Ths Social Hub & TEDx Donauinsel: Benefit For All #Interview 🌈

Hey Judah, how are you doing today?
I am doing great! 2025 has got off to a busy start, and I am excited for everything we have in store for The Social Hub.

That sounds fantastic, I am curious already. We do start our Interviews with a short Wordrap, I would kindly ask you to answer very short! Let’s start:

+ Last time you had an AHA moment: At our Social Hub Global Ambassador Weekend in San Sebastian. 🏨
+ What does PRIDE mean for you? Freedom to express yourself and show up as your true self unapologetically 🌈
+ Friends describe me as: Compassionate ♡
+ Your favorite food: Pasta 🍝
+ Last time you cried was: The death of a dear friend 🕊️
+ Favorite song: Jolie Fille (feat. Layefa) – Maz, Andot & Ginton 🎶
+ Superpower wish: Teleportation 🚆
+ The best idea people ever came up with: I would have to say medicine (healthcare) and/or transportation. Both revolutionised human development. 🏥 ✈

This interview is done with Judah Jodran, Regional Brand & Marketing Manager (DACH + UK) at The Social Hub (TSH) and Mathias Haas, Curator at TEDxDonauinsel. The TSH Vienna is one of the main partner for our TEDxDonauinsel. 

Those are some very deep and meaningful answers already. Let us stay meaningful with the first question. Could you share a story where TSH positively influenced someone’s personal or professional life?

Since the founding of our Talent Foundation, The Social Hub has committed to investing 1% of our annual global revenue to advancing equity and opportunity through targeted programs. Through the changemaker scholarship it has been incredibly inspiring to see how we are enabling a more equitable pathway for students from the Global South to access Higher Education programs in the cities where we have hubs.

Wow, that’s awesome! TSH is a hub of innovative ideas, much like TEDx. Could you describe the core concept that drives TSH?

At The Social Hub we believe a better society is created when people with vision and talent come together from all walks of life. By having an open door policy we bring together a diverse group of industry leaders, educators, tech start-ups, students, digital nomads, business travellers, holiday makers and neighbours all under one roof. This creates an incredible platform for connection, collaboration and idea incubation. We champion an entrepreneurial spirit as well as celebrating curiosity.

In what ways does TSH foster innovation, and could you give an example of how it manifests there?

As pioneers in hybrid hospitality, we believe our hubs should be adaptable and have the flexibility to accommodate a broad spectrum of different events and activations. By investing in innovative design, with a community focus at the core of everything we do, we see innovation become integral to the fibre of our brand. We realise that the world is changing and with it our community’s needs. Ensuring we continue to have our eyes and ears on the pulse of our community ensures we can continue to have an impact in our inspiring hub locations.

Where do you find your inspiration for new ideas, and what’s your process for developing these ideas?

I am a firm believer that inspiration is all around us. As a marketeer and copy writer I am a lover of fashion and lifestyle magazines. I am inspired when I pick up a copy of Dazed, Vogue, ID…to name a few. Since the explosion of social media I follow several creative handles which are a mix of current affairs, culture and design. In my line of work staying on top of what is happening out there is essential to ensure I can inform my creative process. On Instagram I love these handles: @nowness, @wwd, and @showstudio

What motivated TSH’s decision to collaborate with TEDx?

TEDx is an ideas platform that fosters dialogue on a diverse range of topics. Since getting to know Mathias Haas and witnessing the incredible work being done to bring people together from diverse backgrounds, to share their experiences, stories and ideas, it was clear that this platform was a force for good.

The design at TSH is notably vibrant and engaging. Can you elaborate on the philosophy behind this design approach?

We are the pioneers of Hybrid Hospitality, meaning we have hotel guests that stay for a night or two to digital nomads that are with us for a couple of weeks or months right up to our extended stay guests and students who stay with us for up to a year. Creating community spaces that lend themselves to the varying needs of these different demographics is the starting point for how we design. Our meetings and events spaces (connect spaces) are adaptable and can be used for many different activations or events. Our co-working spaces, lobbies and auditoriums welcome a mix of vibrant communities and events throughout the year and it never seizes to amaze me how our spaces come to life.

Talking about design, take a little tour through TSH with us

How do you ensure that TSH remains a space that is welcoming and inclusive for all?

We strongly believe in the importance of bringing people together. We know that when we have an open-door policy it gives us the chance to change our local communities by enriching urban centers with a vibrant community space and a robust community and events program.

We have never been an exclusive brand and as we have honed our identity and messaging we understood the importance of the ‘Social’ in The Social Hub. Having become a B Corp at the end of 2024 we formalised the social impact work that was going on behind the scenes for several years now. Movement on the Ground, the charity co-founded by our Founder Charlie McGregor, works tirelessly to absorb the refugees that land on Lesbos every week. Giving them a sense of dignity and restoring their humanity.

Wow. Wow. Wow. That’s really amazing, congrats for that! 

What is. B-Corp? The B stands for ‘Benefit for All’. To get certified by B Lab, the non-profit behind the B Corp movement, one has to meet high standards of social and environmental performance. Learn more here:
bcorporation.net & thesocialhub.co/blog/hospitality-for-good-we-are-b-corp-certified

Also: We identify social impact projects in all the cities where we have hubs to ensure we can not only have a diverse community but also have a lasting impact on our local communities. We work with local change makers to help guide our efforts, ensuring the most pressing societal issues are addressed.

Reading often opens doors to new worlds and ideas. Is there a particular book you would recommend as a must-read?

One I keep going back to is the Untethered Soul by Michael Alan Singer. This book takes the reader on a journey of self-reflection. Allowing one to challenge the very notion of our thoughts and inner doubt (the voices in your head) and mapping out a pathway to be freer and more present.

Do you have a TED or TEDx Talk that resonates with you deeply? Which one is it and why? 

That is a really hard one as I have watched so many inspiring TEDx talks over the years. One that always sticks in my mind is the powerful one by the Sierra Leonean-German activist Mallence Bart-Williams entitled “Change Your Channel”. She challenges the notion of Africa’s poverty and does a deep dive into the far-reaching impact of colonialism across the continent of Africa.

We are already at the end of our interview. Finally, is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers that we haven’t covered?

Thank you for taking the time to sit down with me TEDx Donauinsel, we have an exciting year of collaborations ahead and we look forward to welcoming the TEDx community across our global hubs.

Dear Judah, thank you so much for your time and this insightful interview. It is amazing to see how TSH not just innovates the hybrid hospitality spaces but also takes their part in the benefit for the world. We are very happy to have you as a partner!

Thanks so much to you!

Find out more about the TSH Talent Foundation here: tshtalentfoundation.org