAIL NIGHT. True to the motto “A failure is also an option,” this event offers a platform to talk openly about mistakes and learn from them and each other.
#Impact Hub Bern: LunchBox – Why Circular Economy?
Seriously, what do you care about the circular economy? Why is the circular economy such a serious and even unavoidable topic? If you ask the Hub, the answer is clear: It should interest you! Companies, in particular, should get a clear picture here. You’ll discuss and learn about this for yourself and/or your company at the next Hub lunch event.
#Impact Hub Ticino: Agorà
Impact Hub Ticino launches the first “Agora” for impact projects on October 15. During this event, the teams participating in the Impact Club incubator will have the opportunity to present their preliminary business model and request feedback to refine its further development. The event will engage the whole Ticinese ecosystem by involving citizens, public administrations, entrepreneurs, investors, trade associations, students and anyone willing to contribute to the development of Ticino’s impact entrepreneurship system. Please confirm your attendance here by Monday, October 10.
#Impact Hub Ticino: FuckUp Nights Lugano, dealing positively with failure
In a society of success, mistakes are not expected. We tell and reward glorious stories of goals met or exceeded, success and profit, and if a failure occurs, we react with aversion. Yet, failure is an important source of learning and growth. This is why Impact Hub Ticino collaborates with FuckUp Nights Lugano and promotes four events in its spaces. Get in touch to reserve your spot and for more information!
NOVEMBER
#Impact Hub Ticino: TED Group Discussion
The TED Members Group Discussions are recurring events to watch a TED video and generate dialogue in an informal and safe atmosphere. These events are held in “fishbowl” mode enabling dialogue and open feedback. The next event will take place on November 22 and will focus on sustainable fashion. More details will come soon. Four events are planned for 2023. Get in touch to discover more about the next events.
#Impact Hub Geneva: COLLECTIVE MONTH WITHOUT TOBACCO ACROSS SWITZERLAND
We all know how difficult it can be to quit smoking. But what if we enable everyone who wishes to stop to do so collectively and support each other? Together with the Tobacco Control Fund and over 30 partner organizations across Switzerland, Impact Hub Geneva-Lausanne will organize this collective participatory experience based on a community-building and partnership approach open to anyone to contribute and benefit from it.
#Impact Hub Geneva: Climathon Geneva
To make Geneva healthier and more sustainable, we organize the Climathon Geneva every year. Climathon Geneva supports the Cantonal Climate Plan by bringing together citizens and organizations from the private and public sectors around the issue of climate change, promoting innovative solutions, and supporting the creation of new projects. The challenges of this year’s Climathon are directly linked to the canton’s ambition to reduce its environmental footprint, notably by reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2030 compared to 1990, and to aim for carbon neutrality by 2050. Subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to hear about the challenges and how you can participate.
#Impact Hub Bern: Circular economy for service companies & product manufacturers
In this workshop, you learn which solutions the circular economy offers for the future & how you can implement them in your company. With short, practical technical inputs, group work on a concrete case, the Circular Economy Canvas application, and peer-to-peer exchange in the group. Workshops for service companies & for product manufacturers.
#Impact Hub Bern: Girls Getting Started #6 – Develop your strategy
Learn about strategies from our Impact Hub Switzerland Board Member Noora Buser to create your impact. Noora has worked in international marketing and diplomacy as well as a Ph.D. in innovation – specializing in impact-driven businesses. In this Girls Getting Started November Event, the attendees can ask her how to make a positive contribution to the world of tomorrow, and she can help them strategically tackle that journey.
#Impact Hub Basel: Global Entrepreneurship Week
The Global Entrepreneurship Week is a week dedicated to entrepreneurs with the motto “Celebrating Entrepreneurship”. The week provides a space to bring together entrepreneurs and supporters for learning, networking, and inspiration to spread entrepreneurial spirit in the region. After a series of events shaped together with various partners, the week leads up to the 2nd annual Entrepreneurship Gala hosted by GEW Basel. This is an excellent opportunity to learn about the region’s entrepreneurs, brainstorm and network with like-minded people, and unlock your entrepreneurial potential.
#Impact Hub Basel: Lafiya Immersion Week
Lafiya Innovators is a startup incubation program to support and accelerate early to mid-stage startups addressing challenges around health, led by Impact Hub Basel, together with IH Accra, Dakar, Medellin, and Phnom Penh. During Immersion Week in November, Basel will welcome ca. 20 startups from the current cohort to exchange and learn through ecosystem tours and participation at the Global Health Forum.
3. IMPACT HUB IN THE NEWS
Stadt Bern (5.09.2022)
Der Berner Digitaltag «on tour»
Jungfrau Zeitung, LIA (09.09.2022)
Melden Sie jetzt Ihre Idee an!
Fernfachhochschule Schweiz (22.08.2022)
Lean Innovation Award – Die beste Idee gewinnt!
4. IMPACT HUB IN NUMBERS
Active Members: 2’000 in Switzerland // 24’500 globally
Number of Hubs: 6 in Switzerland // 106 globally
Number of spaces: 8 in Switzerland // 130 globally
Square meters: 6’000 m2 in Switzerland // 84’800 m2 globally
Team size: 96 team members (74 FTEs) in Switzerland
New jobs (p.a.): 1’628 new FTEs created in the Swiss Impact Hub community in 2020
5. IMPACT HUB SWITZERLAND BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Amanda Byrde, Impact Hub Geneva & Impact Hub Lausanne
Luzia Schuler, Impact Hub Zürich
Rahel Gerber, Impact Hub Basel
Noora Buser, Impact Hub Bern
Tommaso Tabet, Impact Hub Ticino
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