Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Jeunes Ambassadeurs of 2020 : two iaelyon students named as finalists

The speeches, which went for 15 minutes each, were done by distance in front of a jury made of Jacques Danger, President of the Association Jeunes Ambassadeurs; Christine Reverchon-Masclet, President of the Lyon branch; Nathalie Colin-Cocchi, President of the Chambéry branch; and Christian Beaune, coach in the Saint-Etienne branch.  The results of the competition will be announced soon.
 

Florid DUMI, Albanian, Master of Finance

Project : Business roadshow in Albania

Coach : Antoine Tohmé, Group Controlling Manager, Gerflor

"I have done all of my studies at iaelyon School of Management. I am currently in the first year of the Master of Finance and Controlling program after three years in the Bachelor of Quantitative Techniques and Management, and next year, I hope to finish with the Master of Financial Engineering and Transactions program. 

I have had the pleasure of joining the Young Ambassadors program by being coached by Antoine Thomé, the Group Controlling Manager at Gerflor. We have worked on the idea of creating a “business roadshow” in Vlora in Albania, which would encourage networking between SME leaders of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and the public and economic institutions of my city (Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Vlora, the Town Hall, the Prefecture, the Regional Council, etc.). Business meetings are planned around several thematic round tables : summertime tourism, light architecture, gastronomy, commerce and distribution, but also construction and infrastructure for recreation. Furthermore, the planned visit is receiving the support of the honorary consul of Albania in Lyon, Mr. Di Leonardo.

Due to the health crisis, and after the SME and organizations involved agreed, the trip that was initially planned in the second week of September 2020 in Albania has been postponed to June 2021.  I would like to extend my thanks to my coach, Antoine Tohmé, for all the support in regards to the development of this project, but also his dedication in showing me the culture, history and economy of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. During the lockdown period, we were able to keep in contact via Skype, Teams and the phone."

In conclusion, this wonderful experience with the Jeunes Ambassadeurs program has enriched my life, both on a cultural and professional level, and I invite all the international students of iaelyon to join this big family. JA un jour, JA toujours !

 

Valentina SALOMONE, Italian, Master of Foreign Trade (Franco-Italian double degree with University of Turin)

Project : “Startup Pass Transalpin”

Coach : Sophie ELIAS-VAROTSIS, Professor, Independent consultant on international development and President of the Australia France Club AuRA.

“The project entitled “Startup Pass Transalpin”, that I am presenting for the Attractiveness trophy, is inspired by a European program entitled Soft Landing, which allows start-ups and developing SMEs to discover the ecosystems of different European incubators. My project aims to systematize the relationships, the meetings and the visits between incubators of two regions for the first time ever: the Piedmont, my home region, and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Through the program I hope to encourage the development of the competencies and skills of innovative actors on both sides of the Alps by supporting exchanges between French and Italian start-uppers.

My objective is to show and highlight the activities of each one in order to develop possible synergies in accordance with a win-win model, in consolidating the competencies and the good practices and organizing periodic meetings between the two ecosystems of innovation for mutual enrichment.
Due to the restrictions linked to COVID-19, I have had to adapt my internship and my project “Start-Up Pass Transalpin”. During the lockdown, I returned to Italy in order to carry out my internship at the CPME of AURA by distance, where I have been working on the Take-off.io service, dedicated to internationalizing start-ups.
In terms of the project, the meetings between incubators and accelerators from both sides of the Alps have been pushed back to autumn. The first meeting will be organized on the 19th October 2020 during the Franco-Italian Business Forum, organized by the Region, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Lyon and Altios International as part of the RDV Team France Export Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

Moreover, the crisis has led me to revisit certain aspects of my project. Thus, I have added the possibility of organizing virtual meetings as well as physical meetings.
I would like to thank my coach, Mrs. Sophie Elias-Varotsis, who has been supporting me all throughout the conception and development of the project. Before the lockdown, she was a pillar during my stay in France, and helped me to discover the cultural, gastronomic and economic aspects of Lyon and the region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.  She has also helped me prepare for presenting my project in French thanks to several videoconferences.

In summary, the Jeunes Ambassadeurs program was a fantastic opportunity: my project has emerged and been concreated thanks to the participation of the business workshops, museum visits and multicultural dinners organized by the Association Jeunes Ambassadeurs.

About the Jeunes Ambassadeurs program

Created in 1999, the association Jeunes Ambassadeurs has an objective of galvanizing the international outreach and promoting the attractiveness of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and the 6 university cities that it possesses.

Based on the principal of reciprocity, each year the Jeunes Ambassadeurs program runs from October to June during which the students will:

• Create a partnership with a coach (a business leader or manager) whose work is linked to the studies and the professional objectives of the student. Their mission is to invite the student to find out about the business, how its market works and the French touch
• Follow an events calendar of company visits, conferences, as well as cultural, sporting, tourist and economic events...
• Participate in the Concours des Trophées (Trophy Competition) by showing off their creativity and their ability to innovate in order to develop the international outreach of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.