Our story begins in 2015, when a group of changemakers from across the Waikato region found themselves wondering whether there was a better way of doing business.
Convinced that profitability didn’t have to be the sole purpose of business, these entrepreneurs soon found themselves unified by a desire to disrupt the status quo, and a vision to close the gap between profit and impact.
But, there wasn’t a central place where they could catalyse their efforts, and collaborate with like-minded others to generate the change that they knew was possible.
After some research, they found the Impact Hub network and went abroad to learn more about it. The synergies were immediately evident. Impact Hub had been founded in London 10 years earlier, when a group of students found themselves wondering ‘what if people striving for a change, who work towards such change in the isolation of their homes, could have a shared space where they could meet, connect and collaborate?’
All over the globe, Impact Hubs were bringing together changemakers through shared workspaces, hosting events to advance ideas, and connecting unlikely allies to create tangible solutions to pressing issues.
It was clear that this was exactly what the Waikato region needed.
In April 2019,
after years of hard work, the licence was granted, and Impact Hub Waikato - Aotearoa’s first-ever Impact Hub, was officially established.
Just a few months later, we opened the doors to our Inspiring Space in Central Hamilton. Designed for impact-driven professionals, entrepreneurs, and anyone with an interest in socially and environmentally-conscious lifestyles, this co-working Space (which features offices, desks and meeting rooms), quickly became a home for innovators, dreamers and doers, and a birthplace for new ideas, projects and ventures.
In mid-2021, we opened the doors to our second Inspiring Space, located in the heart of Tokoroa.
Offering two floors of co-working spaces, meeting rooms, and event and workshop facilities, this hub is the centre of entrepreneurship and digital skills development for the South Waikato, and has become a much-needed base in the CBD for entrepreneurs, startups and the business community.
Today, in addition to our co-working facilities, our focus is on fostering our growing community of changemakers through networking events and capacity-building workshops (designed to provide inspiration, tools and resources to amplify their impact), as well as entrepreneurial accelerator programmes (helping local impact-entrepreneurs develop or grow their business model). Recently, we launched a 1-2-1 service model, providing tailored investment, marketing, impact measurement and other business coaching services.
We are prouder than ever to be part of the global Impact Hub community - the world’s most extensive association of social impact communities aligned with the SDGs, represented by more than 100 hubs in more than 60 countries and composed of more than 17,000 entrepreneurs and changemakers.
Looking ahead, we are excited to continue mobilising our growing community of changemakers around our vision, and creating a world where businesses can thrive, and do good.
Wherever you are in the world, when you enter an Impact Hub co-working facility, you will find a buzzing community, filled with all kinds of people - social entrepreneurs, startups, employees of partner companies, students, and more. Impact Hub Waikato is no exception.
Our South Waikato Space
Our South Waikato Inspiring Space is located on Swanston Street, in the centre of Tokoroa. This multi-storey modern, yet comfortable Space features flexible co-working spaces, meeting rooms, event facilities, and a Digital Space, and serves as a central hub for budding entrepreneurs from Tokoroa, Putāruru, Tīrau and Arapuni.
Each day, entrepreneurs, freelancers, advocates, campaigns, artists, consultants and more, come along to work, participate in our dynamic events and workshops, and collaborate with others.
Whether you’re looking for a permanent office, one-off meeting room, or a casual hot-desk, we’d love to have you join us.
Our Hamilton Space is on the move
After two years in our Inspiring Space in Hamilton City Central, we are taking a hiatus from having a physical space in the city. The past 6 months have seen quite a change to the way people like to work, network, meet, and collaborate. That's why we've decided to adjust our focus for this year, and take the time to learn about what our community want out of a new space.
We'd love to hear your thoughts!
