Navigating the heart of the EDHEC entrepreneurial ecosystem
Founded by entrepreneurs, EDHEC business school has always had a clear ambition: to train minds capable of initiating, innovating, and transforming. Today, this ambition is no longer directed solely at students, but permeates the entire institution.
It is within this framework that the EDHEC Entrepreneurs team, in collaboration with the Human Resources Department and the Centre for Responsible Entrepreneurship, launched an innovative internal programme in autumn 2025: “Navigating EDHEC’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem.”
This programme was designed around a strong conviction: to effectively support the entrepreneurs of tomorrow, a school must also unlock and activate its own entrepreneurial potential from within.
A Structuring Internal Programme at the Heart of the School’s Strategy
For this pilot edition, more than 45 staff members and faculty embarked on an immersive experience designed to:
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Gain a deeper understanding of the richness and diversity of the EDHEC entrepreneurial ecosystem,
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Identify key entry points, programmes and stakeholders,
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Become active connectors within this ecosystem, serving students, alumni and the entrepreneurs supported by the School.
The programme is fully aligned with the mission of the School’s Centre for responsible Entrepreneurship (CRE): to structure, lead and promote entrepreneurship at every level of the institution.
A Programme Rooted in a Leading European Initiative
This initiative is also part of the European CODEUNITED project, developed in partnership with four leading academic institutions: Brunel University, LAB University, Aalto University and KTH Royal Institute of Technology.
The shared objective: to foster a common entrepreneurial culture, promote innovative teaching practices, and strengthen synergies between academic institutions across Europe.
A Three-Step Immersion into the Heart of the EDHEC Ecosystem
Open free of charge to all staff members, the three-step programme is built on a hybrid, immersive and highly participative format.
A Clear Promise
By the end of the programme, participants are able to navigate the EDHEC entrepreneurial ecosystem effectively and mobilise its resources: support programmes, partners and funding mechanisms.
An immersive internal training programme designed to embed entrepreneurship sustainably at the very heart of the School’s minds
1. A Collective Kick-off to Establish a Common Language
The programme begins with an online introductory session aimed at:
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Creating a strong cohort dynamic,
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Discovering the key players within the EDHEC entrepreneurial ecosystem,
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Understanding the many practical ways to get involved.
This initial milestone ensures alignment of perspectives and fosters a shared vision of entrepreneurship at EDHEC.
2. L’Étincelle: Experiencing Entrepreneurship from the Inside
Participants then discover the L’Étincelle e-learning module, EDHEC’s flagship programme dedicated to developing entrepreneurial skills.
Through proven and immediately actionable methodologies, L’Étincelle enables participants to become familiar wit
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The entrepreneurial mindset
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Experimentation and the Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
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Leadership and communication
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Acquiring first customers
The content draws on testimonials from renowned entrepreneurs and experts (Edgar Grospiron, Fanny Moizant, Antonin Chartier, Justine Hutteau), as well as on the academic expertise of engaged EDHEC professors.
Two pathways are offered:
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A discovery track, designed to better understand and showcase the support provided to student entrepreneurs
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A certified advanced track, including hands-on experimentation on a personal or intrapreneurial project
3. Two Locations, Two Immersions, One Shared Ambition
At STATION F – Paris
A full day of immersion at the world’s largest startup campus provided the opportunity to:
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Go behind the scenes at STATION F,
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Gain a deeper understanding of the role of EDHEC’s investment fund, GENERATIONS powered by EDHEC, presented by Gaspard Martin, investor for the fund managed by Ring Capital,
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Engage with incubated startups from the EDHEC ecosystem:
Anaïs, EDHEC alumna and founder of WEINK, shared how the EDHEC ecosystem supported her at every stage of her entrepreneurial journey. WeInk is the first platform that remunerates all authors while offering all books free of charge.
Thomas, a graduate of École Polytechnique and HEC, is the founder of UniCogni.
UniCogni is a platform that transforms course materials into interactive lessons. An EdTech entrepreneur, Thomas seized the opportunity to demonstrate how he measures learning outcomes by challenging EDHEC staff and faculty with a short interactive exercise based on the programme content.
This Learning Expedition brought to life the people, journeys and stories behind entrepreneurial support.
At the Jean Arnault Campus – Lille
The programme also stopped at the heart of the Lille campus during the Entrepreneurship Festival, a flagship annual event for EDHEC Entrepreneurs. This provided the opportunity to take part in one of the most vibrant days of the year at the Jean Arnault Campus and fully experience EDHEC’s entrepreneurial spirit through a high-quality programme:
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A roundtable discussion, “Let’s Talk with STATION F,” featuring three EDHEC alumni and moderated by Juliette Magnient (EDHEC 2018), Lead Program Manager at STATION F, alongside two guests driven by the entrepreneurial spirit:
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Sabine Thouvenin (EDHEC 2022), founder of Les Polettes
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Marie Destobbeleir (EDHEC 2022), founder of Suriia
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An immersive workshop, “Inside the Mind of a VC,” organised in partnership with the GENERATIONS powered by EDHEC fund. A truly challenging experience for Bilal, Yoan and Paul, three student entrepreneurs who pitched their startups before the audience and Gaspard Martin, investor at the Fund.
Roundtables, immersive workshops and pitch sessions designed to:
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Better identify the teams and support mechanisms available,
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Understand the key challenges of funding and venture capital.
The Three-Step Programme: An Experience Praised by Participants
Participant feedback was unanimous: a deeper understanding of the ecosystem, tangible skill development, and a strengthened desire to contribute to EDHEC’s entrepreneurial momentum.
“I loved the energy, the projects and the buzz. An extremely well-organised event.”
Adeline Régent, Alumni Relations Manager“I discovered the full scope of EDHEC’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. It made me want to go further and collaborate with entrepreneurs.”
Éléonore Venin, Professor“Regarding L’Étincelle: it is high-quality, pragmatic and motivating, with an excellent methodology. A real opportunity for professional development.”
Barbara Awuakye, Global MBA Deputy Director“Congratulations on this training programme!”
Philippe Very, Professor of Strategy, Entrepreneurship & Operations“Thank you to the entire EDHEC Entrepreneurs team for this inspiring day of exchanges at STATION F.”
Rémy Estran, CEO, Scientific Climate Ratings
What’s Next?
This first edition marks a key milestone in EDHEC’s internal entrepreneurial transformation.
The ambition:
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To sustain the programme over time,
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To expand the community of engaged staff members,
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And to further strengthen the bridges between staff, faculty, students, alumni and entrepreneurs.
The 2026 edition is already in preparation.
