He left big law, became a DJ to pay his bills, and built sports clubs inside refugee camps. Now he wants more members than Bayern Munich

Jan van Hövell, a former big law attorney turned DJ, founded KLABU, a social enterprise converting shipping containers into community sports clubs for displaced people in refugee camps. With PSJ's partnership, KLABU aims to expand membership beyond Bayern Munich's size, addressing the social integration needs of 120 million globally displaced individuals.

Van Hövell's career pivot from corporate law to community development reflects a broader trend of impact-driven entrepreneurship where professionals leverage unconventional paths to solve systemic problems. His decision to become a DJ while building KLABU demonstrates how creative income generation can sustain mission-focused work when traditional funding proves insufficient. The organization's use of repurposed shipping containers as infrastructure is pragmatic—addressing both resource constraints and the need for accessible community spaces in camps where permanent structures face regulatory or logistical barriers.

The partnership with PSJ signals growing institutional recognition that refugee populations require more than humanitarian aid; they need social cohesion and purpose. Sports and community clubs provide psychological benefits, reduce isolation, and create informal governance structures within camps. This aligns with emerging research showing that displaced populations' mental health and integration prospects improve substantially through structured community engagement.

For the broader social enterprise ecosystem, KLABU's model demonstrates scalability potential. Shipping containers cost significantly less than conventional construction, and sports-based programming requires minimal technology or infrastructure, making replication feasible across geographies. The ambitious membership target—potentially exceeding Bayern Munich's 375,000 members—is provocative marketing but reflects genuine scaling ambitions. PSJ's involvement likely brings both capital and expertise in community sports management.

The organization now faces execution challenges: securing sustainable funding beyond donor cycles, maintaining program quality during rapid expansion, and navigating host-country regulations around refugee populations. Success depends on whether KLABU can transform initial enthusiasm into lasting institutional partnerships and diversified revenue streams beyond philanthropic support.

• →KLABU converts shipping containers into sports clubs serving 120 million displaced people globally through accessible, low-cost infrastructure.
• →Van Hövell's unconventional path—law to DJ to social entrepreneur—highlights how creative income generation can sustain impact-focused ventures.
• →PSJ's partnership signals institutional validation for sports-based social cohesion programs within refugee populations.
• →Shipping container model enables rapid, cost-effective replication across multiple camp locations and geographies.
• →Success depends on securing diversified funding beyond philanthropy and maintaining program quality during aggressive expansion.