Member Sponsored Briefing: The Impact of Impact Hub Baltimore

Impact Hub Baltimore supports community leaders and social entrepreneurs to grow and thrive. It provides a welcoming workspace and innovative programming to connect visionary leaders to the ideas, people, and resources they need to make a tangible impact in Baltimore and beyond, contributing to a more innovative and equitable local economy.

The founding team launched the “SocEnt Breakfast” in 2012 and has evolved its practice of community building, convening, and ecosystem development for over six years. To fuel a growing community of social entrepreneurs, the team opened an 8,600-square-foot coworking space in December 2015 on the ground floor of the historic Centre Theater in the heart of Station North. Today, Impact Hub serves as an office, meeting space, and supportive community for over 400 social entrepreneurs each year. It is part of a network of 100+ locally-founded, globally-connected Impact Hubs around the world. Since opening, Impact Hub has made measurable contributions to the growth of member companies and attracted global partners to create new resources and opportunities in Baltimore.

During this session, the Impact Hub Baltimore team will share lessons learned from their first three years of operations and introduce attendees to some of their most visionary members. We will explore the importance of bottom-up economic development; entrepreneurship as a pathway to opportunity; risks and needs of small business development; and how Impact Hub mitigates those risks--particularly for women and entrepreneurs of color. They will share case studies of success, and unpack data on how Impact Hub supports member growth and community impact. This will be an interactive session and a chance to engage with grassroots leaders on the front lines of advancing racial equity and economic opportunity in Baltimore.

Click here to read the 2018 Impact Report.

This program is sponsored by the Abell Foundation and the T. Rowe Price Foundation and is for Maryland Philanthropy Network members and invited guests only. Lunch will be served.