It’s official: On 4 December we opened our doors for the first time and launched The Hub. Though the space will still need some restoration, furnishing and creative touches over the upcoming weeks, we were happy to spend a lively, exciting and certainly diverse first evening with many of you in this new home for value-creators in Lindengasse 56/18-19, 1070 Vienna. So much in brief, for more just have a look at the pictures and visit the new website…

With 59 applications from more than 200 students, a community of more than 300 members and several activities and workshops over just a few weeks time – the Social Impact Award 2009 was successfully concluded today in a ceremony for the first three winners of the award:

• 1st place for Project-E: A successfully established vocational school with accredited curriculum to provide Ethiopian orphan girls a future-oriented education and break the chains of poverty and patriachal societal pressures.
• 2nd place for Hunza Dynamo: A new concept to strengthen the local economical and social structures of the Hunza Valley in Pakistan through the establishment of new trekking routes and sustained eco-tourism offers.
• 3rd place for Kunterbunt Foundation: A novel idea for “the touchable museum” that will allow blind people to experience the full beauty of art in an exhibition of 3D sculptures from famous paintings such as the Mona Lisa.

Project-E, Hunza Dynamo and Kunterbunt Foundation will each be awarded a 3 month unlimited membership of The Hub Vienna (opening fall 2009). Additionally, subsequent workshops and community activities for all applicants will soon be announced as further support for the many submitted ideas, concepts and prototypes.

Looking back: more impressions and information on the award are now available at www.socialimpactaward.at… Looking ahead: In 2010 emersense will continue the partnership with the Social Impact Award to again reward students with innovative ideas and new approaches to bringing about positive change in society. Stay tuned for more information.

Offering new perspectives to entrepreneurial students in times of crises, the “Social Impact Award” is rewarding innovative ideas and new approaches to bringing about positive change in society.

As official partner of the award, emersense 1) is sponsoring unlimited memberships of three months each in The Hub Vienna, 2) offers regular creative sessions as support and meeting point for interested students throughout the application period, 3) designs a virtual space for all applicants to foster exchange and connections beyond the duration of the award, and 4) is member of the jury to select the winner of the award.

Applications for this award can be submitted until 30 May 2009, 10pm. For more information, resources, links and details on the award please visit www.socialimpactaward.at.