HUB

Zagreb
Initiative

HUB Zagreb Initiative

Concept paper
HUB Zagreb Initiative
Zagreb, Croatia
hubzag@gmail.com
hubzagreb.tumblr.com/
Your are invited
This is an invitation to be part of a unique global ecosystem of persons,
ideas and places dedicated to make this a better world. We believe that in
this world there is no shortage of people with good ideas but rather a crisis
of access, infrastructure, scale and impact. Therefore, a strong need of
places that support entrepreneurial actors is on demand, places designed to
enable these people to thrive.
You are invited to participate in offering a space like this, in opening the Hub
Zagreb. The Hub is about people, the power of those who believe they can
change things, the power of people with ideas. It’s about the audacity,
confidence and drive of people who belong to a new sort of individuals.
These are the people who see and do things different. The Hub is also about
places, spaces where people from every background and culture are being
united by the same thing- the imagination and drive to pursue enterprising
ideas for a radically better world. After all, another world is not just possible,
it is happening. Because we know social innovation relies on having the
visibility and access to the right mix of capital, knowledge and resources, the
HUB Zagreb seeks to offer the first physical space in Croatia that hosts,
enables and supports social innovators.
Hubs can be found in cities all over the world. They are places carefully
designed to work, meet, innovate, learn and relax, places sharing the
same core principles of the Hub world concept. Places slowly cooked by
local initiators who spice up the Hub concept to the local taste. In our
case we are paving the way for the opening the Hub Zagreb by building
the community and making this physical place a reality. In the same way
that an ecosystem is about the interaction of living things with the
environment, the Hub Zagreb is about the power of inspiring a place
where new connections, relationships and initiatives can evolve, adapt
and thrive.
A home for people to create a better world, and we’d like you to be part
of it.
It’s been some time since the first idea of having a place like the HUB in Zagreb appeared. Finally, and due to multiple
synchronicities, patience and the force and momentum of the idea, the core team has started their first steps on making this
wish a reality. They have felt the forces of change coming to Croatia and have seen the urgent need for the common ground
for change agents in our society as one of the basic precondition for this change to happen.

Now that the group has constituted a robust core team and believes in the strength and force of their combined network of
Preface
like-minded people, they have decided to make this place a reality. They are aware of the challenges and the difficulties but
nothing can ever stop a genuine strong vision for social impact and community development, from coming to life, can it?.
Social processes take time and the core team would like to contribute fostering this process as best as possible in their
community with the strategic support of other key agents.
 Hub is a social enterprise based on membership fees with the ambition to inspire and support visionary ideas for a radically better

What is
world. Hub is designed to inspire and unite, to spark initiatives and to nurture ideas from conception to execution and then scaling
them up. By creating a space where many resources are accessible to members, an environment rich in experience and
encounters with diverse people doing amazing things, Hub is a very special kind of innovation community.

Currently located in 28 major cities around the world, Hub’s multi-sited global offering will expand by 2014 to a total of 64
locations. This international network connects value-driven talent in world’s major cities and by doing so, scales and diversifies our
the Hub
knowledge-sharing platform and attracts market-facing opportunities tackling systemic global challenges.

The Hub borrows from the best of a member’s club, an innovation Lab, a serviced office, a think and do thank,
an atmospheric venue and the comforts of home.

The challenge We need new models that blend social and environmental value with economic viability.
It felt vital to create places around the world for accessing space, resources,
connections, knowledge, experience and investment. A concept model built on the

and the incentive belief that ideas and abilities to shape a radically better world are already existent, yet
environments and opportunities, inspiration and connections as well as support and
infrastructure are lacking.

When faced with a task of this magnitude, why not assemble great talent into a common and inspirational space? Together they can generate new ideas into actions for
change. If tools and resources are combined, it’s easier to transform ideas into action. People in this environment will work collaboratively, sharing best practices to inspire and
grow; they will build and scale together, forming a values-driven, high-performing system that works toward a better world.
The Hub Zagreb will be most likely located in the center of the city, according t the insights from our ongoing
market research. It will be a working space reflecting the unique atmosphere of Zagreb center, which The Hub
Zagreb
provides a special blend between its historic past and the modern trends. The place will provide a creative
and inspirational ambience. The interior design of the space will be dynamic and flexible for multipurpose
we invite you to be part of this design phase
activities in the same space, playing smart with the size constraints and allowing interaction and

concept
collaboration. The place will focus on people of diverse professional and personal backgrounds, where
different kind of impact-driven projects and ventures can be developed, co-created or multiplied.

Hub Zagreb offers this space to all those innovators passing the first phases of their ventures, when support
and resources are most needed, but also offers space for mature organizations, because it is in an diverse
environment when ideas thrive. description
Hub Zagreb will be an inspiring, creative, joyful and cosy place that will enable people of different professions to
work and develop their own ventures, learn and co-create, and
have access to reliable resources, services and networks.
All of this in order to foster and promote innovation that creates positive impact in the society
 Main components of a unique proposition
Hub Zagreb, representing a fertile ground for change, will attract a community of
social innovators like no other place. Although having an attractive space works
for this attraction, the Hub will focus on a community of innovators from different
fields and disciplines. It will also help building this community, necessary for
social innovation. Members of the hub will come from this community, whose
ideas and actions will contribute creating a sustainable future. A group of people
passionate about bringing value to the world and ready to exchange within a
collaborative community.

Some examples of activities of the members might include: working on specific

environmental solutions, designing for social change, creating participatory
learning methods, supporting social entrepreneurs, rethinking international
development, facility cross-sector cooperation and others.
Unique focus on change agents

Hub spaces are professionally hosted environments that connect

members to increase ideas flow and collaboration. In practice, this means
that the HUB is staffed by Hosts who cultivate the conditions for
collaboration and emergence within the members. The roles of the Hosts
do not have anything to do with traditional roles of receptionist and
administrators. Hosts get to know what members are working on, who
they are working with and introduce them to the people they should know.
Hosts also work to bring members together for group events and to
transform member ideas into new opportunities for the community. This
subtle but effective change in roles accounts for a high-value network
effect as Hosts prove to be essential in connecting opportunities with
capabilities within and beyond the membership base. Perhaps most
importantly, Hosts responds to members daily needs for resources
capacity and expertise.

Examples include: peer-to-peer mentoring, professional consults, open

Professional hosted environment conversations, tailor made lectures and sessions, among others.
 Stimulating design
Hub spaces range from stimulating, collision-rich
cafe and hot-desking environments that support
innovation, to quite areas that foster focused
concentration, to places where members work the
phones for hours pushing the ideas forward.
Therefore, spatial typologies range from public to
private, autonomous to participatory, formal to
informal, focused to stimulating. Hubs also feature
event spaces for large and small gatherings, such
as film screenings, art openings and presentations.
Space design incorporates an expanded
conception of work, including informal spaces to
eat, read, meet and relax.

The Hub network connects more than 5,000

changemakers working across 5 continents.
Members in Zagreb will be able to work and
collaborate with other members from any of the
30+ global locations, by also connecting virtually
trough a member- based online social networking
platform (Hub+). The network is growing rapidly
across the world. In central and Southeast Europe
a cluster of Hubs is already presented as Hub
spaces in: Zurich, Milan, Rovereto, and Vienna
and in the process of opening their doors in
Rome, Athens and Istanbul.

Amazing collaboration within global network

The Hub will be an inspiring place in Zagreb that will enable people of different professions
to work and develop their own ventures, learn, co-create and have access to reliable
resources, services and networks. All in order to foster and promote innovation that creates
positive impact to the society. As noted, Hub Zagreb concept makes emphasis on the
Business model
physical characteristics of the space, the unique atmosphere and other non tangible This tariff model allows a smart utilization of the Hub space,
features. Those components will give a special experience to the members. The focus on because the Hub is able to turn over the same workspace many
experience, as opposed to the mere provision of a workspace, will keep the retention rate times in the day, Therefore spreading the risks and giving
of our members high, in comparison to other offerings on the basis of price. advantageous market offer with positive financial return. In the
case of the Hub Zagreb, the focus on experience, as opposed
In order to make the main components of this unique proposition available to the public, the
to the mere provision of a workspace, keeps the retention rate of
Hub Zagreb core offer will relay on individual, differently price membership system. This
our members high, in comparison to other offerings on the basis
time-based tariff delivers dramatic innovations in the future of flexible and highly resourced
of price.
work space inhabited by social innovators. The Hub Zagreb tariffs proposed are (prices are
subject to continued review and changes): Apart from the time access of every package, the membership
enables immediate access to a physical space suited for diverse
Hub unlimited - unlimited amount of hours per month
Hub 120 - 120 hours per month tasks such as high speed wireless internet, access to meeting
Hub 80 - 80 hours per month and workshop spaces, personal storage space and access to
Hub 40 - 40 hours per month the international Hub members database., among others
Hub 20 - 20 hours per month
Hub connection - 5 hours per month
Membership fees are not the only source of revenue. The Hub offers space for other events like meetings, presentations, world cafes, debates, art
shows, lectures, performances and films. It will generate revenue from the renting of these spaces. Although many of the spaces might be free of
charge for the members, a full charge will exist for non-members. Other revenues might be generated via partnerships established with other key
collaborators who pay for a package of service (i.e. meeting/event spaces, innovation processes, workshops, mentoring programs), but this option
will be analyzed according to demand.

Among the costs the most important are the ones regarding management and operation, particularly rent, staff salaries and facilities. However,
there are some up-front costs needed to cover renovation and adaptation of the space, licensing payments and permits. Detailed information
regarding financial projections will be available soon within the feasibility study.
 Implementation strategy
he HUB Zagreb is scheduled to open in the late autumn of 2011 with
the estimated up to 25% of the membership capacity. The
implementation strategy involves parallel community building around
HUB Zagreb including potential future users, key partners,
collaborators and clients, as well as work on designing of both the
space and the future services and infrastructure of the place. A
feasibility study is on the way, more accurate information regarding
market analysis, financial projections and critical risk factors, will
appear in this document in detail. The responsibility of executing the
next steps lies on a diverse management team of entrepreneurs. They
are a resourceful group of people skilled in a variety of business fields
and disciplines (see Annex).
HUB Zagreb Initiative is currently working in the following activities:
- Integration of the core HUB World values to the HUB Zagreb
business model (May 2011)
- Gathering and building up a resourceful and support seeking creative
individuals and groups from different fields and disciplines (on going)
- Raising funds and other capital necessary for the opening of the Hub
(on going)
- Completing the feasibility study (June 2011)
- Networking and partnering with key collaborators (on going)
- Designing inspirational and flexible working environment as well as
the Hub Zagreb service design providing a unique experience for the
future HUB members (August 2011)
 Annex
Core team of initiators
Miljenka Plazonic is a facilitator and trainer in area of
organisational and project development, with many
years of experience, mostly in software development
industry. Miljenka is a member of several international
networks and one of them is Art of hosting where she
has been present from its beginnings. Experiencing Art
of hosting and co-hosting it, made a permanent shift in
perceiving possibilities in group processes and made a
huge impact to all areas of her work. A wish to have a
physical space where people can be hosted to make
best of their ideas and jobs brings her into this team.
Jasenka Gojsic is a telecommunication engineer, MSc
in management, consultant and trainer in the fields of
project organizations and transformational changes. In
her previous career she contributed to building "a
better Croatia" by leading Croatian Academic and
Research Network - CARNet in the project and early
institutional phase, at that time technologically and
organizationally leading the edge change agent in the
society. Today, she is balancing her professional
activities, family life with three children and continuous
personal development. Establishing the Zagreb HUB
means to her a fresh opportunity to participate in the
new transformation of the society, this time bridging
the gap between growing understanding in the society
for the importance of individual contribution and a
severe lack of structured and organizational support for
connecting people and harvesting results of their
relationships.
Ana Raguz is a designer with proven records of
her genuine intentions on social development. She
is an idealist with a strong purpose-driven soul and
a natural talent on caring deeply for others. She
developed a focus on human centered design
through her experience as landscape designer in
Mexico and The Netherlands. After finishing her
masters in Tourism and Environment she has
experienced the challenges of combining
community based projects and social capital in
Croatia. Being a fast learner girl that copes easily
with responsibilities, she is keen to continue
designing schemes on group participation and
team working for social cohesion and rural
development. As a creative person she believes on
the power of design and understands the
advantages of co-creation combining analytical
tools and personal introspection.
Duska Jelic is a freelance architect with more
than 10 y of hands on experience in architectural
project management and architectural design of
various building typologies, competence in
current local building legislation and it's
application within specific project types. She is a
member of Postgraduate Continuous Education
Board at Croatian Chamber of Architects and is
also active within Zagreb Architects Society.
Duska is driven by constant curiosity and passion
for fine tuning the correlations of physical space,
environmental issues and social context with
technology at hand. She is motivated by and
dedicated to creating a platform for exchange of
ideas, strongly believing in the power of
multidisciplinary teamwork as the ultimate tool for
rediscovering the new social awareness.
Vesna Vrga is a lecturer and consultant in the field
of project management, and has been in recent
years engaged in the preparation and
implementation of projects financed from EU funds.
She has more than 10 years of experience in
Croatian Academic and Research Network-
CARNet where she worked on implementation of
ICT project, creation of digital contents and internet
portals. Additionally, she was participating in
organizing committees of several international
conferences and has organized educational and
promotional events. Vesna has been a lecturer at
the Polytechnic in Šibenik since 2002 and was
leading the establishment of the L3A - Life Long
Learning Academy during the 2006. She now
works as a lecturer and consultant there. She is
secretary general of Zagreb Society of Architects
since 2009. Vesna gained her degree in
engineering at the University of Zagreb, Faculty of
Electrical Engineering and Computing, MBA at
IEDC Bled School of Management in Slovenia and
specialized education at the J.F.Kennedy School of
Government at Harvard University in USA, in
Management Centre Europe in Brussels and at the
various international conferences.
Jasmina Lukasevic is facilitator and consultant in
Hermes Arriaga is an entrepreneur and
the area of participatory processes and related
networker, an extremely practical person with
m e t h o d o l o g i e s , f o c u s e d o n p ro j e c t a n d
spark in his eyes when he talks of creating social
organizational development, improvement process
change, ideas popping out of his mind or
and in generally, projects where complexity and
projects he is involved in. He is an agricultural
new solutions are involved and invited.
engineer by profession. After finishing his
Participating at her first Art of Hosting training in
masters in environmental economics and three
2003, has made huge impact on her personal
years of professional experience in the private
perspective of working with people, co-creating
sector, he is keen to continue working on social
together, giving structure to the organizations or
entrepreneurship projects that strive towards
communities and has opened new field of hosting
creating positive social and environmental
people in process, engaging and involving people
changes. As his mind has a strange tendency to
into creating new, innovative, sustainable solutions.
divert from the ‘usual’ ways of problem solving,
This experience has transform her into a
in the projects he is developing he searches for
passionate host with willingness to offer and invite
innovative and creative ways involving young
many meaningful conversations in teams,
people and participatory design thinking. He
organizations, projects, communities, as well as in
believes that the ultimate goal is human
her life. Jasmina is mathematician engineer with
development and social cohesion. He
many years of experience in software development
understands the value and importance of local
company and she is a member of the Art of
contexts and has a talent for project steering,
Hosting community where she continuously gains
creatively materializing ideas into tangible
new learning, inspiration and new practice
entities.
together with her colleagues and AOH mates.