On the 28th of February King Filip visited the Impact House. The Impact House brings together several important actors of the social entrepreneurship and impact investing scene. In this hub, non-profit and for-profit collaborate pursuing a common cause: maximizing positive societal impact.
Between the organizations to be found in the offices, meeting rooms and co-working spaces of Impact House, there are established international non-profits, fast-growing scale-ups as well as ambitious start-ups, united by their striving to foster positive societal impact. Each in their own way, they contribute to the promotion of sustainable solutions for social and ecological challenges. Several forms of support are offered in the house: from funding, coaching and consultancy to network sharing. The Impact House also spreads a positive vibe by frequently opening its doors to interesting events about societal innovation and social entrepreneurship.
After a royal welcome, Piet Colruyt, founder and driving force of the Impact House, explained value of the House and its ecosystem to the King. As Piet eloquently put: “the Impact House is the materialization of a Belgian ecosystem that we have been building for over 10 years with many different parties. By building bridges between the various actors and by collaboration between social entrepreneurs, large companies and government authorities, we can scale positive societal changes.” Afterwards, King Filip was invited to visit the offices and make the acquaintance of the various entities in the building, amongst which LITA.co, Many Energy, Ashoka, Sign for my Future, iPropeller and SI2 Fund. His visit ended with a round table featuring the young generation of socially engaged entrepreneurs of the Impact House, clarifying the importance of the right support, a combined approach – that includes both business and societal aspects – as well as a strong ecosystem to achieve sustainable societal impact.
The visit of the King shows his appreciation for social entrepreneurship and the support provided by the Impact House ecosystem. It is a meaningful recognition of the commitment of the many societally driven members of the Impact House devoting themselves daily to tackling the pressing societal challenges of this time.
