Organized by Potentiel CA (a Local Operator of the PÉPITE Champagne-Ardenne), the Student Entrepreneurship Week took place in the region from 19-23 November. Visits, conferences, lunches and meetings of all types were held during this very busy week. A major boost for many students in Reims who are launching activities or thinking about creating a startup. NEOMA BS hosted the Student Entrepreneurship Week "Pitch Elevator Contest", in line with its objective of developing students' ability to act, innovate and create and become open-minded, curious leaders.


On Monday 19 November, the "Startups de Territoire" was the highlight of an inaugural conference held at the École Supérieure d'Art et de Design (ESAD) in Reims. The next day a round table discussion was focusing on the creation of a company for web developers at the Wild Code School.

Student Entrepreneurship Week also included a focus on networking during an "aperitif pitch " evening, when students made informal presentations of their projects to their peers and an audience of professionals. The evening was co-organized by the NEOMA BS student entrepreneurial association, Reims: the NEC or NEOMA Entrepreneurship Club. “The objective of this 'cocktail pitch' was to help project leaders improve their presentations and to have their ideas challenged by an external audience who could also pass on informed advice. It was a real pleasure to help organise this event that generated so much interaction and so many opportunities!” explains Lisa Luce-Allain, NEC President. Other events that encouraged networking included the "creative cafés" and a lunch at the CROUS student restaurant, where participating entrepreneurs and students were able to exchange a wide range of ideas.

The real highlight of the week took place on Thursday, November 22nd: the Reims Higher Education Incubators Day. Following the visit of an incubator, the afternoon was devoted to a "Pitch Elevator Contest" that included 7 different incubator projects. This was not a competition, but a series of presentations to an audience of experts at NEOMA Business School. A project featuring an operational prototype of an electric skate board, which generated great enthusiasm during a live demonstration on stage. Other concept presentations included pitches from Fennec Games and Go Tourism, both created by NEOMA Business School graduates. To conclude the week, a workshop on the theme of project development in the Social and Solidarity Economy was held at the Creativ'Labz University Incubator.



“We strongly encourage the entrepreneurial approach at the school, explains Denis Gallot, Head of Rouen Campus and Startup Lab. “For example, the NEOMA BS PGE back-to-school seminar this year focused on the theme of the Social and Solidarity Economy. It led to more than 1000 students taking on the role of an entrepreneur. But our approach goes beyond that. We talk about "entrepreneurial management" or "intrapreneurship" because our vocation is to train open-minded, curious leaders, who will lead ambitious business projects with their teams. Events such as the Student Entrepreneurship Week contribute significantly to this approach. “I am convinced that all these events have enabled many students to discover and understand more about the business creation ecosystem.” concludes Alexis LOUIS, head of the POTENTIAL Entrepreneurship Mission.

See you next year for the 6th edition!