onsdag 30 mars 2011

Another world is happening (at the HUB Brussels)

The words that greet visitors to the HUB Brussels don't hold back with the expectations. I was inspired to visit the HUB here in Brussels (as I wrote in the previous post), and decided to go to the March "Open Work Day" to get some nice community lunch, meet some of the entrepreneursthere, have a chat with people and get a sense of the place.

Just entering this social entrepreneur space sent all good vibes right from the beginning. I got there right at the end of lunch, so I sort of missed everyone else's introductions, which was a big bummer, but I'll have to make up for it by coming back again and again (and again, hehe!). I met some great people, just chatted with a few of the ones sitting around the table. One guy wh
o spoke some swedish due to his deep fascination and enfatuation with the language (which apparently is the sexiest one in the world...), and a couple of Basque girls who were working at the HUB as an exchange that their government has arranged for students to be able to do to the different HUB spaces around the world - what a great idea!


I also sat down and did a mini interview with Lorna, who is the manager of the hosts there, and has a really interesting story and great energy herself, and also with Leander
who is one of the members, who is deeply involved in creating the "HUB Marketplace" which is a complementary currency project. It was really interesting to get to know more about the HUB and some of the projects there. I have written an entry from my visit which will be published on the blog of the Swedish "Mötesplats för social innovation och Samhällsentreprenörskap" ("Meeting place for social innovation and societal entrepreneurship"), which I will link directly to once it's published.

My visit to the HUB Brussels certainly tickled my fancy, and I will definitely be going back and getting involved. It's just a really great space with some lovely people and a wonderful sense of community. Right down my alley!

So, à tout à l'heure HUB-ers!

/Ola Nilsson