Having started his career abroad, Clément Vincart, EDHEC 2012, happily settled in Paris almost 4 years ago. Because the Paris campus is close by, he has been able to gradually get more and more involved in the alumni community by becoming co-ambassador with Fabian Bihr, Anne-Sophie de Gabriac, Juan Espinosa, Benoît Houset, Jean Houze de l'Aulnoit, Laurent Lefebvre, Manale Ouhmmou, Chanthavy Tan et Roland Salakiaku. 

Can you tell us about your club? 

The objective of Club Entreprendre is to help entrepreneurs. 6 or 7 times a year we organise evening events where 3 businesses in their launch phase come to present themselves to the community. Each project leader has 10 minutes to pitch their company, 10 minutes of questions & answers with the audience and 10 minutes during which the audience give their feedback on both the substance and the style of the presentation.

These events are enjoying growing success and are a wonderful opportunity for entrepreneurs to test out their sales pitch! Any entrepreneurs preparing for a fundraising campaign or interested in testing out their business model are welcome. Those who participate are always delighted to get so much feedback from the community, as it is particularly valuable when the time comes to launch their project.

We also organise entrepreneurs’ breakfasts on the Paris campus. Each participant takes a post-it and writes down the obstacles they are currently experiencing in their business project. We then group together the various issues by topic and discuss them together to find solutions. 

Finally, we organise after-work sessions in collaboration with our friends from the EDHEC incubator at Station F. Entrepreneurs can also regularly come together in an informal setting to chat about their progress. The next get-together is scheduled for 16 January at La Felicita.

What encouraged you to join this club?

For me entrepreneurship is the path towards freedom. It is also the most difficult path to follow. It requires you to develop strong opinions and a healthy dose of creativity!

I joined Club Entreprendre because I love the incredible energy at club events. 

Make sure you surround yourself with people you’d like to emulate. If you’re an entrepreneur at heart, join us! By moving within a circle of entrepreneurs, you will be able to develop your ideas and give substance to your business projects.

How did you become an ambassador and what does it mean for you?

By attending the pitching sessions, I became familiar with the club and the community. I quickly built up a rapport with the organisers and it was a natural step for me to go on and help them. 

I started out by welcoming those who came to attend our events. Over time, the club members gave me the honour of appointing me as ambassador. And now I have the pleasure of organising and running events alongside them!

How do you contribute to your club on a daily basis? 

y daily activities involve encountering other people. I’m always happy to put entrepreneurs in touch with one another to help them move forward on their projects. I often know someone else who has launched a company in a similar area or has a particular sought-after skillset. 

A working group has also just been set up to pool together all the initiatives within EDHEC designed to help entrepreneurs. Our shared objective is to offer entrepreneurs a range of professional services that best meet their needs. This means accompanying young entrepreneurs just starting out, people looking for a career change and entrepreneurs who want to sell on or buy a company. A shared platform will be launched in 2020 to strengthen the cohesion and impact of our community!

Can you tell us in a few words what the EDHEC Alumni network means to you?

The EDHEC Alumni network is like a second family. Members are always there for you. Ask for help and the community will provide it. The network has personally given me a lot of support. It was important for me to find a way to help the community in return.

Today it’s a real pleasure to attend events and monitor the progress of each member. I have genuine respect for people in entrepreneurship. It is always moving to see someone who started out with a simple idea going on to develop a business structure, create jobs and have an impact on the lives of others!

Have you any message for the EDHEC Alumni network? 

Life is short and there’s so much to do! Invest in your community. Help out as much as you can! As a colourful entrepreneur friend of mine, Alexandre Marotel, often says: “Anything that isn’t given is lost”! 

Ask not what the community can do for you, but what you can do for the community. Share your expertise, your experiences and your knowledge. We all have a unique career path and it can help others. It is by helping others move forward that you yourself will progress.

Do you want to become an EDHEC ambassador?

Get in touch with Stéphanie Painchault
Alumni relations manager
Professional & leisure clubs
stephanie.painchault@edhec.edu
+33 (0)1 53 32 76 34