AKASHA Around The World #1
AKASHA Around The World is a monthly dispatch covering our growing network of innovation hubs. While each hub charts its own course, all share core values of community empowerment and decentralized growth.
What's a Hub, anyway? 👀
AKASHA Hubs are physical spaces where people come together to build solutions.
While each hub focuses on different challenges, they all share two core beliefs: communities should have power, and power should be spread out.
Think of them as nodes in a global network, each with its own specialty, and together connected by a shared vision of positive change.
Happy 7 Years to the Barcelona Hub! 🎂
The AKASHA Barcelona Hub was the very first hub of the network, founded by Lorenzo Patuzzo as a non-profit and self-funded project (no government strings attached).
Today, the OG hub is celebrating its 7th birthday! 🎉🎉
What started as a meetup spot for curious minds has evolved into a thriving ecosystem focused on sustainable innovation, with:
- 55+ resident innovators
- 1,000+ global members
- 2 warehouse spaces in the Clot district
- 13 distinct communities
- 5 local networks spanning blockchain to human rights (e.g. Green City Lab with the mission of improving the models of urban gardens)
By the Numbers (2017-2024):
- 250+ events hosted
- 10.4K participants engaged
- 100+ students from 8 schools (IT, PT, BR) in their new Cultural Program
- €5: Annual membership fee (yes, that's all it takes to join)
What's cooking? 🔥
The hub's resident projects are tackling everything from digital rights (Citizen Lab) to sustainable tech (Low Tech Magazine). Recent collaborations include:
- Ethereum BCN Community - Barcelona's largest blockchain community brought together developers and enthusiasts for monthly tech talks and workshops
- Barcelona Free Software - The open-source advocates hosted sessions promoting digital freedom and accessible technology
- Survival International - The global indigenous rights organization used the hub to amplify voices of native communities and plan direct actions
- ReFi Unconference - Leaders in regenerative finance gathered at the hub to explore how blockchain can fund climate solutions and ecological restoration
Latest highlight: They just hosted the world premiere of "Vitalik: An Ethereum Story" in September.
The Urbe Hub in Rome 🇮🇹
A new hub will open its doors in Rome this February. It’s laser-focused on blockchain technology and web3 innovation, leveraging the urbe.eth community in Rome.
The Urbe Hub aims to be the beating heart of Italy’s web3 scene, a dynamic space where developers transform ideas into products, students master blockchain technology, startups connect with early users, and web3 communities build lasting connections.
The hub will feature a coworking and event space able to host:
- Builders Garden, for web3 project development
- Tech residents, like BrianKnowsAI and Drift
- Urbe Campuses, with comprehensive web3 education programs
- Regular hackathons & coding events
Opening Dates:
- February 15-16, 2025 📅
- The AKASHA team will be present at the opening–drop by to chat and score some cool swag! 👋
Each AKASHA Hub may have its own focus—from Barcelona's sustainable innovation to Rome's web3 collective—but they're all part of a bigger picture: a global network of spaces empowering local communities to drive change in their own unique ways.
Want to get involved? Reach out to hello@akasha.world ✉️