Hearth Summit in Athens

Impact Hub Athens has been at the forefront of systemic change in Greece for the past 12 years, fostering social and environmental innovation and entrepreneurship through impactful programs and activities.

As a cornerstone of the Athenian ecosystem and a driving force of the innovation and startup communities across Greece, directly connected with 126 Impact Hubs around the world, we are dedicated to driving sustainable transitions and catalyzing meaningful change both locally and globally.

Hearth Summit in Athens

FOR THE FIRST TIME…

For the first time a Southern European  country is hosting an event of this kind, expected to travel to 25 other countries worldwide.

For the first time, 120 participants from all over Europe will gather to discuss Greece’s prospects.

For the first time, experts from different
fields will explore ways to transform
Greek cities into Wellbeing cities.

For the first time, we hope to gather significant insights compiled into a report, to be forwarded to the Greek participants at COP29 in Baku.

ANNUAL EVENT

Our goal is not to have just another conference. Instead, we want to create an annual event that will take place in a different Greek city every year. An annual event that will travel, grow stronger, move forward, and leave its unique imprint each time. So that discussions spread, interaction is enhanced, and networking increases for sustainable and resilient cities across Greece.

STRUCTURE

The programme will include keynote speakers, workshops,
debates, panels, poster sessions, co-creation activities, and artistic elements, with satellite events.

Core Themes

Through an open survey, conversations, and a series of 20 multi-stakeholder co-creation workshops
across Greece, we have identified the key pillars for a Wellbeing City and sustainable urban living:

Impact Economy
vs Wellbeing Economy

Exploring the shift from the
impact-driven economy to one that
prioritizes holistically the wellbeing
and societal health.

Cultivating Vibrant
Communities

Discussing ways to encourage citizen
participation in the development and
maintenance of green spaces,
enhancing social cohesion and
revitalizing urban architecture.

Ecological Integration
& Nature-Based Learning

Incorporating nature-based practices
into urban environments to foster
sustainability and deepen our
connection to the natural world.

Climate Resilience
& Extreme Weather

Implementing strategies to mitigate
extreme weather conditions and keep
urban temperatures moderate through
sustainable urban planning and design.

Climate
& Mental Health

Examining the relationship between
climate change and anxiety, and the
rejuvenating effects of nature on our
mental health.

Core Themes

Equity in Cities

Addressing issues of poverty,
employment, and housing to ensure
equal access to the necessary
resources for their life.

Decentralization
& Repopulation

Enabling cities in the periphery to
thrive independently and drive their
own growth and development.

Sustainable Consumption

Promoting conscious consumerism and
responsible consumption practices from
food to mobility to entertainment.

Sustainable
Tourism

Balancing tourism with the preservation
of cities’ unique identity, nature and
culture, while prioritizing the wellbeing
of local residents and its alarming
interconnection with climate change.

Climate Justice

Advocating for fair and equitable
policies that address the disproportionate impacts of climate change on vulnerable communities.

SPEAKERS

Lorenzo Fioramonti

Lorenzo Fioramonti

Director of the Institute for Sustainability ofUniversity of Surrey

 

Pedro Tarak

Pedro Tarak

Global Bridge Builders at Sistema B International, Co-founder of Sistema B and former President of Sistema B International. Board Member of the Wellbeing Economy Alliance. Co Founder of Regional Impact Trade Alliance

Conchita Galdon

Conchita Galdon

Vice-Dean Business with Purpose @IE Business School-Director IE Center for Social Innovation &Sustainability-Professor

Torri Tsui

Torri Tsui

Climate justice activist, organiser, writer, consultant & speaker

Paolo Di Cesare

Paolo Di Cesare

Co-founder & President NATIVA (also founder IH Roma, and Croqqer)

Dimitris Ptochos

Dimitris Ptochos

Governor of the Peloponnese Region

Julia Lopez Varela

Julia Lopez Varela

Consultant, strategic designer, and project manager specializing in Social Innovation.

Ioannis Sarakiotis

Ioannis Sarakiotis

Member of Parliament, Fthiotida

Olivier van der Feltz

Olivier van der Feltz

Strategy & innovation manager at Sympower

Maria Vassilakou

Maria Vassilakou

Urbanist, Urban Advisor & Consultant – Vienna Solutions

Martha Giannakopoulou

Martha Giannakopoulou

Architect & founder of If- architects, Housing consultant for IOM

Dimitrios Kaliampakos

Dimitrios Kaliampakos

Professor at the School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens

Registration

Would you like to be part of the Hearth Summit in Athens?
Then please fill out this form.

Core Experience Elements

POSTER SESSION

Researchers and startupers present their unique tech or soft solutions and theoretical frameworks for nature-based practices in the urban context.

MULTIMODAL WORKSHOPS & AGORA

Engage in hands-on sessions and for-
mats, designed to inspire and equip par-
ticipants with practical solutions for sus-
tainable living and ecological belonging.

PANEL DISCUSSIONS & DEBATES

Hear from leading experts and thought leaders as they discuss critical issues and innovative strategies to adopt wellbeing as a goal for decision makers and influencers of the city life.

KEYNOTE SPEECHES & FIRESIDE SESSIONS

Gain insights from influential speakers who are shaping the future of urban sustainability.

CO-CREATIVE ACTIVITIES

Collaborate with a diverse group of stakeholders to connect on a personal and cognitive level, de velop actionable plans and forge new partnerships.

ARTISTIC ENRICHMENT

Emerge into difficult conversations with
the guidance of contemporary artists and embrace the topic from a sentimen tal perspective through performances and art installations.

DECOMPRESSION ZONE

Spaces that participants can learn about the healing effects of nature and take time for themselves

Climate Tours

Seeing Athens through its visual graphic & design history

A curated and intimate itinerary to experience Athens through visual culture, typography, oral history, urbanism and the vernacular, always attentive to the latest town talks. Join us to explore and discuss about

neons, light boxes, banners, glass, and graphics in different materials that have been used over the years such as brass, steel or wood. All of them, examples of commercial graphics of the last 90 years, learning about the evolution of the city of Athens through its economy and commercial routes. The intention of this tour is to create a new and current creative space where the signs dialogue with each other and with the street, and which aims to generate an intergenerational conversation to talk about the past, present and future.

Register here

Connecting Two Iconic Landmarks of Athens by Bicycle

A 18 km bike ride, starting from the foothills of the Acropolis to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center at the Faliro Delta. The theme of our route focuses on communities and human actions, and how these interact over time and space, leaving their mark — sometimes positive, sometimes negative — across the centuries. Join us to discuss and debate over the development and progress of science, the future of the planet’s flora and fauna and the way current generations act -or should act- upon it.

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VIsiting the BLUECYCLE LAB

A model center, fully equipped for the utilization of marine plastic waste, creation, and research.
The first facility in Greece dedicated to processing and recycling plastic equipment from fishing and shipping activities has opened its doors in Piraeus!  Follow and learn about the process of turning plastic waste into design and useful items and emerge into the contemporary circularity practices.

Register here

Participants
& Audiences

We want to extend an invitation to approximately 120 people who are committed to transforming our economy and society, to build connections, exchange views, and develop synergies. We are curating an exclusive gathering of key stakeholders,  including:

Participants
& Audiences

DEPUTY MINISTERS & SECRETARIES GENERAL

of the relevant Ministries, Regional Governors and Mayors, as well as executives of the relevant organisations and services, related to infrastructure, innovation, and the environment.

RESEARCHERS, STARTUPS, & PROFESSIONALS

in the fields of circularity, data analytics, design,citizen empowerment, artificial intelligence, and nature-based solutions (biomimicry).

ARTISTS & CREATIVE INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES.

from the performative, music, cinema and audiovisual disciplines, curators and managers, who have as a central place in their work nature protection, climate justice, responsible and active citizenship in regards to their footprint and impact.
 

BUSINESS EXECUTIVES

in key positions (product research & development, sales, CSR & ESG, marketing, finance & corporate funding), entrepreneurs and representatives of the Greek industry, Chambers of commerce and business associa-
tions from key sectors such as energy, tourism, technology, construction, food (production, processing, packaging, distribution), trade, and the banking sector.

CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATION REPRESENTATIVES

with a particular focus on equal participation,
environmental restoration and regeneration,
placemaking, and philanthropic institutions.

A Sustainable event 

The Wellbeing Summit sustainability framework will be achieved by implementing an integral sustainability action plan specially developed for conferences & cultural events. Sustainability will be embedded into the core of our strategy, regarding the suppliers we use, the first material for catering and workshops, taking into consideration carbon, circularity, and social footprint.

Diversity, Equality
& Inclusion

Creation of a Summit where every participant feels valued, supported and
inspired to achieve both individual and common goals. DEI

Curation of the attendee list

Range of ticket prices, flight,
hotel and ticket sponsorships

Selection of speakers and artists from diverse backgrounds, experiences and viewpoints

Physical accessibility at venues and accommodations

Feedback surveys after the event

CALL FOR POSTERS

The Hearth Summit in Athens invites the submission of poster papers (work in progress/late-breaking research) to be presented in the poster sessions of the event. The goal is to provide opportunities for participants from academia, public institutions and industry to present their latest developments in the interest areas around the topic of Wellbeing Cities- Sustainable Urban Living.

Registration

Would you like to be part of the Hearth Summit in Athens?
Then please fill out this form.

Co-Creators

Sponsors

Experience Partners

Media Sponsor

Content Partners

Community Partners

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