News
Three startups supported by SKEMA Entrepreneurs win awards in Lille and Sophia Antipolis
The startups supported by SKEMA Entrepreneurs, the school’s entrepreneurship incubator-accelerator, showcase exceptional vitality, bolstered by local initiatives such as the Métropole Européenne de Lille and the Pépite programme. These initiatives enable ambitious young entrepreneurs to stand out through extensive communication campaigns. Vadim Levan (an ESDHEM student and the founder of My Shirt FC) along with Ismaël Achour (a graduate of our Master in Management (PGE) programme and a co-founder of Coco’s) exemplified this dynamism by being among the seven awardees of the Pépite programme. In Sophia Antipolis, the startup “Pass Memo”, founded by two PGE students, won the first prize from the Fondation Université Côte d’Azur.
This is a sign that entrepreneurship at SKEMA is thriving and continues to make headlines. Vadim Levan, an ESDHEM student at SKEMA Business School and founder of “My Shirt FC," is a laureate of the Pépite programme, as is Ismaël Achour, a PGE graduate of SKEMA and co-founder of the Caribbean restaurant Coco's.
The Pépite programme, offered to students and young entrepreneurs by the Métropole Européenne de Lille, aims to publicise their projects to a wider audience. It boosts the visibility of these budding entrepreneurs' crowdfunding campaigns with extensive communication, including posters in major metropolitan arteries, bus shelters, and social media campaigns. The goal: to raise funds, enhancing the visibility and financial support for the selected young entrepreneurs.
Giving football jerseys a new life
Vadim Levan, an ESDHEM student, founded “My Shirt FC," a platform that collects old, worn out football jerseys and restores them for sale. “My mission is to give football shirts a second life, enabling fans to collect unique pieces at affordable prices while contributing to environmental sustainability. Renovating and cleaning the shirts is at the core of my business to breathe new life into the products," explains the student, advocating circular economy.
Caribbean burgers are making their way to our plates
Ismaël Achour, with “Coco's", offers a new dining experience with Caribbean flavours. “In our research, it became clear that the Caribbean offers hidden culinary treasures. More than just flavours, these are stories that deserve to be told. Caribbean artisans produce wonders such as spices, jams, honey, and many other products that deserve a larger audience," he notes. On the environmental and ecological front, he adds, “We opt for reusable solutions, including biodegradable packaging and energy-efficient cooking methods. Our next step will be to further reduce our waste and carbon footprint, ensuring that Coco's preserves the planet's resources." Our alumnus Maxime Buhler (SKEMA 2017) has been very successful with his similar venture Pokawa, inspired by Hawaii's Poké Bowl. We wish Ismaël all the success!
In Sophia, Pass-Memo wins the UCA Foundation prize
Pass-Memo, the innovative project that won Telecom Valley's Challenge Jeunes Pousses, continues to receive notable accolades. This startup, created by two SKEMA students, Pierre Getti and Pierre Canivet, students of the PGE and MSc Entrepreneurship and Innovation, recently won the first prize from the Fondation Université Côte d'Azur in the "Student Entrepreneurship" category, following in the footsteps of Mathieu Mérian and Somanity. This prize was awarded during the annual ceremony of the Fondation Université Côte d'Azur, highlighting the impact of their initiative.
Pass-Memo specialises in creating personalised “memory passports" and “memory capsules" to support individuals with neurodegenerative diseases and the elderly.
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