Humans og Impact Hub is a series of interviews with some of our members. We ask them questions about their start-up, what motivates them, their challenges, how Impact Hub Bergen helps their endeavours and where they see themselves in five years time.
This week we chat to one of our newest Impact Hub members, Anne Gunn from Bergen Basecamp.
What motivated your start-up?
It was the love of nature and activities in nature. I personally practice both outdoor activites and more extreme sports. So that was my motivation, to live from doing my hobby. I had a MBA and was working for Save the Children foundation before I started working on this. So it was quite the change of careers.
What has been your greatest challenge?
Our biggest challenge is to think bigger. The whole time it’s been about loving the activities and a lot of idealism and even the people who work with Bergen Basecamp are a lot of outdoor people, idealist. We are not the typical salespeople or thinking too much about profit and the capitalistic side of the business. So, we need to do more if we are going to establish enough work places for our employees. That is also a big challenge, to keep all the great people, because we can’t give them enough work. Its only seasonal based work and to be able to keep our employees, we need to think more about profit. It’s a balancing act.
Why did you choose Impact Hub?
I’d met Silje a few times, and knew about her and her ambition for the social entrepreneurship side of Impact Hub. This was quite early, before she started her at Bryggen, we had met several times at different meetings. And I think it was quite interesting what she wanted to establish. Then, we were at different parts of the city and we started thinking that Bergen Basecamp we need to have a place where people can see us. Being inside Impact Hub, you are not very visible. But by chance I saw that there was room for us here and it would be perfect because we have so many things, synergies, that we can work on together.
How about the actual physical move, it was a bit of a job?
Of course at Impact Hub, the room we moved into used to be storage room, so you guys here it has been a challenge to make room ready for us. But everybody has been very positive. Everybody working in Bergen Basecamp love this place, the environment and the people. So we are very happy.
Where do you see your venture in 2020?
I think we will be more segmented towards the different markets. This is the first time we have products directly to the tourists for drop-in. We normally just do group activities. I think also, together with Silje and maybe other businesses in Impact Hub, we will make more high quality products for companies. So we will be working towards the corporate market both national and international. From an international business perspective it will be a huge incentive for them to come into this building and do courses we can put together with Silje and the Impact Hub team. Combine the courses with outdoor activities will be more of a niche product that will appeal to a bigger audience.
Tell us about any latest develops or activities coming up?
Yes of course, we are building the Zipline and the construction people are arriving this week, there are 3 of them and I have to host them. So I have to move out of my apartment and live in my cabin for at least two weeks while they are building. So my kids and I we have to clean everything and pack our suitcases, but we are so looking forward to it!
Wow, a zipline! Tell us more!?
Well, there are a lot of cities around the world and in Norway that have ziplines. But Bergen, who has these amazing venues like Ulrikken and Fløyen, but there are no attractions like that. Its very trendy to do outdoor activities and have some action and have something happening. It took us four years to get this off the ground, but finally!
The Zipline starts and ends at the top of Ulrikken. Some people think it might go all the way down, or all the way over to Fløyen, but no. But it’s going to be great anyway!
