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About Impact Waves
Our Why
Many migrant and refugee women and youth arrive with rich experience, resilience, and a deep desire to contribute – yet, these strengths often go unrecognised. Once in a new country, their willingness to learn and adapt meets rigid systems, assumptions, and a lack of tailored support.
Impact Waves was created to bridge the space between education and real-life opportunities by acknowledging and activating the potential that’s already there. Through a trauma-informed, wellbeing-led approach, we support individuals to grow in confidence, develop practical skills, and shape pathways into careers, entrepreneurship.
The Story
The seeds of Impact Waves were sown at an online hackathon during the pandemic, but the desire to bring education and careers and entrepreneurship a lot closer together started during the years when Adrienn, our founder supported international students, youth and women through community programs, higher education and coaching. We launched our first Bootcamp (now Skills4Impact Accelerator) in May 2023, with 10 courageous migrant and refugee women, looking to develop their skills and make an impact in their communities. They not only developed creative solutions two real-life problems (climate-induced migration, and wellbeing of women), but through journaling and peer mentoring developed their self-awareness, intercultural understanding and social-emotional skills. Since then, we've had two more cohorts, and started to offer introspective and interactive workshops and individual wellbeing- and career coaching. It is our privilege to have supported underserved communities of ladies and youth across Asia, Middle East, Africa, Latin-America, and Europe, delivering 5 different workshops to more than 200 professionals, 2 more cohorts of our Skills4Impact Accelerator, and 400+ wellbeing and career coaching hours.
For Individuals
Starting over isn't just about paperwork and learning the language. It's about rebuilding a sense of self, navigating new and unfamiliar systems and ways of living, while carrying stories and traumas that others may not always see or understand. We recognise this at Impact Waves, offering a space to breathe, reflect, grow, while looking ahead and taking actions towards the career path you wish to walk. We work with migrant and refugee women and youth who carry deep resilience and who are often asked to adjust without being truly seen. We believe you already hold so much experience and strength! We walk alongside you offering practical and trauma-informed tools and support, rooted in care.
Through our Skills4Impact Accelerator, small group workshops, and individual coaching, we create room for:
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(re)Connecting with your confidence and direction
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Enhancing your toolkit of wellbeing and self-leadership
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Connecting theoretical learning to careers
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Enhancing skills the job market is looking for
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Exploring steps toward work, learning or entrepreneurship
To date, more than 200 people have taken part in our programs. Each one brought their own story. Each one moved forward in their own way.
Previous clients walked away with lasting insights, greater resilience, and skills to navigate challenges. Many found inner healing, developed skills to overcome challenges, made difficult decisions, and reached new milestones both in their careers and personal lives.
If this speaks to you, contact us for a deep dive on how we could support you!
For Organisations & Universities
We collaborate with universities and organisations across Europe, Africa and the Middle East to strengthen support for migrant and refugee women and youth, connecting wellbeing, learning, and future pathways. Our work is grounded in a trauma-informed framework that connects:
Wellbeing → Self-leadership → Learning → Careers
We bring this approach into existing systems and programs, to strengthen them, making them more accessible, relational and relevant for those navigating displacement, transition or systemic exclusion.
Depending on context and need, our partnerships include:
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Co-creating & co-delivering programs and curriculum
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Social-emotional and workplace skill development
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Wellbeing coaching and programs for individuals navigating complex transitions
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Career and entrepreneurship support tailored to students’ lived realities
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English teaching support
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Project delivery and capacity support for teams
We also run the Skills4Impact Accelerator, a structured learning journey supporting participants to develop practical skills, intercultural understanding, tools to support their wellbeing and grow their self-leadership, and connect their learning with meaningful next steps.
If you’re looking to deepen or rethink your offer to these communities, we’d be glad to explore what’s possible, together. Book a 30minute chat to explore how we can collaborate!
Testimonials
Individual Participant
"The [workshop] was outstanding, featuring clear explanations and interactive elements that kept me engaged throughout the session... The topic provided valuable insights into the importance of adaptability, perseverance, and creating a resilient work environment. I now have a clearer understanding of how these traits contribute to effective leadership and intend to incorporate them into my professional life. I would like to express my appreciation for the facilitator's expertise and the thought-provoking discussions that took place."
Nilofar
Resilience & Self-Leadership Workshop
Organisational Support
"Adrienn's support has been transformative for LALA, significantly enhancing our operational efficiency and strategic impact. Through her work on youth engagement programs in Mexico, Adrienn has been instrumental in building stronger, lasting relationships that expand our reach and deepen our influence. Her role as a mentor to Brazilian LALíderes has inspired and empowered young leaders, creating a ripple effect that strengthens our community. Her efforts in developing and documenting processes for the communications department have streamlined our workflows, allowing us to connect more effectively with our audience and partners. Adrienn's broad skill set and comprehensive understanding of our organization amplify the value of her contributions, making her an invaluable asset to LALA. I certainly recommend her work."
Ticiane Midori Shiki
Director of Operations
LALA - Latin American Leadership Academy
Individual Participant
"I signed up for 1-2-1 sessions with Adrienn, eager to enter the social impact field but feeling lost on how to stand out and secure a job. What I found exceeded my expectations. Adrienn's dynamic sessions not only focused on job-seeking but challenged my approach to the social impact sector, my potential role, and the essence of social impact work. She shared her experiences, offered practical resume advice, and expanded my understanding of the field's diverse roles. Adrienn encouraged me to critically assess my strengths, values, and unique contributions. Her coaching extended beyond the professional realm, deepening my understanding of my passionate social causes.”
Rita
Skills4Impact Accelerator & Coaching
Organisational Support
"Adrienn is a great mentor to work with. She is passionate about supporting youth to take the right path that serves them best and gain self-confidence on the way. Her practices include a range of tools connected to orientation, decision-making, and wellbeing. "
Péter Klausz
Pedagogic Director
Engame Academy
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Hello! It's great to connect with you here!
I am Adrienn, a mental health & career coach, mentor, consultant in the intersection of education, wellbeing and careers. For nearly a decade, I've had the privilege of supporting underserved communities of youth, women and migrants on their personal and professional journeys through community programs, mentoring, coaching and higher education not only in the UK and Europe, but also in Latin-America and Asia. My passion for supporting migrant and refugee communities rooted in these experiences, my own two international relocations and challenges, and my work through Impact Waves. My goal is to connect education and careers through wellbeing, skills development, and practical career / entrepreneurial guidance.
I deeply care and understand the complexities adjusting to new environments, together with the challenges of starting a new life (whether it is a decision made by you or by circumstances outside of your will).
I've completed my Diploma in Mental Health Coaching in December 2020, and received my Master Diploma in Mental Health Coaching (youth and adults) and my Certificate in Trauma-Informed Coaching in April 2025 via the American Association of Christian Counsellors.
Since December 2020, I have delivered more than 400hours of wellbeing and career coaching, developed 3 wellbeing-centred introspective and interactive workshops (and more to come!) and designed our Skills4Impact Accelerator, bringing together women from all across the world.
My experience spans across business, consultancy, social impact and education management. I've developed & delivered curriculum to support youth to take the skills learnt on the street to social enterprise, brought together early- and mid-career professionals from all over the world to develop solutions to critical real-world issues, managed projects to enhance organisational capacity, from improving student experiences at universities to supporting community-based initiatives locally and globally.
My work is centred on the person, always making sure that there is space for holistic support. Connect with me if this sounds like you!
