Over 90 Les Roches students recently got together to present pitches and business plans to international start-up accelerator group Seedstars. The two-day event, taking place on 14-15 February, saw students from the Entrepreneurship specialization of our BBA in Global Hospitality Management program compete for a place at the Seedstars Summit in April.
Understanding entrepreneurship
The bootcamp, which took place on our Swiss campus, represents the second time Les Roches has partnered with Seedstars to organize the event. Over the course of the two days, our students were coached to better understand the complex world of entrepreneurship. “Les Roches has a unique model of education that fosters an entrepreneurial environment,” Stuart Jauncey, Managing Director of Les Roches, said. “Through the Seedstars launchpad, we hope to further instil in our students the entrepreneurial mindset, as well as ensuring they know the search for investors is a crucial part of any start-up business.”
Participating students gained valuable insight from renowned entrepreneurs, including Mark Ruffo, Founder and CEO of sensor technology start-up Terabee, and Julien Pache, COO of Swiss venture capitalist investiere.ch. After getting into 23 teams, the students then presented their ideas with the aim of participating in the Summit, where over 65 start-ups from around the world compete for an equity investment of up to $1,000,000.
The top three
First place went to Justin Furkhan, Zara Zimbrich, Kris Gunara, Johan S Friberg and Virginie Kunz. Together, they presented BioBud, an environmentally conscious online travel agent helping people connect with eco-friendly providers. Finishing in second place was Alexia Parpas for her Cause Café, a coffee shop targeted at students with a strong corporate social responsibility agenda. Finally, rounding off the top three were Amaia Irazoqui, Carolina Gnaiger, Caroline Hazna Imelda and Chiara Emberson for Finesse, an online app designed so users can virtually try on clothes.
“We are delighted to collaborate with Les Roches to promote and support young entrepreneurs on campus,” said Alisée de Tonnac, co-founder of the Seedstars Group. “We are impressed by the school’s agility in defining the academic curriculum and course content. It ensures students have the tools to succeed professionally.”
The Seedstars Summit takes place on Thursday 12 April. Interested in gaining the skills and insight needed to be a successful entrepreneur? To find out more and to book tickets with our exclusive 10% discount, please visit: seedstarsworld.com.
