You know that feeling when you gather with people who just get it? That’s exactly what happened at our very first Ecosystem Connect event at Puzl CowOrKing Budapest. We’ve been quietly (and not so quietly) building something special in Budapest, and on April 15, we hit pause on our day-to-day hustle to do what we love most: bring people together.

This time we brought together 30+ community leaders, ecosystem shapers, and super connectors from the Hungarian ecosystem! People who care deeply about creating meaningful connections, building real communities, and making their corners of the world a little better (or a lot better).

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So, what went down?

We kicked off the evening with a light welcome and a heavy dose of delicious bites (because food brings people together like superglue).

The main part of the event was a panel discussion moderated by the wonderful Csenge Tassonyi from The Good Persona Consultancy. The lineup? All well-established pillars of different communities:

• Biás Csongor – Managing Director at Startup Hungary
• Gusztos Angéla – Accelerator Program Manager at EIT Health InnoStars
• Mátyás Boldizsár – Co-founder of POV and COMET
• Pistyur Veronika – CEO of Bridge Budapest and Partner at Oktogon Ventures

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The conversation flowed, and so did the honesty. We talked about what keeps communities alive, how to keep momentum in a world that never sits still, and the tension between cooperation and competition. There were no slides, no fluff—just raw insight and real stories from people doing the work.

We all agreed on one thing: community building is not for the faint-hearted. It’s messy, it’s a LOT of work, it’s beautiful, and it takes a little bit of madness to keep going, especially when there’s no obvious ROI.

We all agreed that this discussion was extremely useful and interesting, and way too short, but the real collaboration came just after this session!

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The crowd? 🔥

From UX Budapest to Growth Magazine, from startup hubs to design collectives, the room was a buzzing mix of people working across sectors and formats: UX Budapest, POV conference, Bridge Budapest, Startup Hungary, EIT Health, The Marketing Association of Hungary, Női Váltó (women entrepreneureship community), CraftHub, FF.next, Growth Magazine, BlackCell, Business Bash, Protege Talent Lab, AI Budapest, Hub Design House
…and more community whisperers we can’t wait to see again.

And then…the fun part: let’s solve some stuff.

We split into small groups and tackled big questions:
How do we build stronger connections? How do we keep people engaged? What does collaboration really look like?

Unexpected duos, trios, and even quartets formed. New perspectives emerged. And, true to form, the room got loud—because when community builders get going, there’s no holding back. 😅

We wrapped the evening with networking that didn’t feel like networking. It felt like ideas blooming, partnerships budding, and friendships finding their spark again.

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Key Takeaways

💬 Real Talk is Rare, and Needed
Panelists and guests alike craved honest conversations. The most resonant moments were those that peeled back the curtain on the challenges and emotional labor behind community work.

🌱 Small is Powerful
Intimate, values-driven communities tend to have stronger bonds than large, passive audiences. Think community, not crowd.

⏳ Time is Sacred
If we’re asking people to show up and give us their time—often at the expense of family or personal commitments—we’d better make it worth it.

📲 More Tools ≠ Easier Work
Even in a hyper-connected digital world, keeping people engaged is harder than ever. The attention economy is ruthless, and community builders are in the thick of it.

💡 Give First. Always.
Yes, it’s the classic Techstars mantra, but it rings true. The best collaborations start with generosity, not agendas.

🌍 We Need Global Inspiration
There’s hunger in the Hungarian ecosystem for more international benchmarks, case studies, and cross-border examples of thriving communities.

🌀 It’s a Long Game
If you're here to get quick wins, community work will break your heart. But if you're here to spark long-term change, you're in the right room.

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What’s next?

We loved this format so much that… we’re doing it again. Quarterly? Bi-annually? We’ll see. But one thing’s for sure: Ecosystem Connect is here to stay.

Budapest super community stars, thank you for showing up with your whole heart. Let’s keep dreaming, building, and making space for each other.

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Until next time! 👋

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