SKEMA student Marie-Laurence Cipriani champions marine biodiversity with Follow Me Production

​Marie-Laurence grew up on the shores of Ajaccio, beside the lush richness of the Pelagos Sanctuary (the only international maritime area dedicated to the protection of marine mammals and their habitats in the Mediterranean). After a literary preparatory course at the Masséna high school in Nice, she joined SciencesPo Aix, where she pursued a Master's in International Affairs. In her second year, she chose to join SKEMA and the MSc International Business, due to the collaboration between the two institutions. "I was attracted by SKEMA's international pedagogical approach. I spent my first semester on the Belo Horizonte campus and the second at FIU, in Miami," says the Corsican, enriched by this academic experience.

Showcasing the magnifice​nt

After an entrepreneurial venture already related to maritime and environment, and an experience as a consultant for positive impact companies, Marie-Laurence approached Franck Fougère, a professional image maker and nature documentary filmmaker, to share the same paradoxical observation: the Mediterranean is the forgotten part of their adventure stories. From this desire, the Follow Me Production association and the One Day in the Mediterranean initiative were born, founded on the belief that wonder is the first step towards preservation.

"I wanted to feel useful, to do something meaningful. It's always said that the Mediterranean is the most polluted sea in the world. Yet, although it represents only one percent of the global aquatic surface, its biodiversity is very diverse and rich. Through our expeditions, we bet on the positive, consciously choosing to highlight the beauty of the Mediterranean, to inspire change through positive stories," emphasises Marie-Laurence.

E​​xpeditions under the sea

Convinced that images have the power to raise awareness and inspire, the association conducts sea expeditions where oceanographers, photographers, and videographers collaborate to document the diversity and beauty of marine species. To document and produce this impactful content, the explorers organised a first expedition in the Pelagos Sanctuary, off the French, Monegasque, and Italian coasts, and then another around the Isle of Beauty.

The goal is always the same: to produce documentary content aimed at educating and inspiring change, camera in hand and diving mask on the nose. Currently, Follow Me Production is going strong with a community of 12,000 followers on social networks and accumulates 50k views on each new video published. This winter, the association is mobilising its efforts in raising awareness by holding conferences and sessions at schools, while preparing new expeditions for next summer on new themes and meeting new actors of change.

Crossing the Atlantic in a cat​amaran

With the desire to learn more about the ocean and navigation, while favouring eco-responsible modes of transport, Marie-Laurence Cipriani undertook a crossing of the Atlantic in a catamaran. Departing from France by sailboat, she travelled over 8,300 kilometres to the Caribbean. Despite the challenges, including storms and an orca attack, her motivation remained intact. Marie-Laurence, who grew up near the sea but was not an experienced sailor, saw this adventure as an opportunity to show humility towards nature. This experience now serves her as an inspiration for a future expedition, especially in view of COP30, which will take place in 2025 in Brazil. Perhaps an opportunity for her to return to the SKEMA campus in Belo Horizonte. Stay tuned!​