At the beginning of June 2025, in Prague Impact Hub took place a symbolic handover of the CEO's chair. After almost fifteen years, the co-founder Petr Vítek passed the torch to the newly appointed CEO Petra Sokol ManasovaBut the meeting was not just about a change in leadership, both actors openly reflected on what impact and responsibility mean to them, and shared their perspective on the vision of not only the organization, but also the business as such.
Back to the roots: a new chapter begins
In the opening part, Petr Vítek looked back on the turbulent years that the organization has survived – the pandemic, energy and inflation crises – and admitted that the last few years have been more of a period of survival. “In recent years, that impact has been a bit lost sight of – in my view, now is the time to put it back in the spotlight,” added.
Petra admitted from her new position that she did not step into the role of CEO lightly and reflected that Petra's words live on in reality: "You can clearly feel what Petr mentioned here - that in recent years the trend has been 'we are solving survival'. The team is cautious, perhaps less courageous, because survival will leave a mark. But I think we will break through together. If Impact Hub were just a co-working space, I would never have joined here. But I believe that it is more. That is why I am here. And my next steps at its helm will be aimed precisely at impact."
Impact is not a buzzword. It is a commitment.
"Impact for me is about being better than I am now, and how I carry that forward, how I influence the world around me – through business, activism, my daily decisions. It starts where we realize that we have power – but at the same time we know that we should use it responsibly," came from Petra.
The theme of impact ran throughout the evening as a main theme. It was clear that for both leaders, impact is their personal value and engine. Petr returned to the fact that his need for meaning was the reason he founded Impact Hub in the first place – not for business, but due to overlapping projects and the community. Petra CEO accepted the challenge precisely because Impact Hub is not just a space for rent, but a place where ideas are created real changes. And they both agreed that if there was one thing they understood immediately, it was the shared meaning – the impact is there for both of them. the reason why you get up in the morning for work.
The discussion also included commitments and principles for Impact Hub and its path forward:
- The impact is decision filter Who does it collaborate with, what projects does it support, what does it promote? It chooses not based on revenue, but on social or environmental benefits.
- Impact is needed measure and manage, not just proclaiming – through our own programs, investment funds (e.g. PurposeTech), or thematic priorities.
- He views the impact as survival strategy and work for the future. He works for change, even though he knows it is unlikely to manifest itself in the near future.
Both leaders repeatedly emphasized that impact should not be marginalized or drowned in business KPIs, but rather we need to treat it as the center of our work.
Community and trust as a means of change
Both leaders agreed that the key element of any change is and will be community. Not only in the sense of physical shared space, but also shared values and the ability to dialogue with each other even in the face of differences of opinion. This is how real impact is created - in the form of new ideas, synergies and systemic changes.
As Petra said: "I want people to know that they can come up with an idea. And that their ideas have a place here." Our goal is to create an environment where people can meet, collide, mingle, where they feel safe, where they know that their presence and initiatives have meaning and that they can actively contribute to what we create together."
Vision for the coming years
What's next? According to Petr Vítek, Impact Hub should focus its energy on three priority areas: climate crisis, education and inequality – in conjunction with technological changes such as AI or robotization, and Petra added emphasis on civic engagementyour building a healthy democracy.
At the same time, Petra said clear vision: "We will profile ourselves more on the development of socially responsible business. We will not cover all startups across the board - we want to focus on those that have an impact. We will increase our relevance not only by what we do, but how we do it - we want to be not only a place to work, but an open space where it is natural to collaborate and grow, where business, meaning and social benefit are interconnected. Coworking must not be a goal but a means; a space that works on impact by bringing together the #impactmakers community and where solutions are created for the real challenges of today."
We are here for you.
At the end, Petra gave a message to everyone who cares about the future, along with two challenges for the audience:
- If you have a meaningful goal and are looking for a way to achieve it - come to us.
- If you don't have such a goal yet – be interested and ask questions. Yourself, your children, your grandchildren. The goal will find you. And when it does, we will be waiting for you.
More than just leadership was handed over
The whole meeting wasn't just about handing over leadership – it was about passing on values. About a return to meaning, to community, to the courage to create a future with impact.
Finally, all that remains is to add a quote from Petr Vítek: “I want Impact Hub to be a place that attracts people who are working hard to have good answers when kids ask them: What were you doing when the planet was burning?”
We are Impact Hub
We turn ideas into lasting impact. We inspire, connect and support impact makers across all over the world and in three cities in the Czech Republic – Prague, Brno a OstravaOur common mission is to build a just and sustainable world where business and profit serve people and the planet.
Either you are starting an idea, you are doing business, looking for partners or influencing changes in society, we are ready to support you on your path to impact.
Are you ready to change something? Become #impactmaker.
