Community Partner : Impact Hub Baltimore Intern : Irene Bantigue Site Supervisor : Michelle Geiss
What is Impact Hub ? Impact Hub is part innovation lab , part coworking space , part civic forum . Our members are a vibrant , diverse and growing community of innovators and entrepreneurs dedicated to driving positive change in Baltimore and beyond . We provide an inclusive , inspiring , and functional space that connects our members to the ideas , resources , and people they need to make tangible social impact . We also serve as a gathering place for the global movement towards stronger cities and a new economy .
Before joining Impact Hub , I remember telling my supervisor , Michelle , that one of my goals was to make at least three mutually beneficial relationships by the end of my internship . Thinking back , she probably found this funny to hear knowing that I was likely to surpass my goal within the first week of being in the space . If so , Michelle was 100 % correct , because this is exactly how my summer at Impact Hub Baltimore transpired !
I am lucky to have had endless opportunities to meet at least two new people every day because of how Impact Hub promotes connecting and collaborating with one another . One of my tasks this summer was to coordinate in-depth interviews with a sample of its community to translate into stories . However , I met and learned about so many more social changemakers than my pre-internship self could ever have imagined . At Impact Hub , something as simple as refilling coffee mugs can serve as a catalyst for greater insights on important ongoing work in Baltimore , and even launch new collaborations to scale meaningful impact across the city .
• Utilized Impact Hub Baltimore ’ s past strategic plans , grant proposals , and organizational data to inform the creation of an impact report that details its progress over its first 2.5 years in operation
• Coordinated in-depth interviews with a sample of Impact Hub ’ s 210 + member community to gather qualitative data for storytelling
• Collaborated with Impact Hub ’ s core team and graphic designer to create a mutual vision for the impact report and conceive designs for the visual execution of the report ’ s content
People also seem to realize their best selves at Impact Hub : members often shared with me that they are both more motivated and innovative in being part of its network . In this spirit , I witnessed firsthand how crucial it is to have a supportive community that champions the success of others , while selflessly sharing needed resources and encouragement in the process . Even when I doubted my abilities to create Impact Hub ’ s first impact report , those around me always reminded me that my unique perspective and skills are important . I quickly discovered that this culture of selflessly uplifting others is a strong sentiment amongst Impact Hub ’ s community , and nurturing work environment at-large .
Overall , this summer has been filled with unforgettable individuals and learnings . Being a transfer student , my academic career at Hopkins ( much less Baltimore ) is considerably shorter than the majority of my peers . Thanks to Impact Hub , my love for Baltimore has exponentially grown this summer , and I am almost certain I will be sticking around longer after graduating next year .
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