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Making Waves: Female entrepreneurs having an impact in 2022

Around the world, there's never been an easier time to go into business and make dreams a reality.

Making Waves: Female entrepreneurs having an impact in 2022
Judit Ills and Nathalie Gourevitch went on to found innovative enterprises following their time at ESSEC. Photos: Supplied

In 2022, the diversity of entrepreneurs is expanding rapidly and one of the fastest-growing demographics is women.

In partnership with French business school ESSEC, we spoke with two trailblazing women entrepreneurs about their journeys to business success, and the lessons they’ve learned along the way.

Judit Illes 

Nobody could ever accuse Judit Illes of standing still. She says: “I grew up with a travel documentary filmmaker father and started exploring the globe before I could walk.” 

Beginning her journey in Budapest, Hungary, Illes began working and learning within the luxury brand and hospitality spaces from a young age. Internships at Marriott, Louis Vuitton and Nobu were paired with studies at Budapest Business School. Later she would work as a luxury travel designer, drawing on her long experience exploring the globe. 

Throughout the many stages of her career, one constant has been yoga, which Judit found to have many benefits in her life. After discovering the practice in 2008 while in New York, and becoming a certified Vinyasa teacher, she’s not only made it a part of her daily routine, but also the foundation of her business ventures. 

Judit first started developing the idea of a yoga-centric venture for her Entrepreneurial Project, part of her Executive Master in Luxury Management & Design Innovation (EMiLUX) at ESSEC. After her studies, Judit relocated to Dubai, where she founded Avidya Retreats – a company offering meditation and yoga retreats across the United Arab Emirates. She states: “My assignment became a profitable business!”

She’s not stopping there, however. Having applied her studies in luxury management at ESSEC to founding her first tourism venture, she’s now approaching the startup space. 

She says: “At the moment, I am co-founding my third company, a mindfulness-based app for children and parents. The details are coming soon!”

Learn the skills that took Judit Illes from Budapest to business success leading yoga retreats in the UAE. The ESSEC Open Day is coming up on June 18. 

One of the beautiful locations in the UAE where Judit Illes leads her Avidya yoga retreats. Photo: Avidya Retreats

Nathalie Gourevitch 

You might say that native Parisian Nathalie Gourevitch is cool under pressure – but more on that in a moment. 

Over the last decade, Gourevitch has worked in a number of sales and communication roles, in both the private and public sectors. This has included time at the French Ministry of Education, the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and online lifestyle magazine FemininBio. 

In 2020, Gourevitch began her EMBA at ESSEC, where as part of her Entrepreneurial Project, she was introduced to an innovative area of the food industry – the production of freeze-dried foods. 

She told us: “I didn’t know anything about freeze-dried food, but since I like everything related to food, I thought I would find it interesting. Honestly, I was amazed by cold dehydration technology – it allows an optimal quality of food conservation.”

As she sees it, this technology can be applied to specific societal needs: “At a time when global warming and political conflicts are drying up our resources, it seems to me to be a priority to develop and democratise this method of preservation.”

Gourevitch’s first venture is still under wraps – the product is still in the research and development phase. However, what prototypes and designs have emerged have already generated excitement and interest among a variety of potential investors, both in France and abroad. 

Discover your new business passion, like Nathalie Gourevitch. The ESSEC Open Day is approaching on June 18 – learn more, no matter where you are 

Freeze-dried food has the potential to revolutionise food conservation, as Nathalie Gourevitch discovered. Photo: Getty Images

Learning to lead 

Both Illes and Gourevitch have advice for those who wish to follow in their entrepreneurial footsteps. 

Gourevitch says: “Starting a business is a succession of challenges as there are no typical days. It is up to you to set daily goals and stick to them. There are also periods when everything is fluid and your actions are successful and others when it’s like a desert crossing. 

“Staying motivated in these conditions sometimes requires taking a step back and remembering all the good reasons that motivate you.”

Illes stresses the need for preparation: “I learned the importance of thorough research and execution, pitching my idea several times in different countries in front of investors. Many of them are still supporting me with valuable advice.”

Both are effusive in their praise for ESSEC, their alma mater. 

Says Illes: “I wanted to earn my executive master’s from ESSEC, a strong business school. It turned out to be the best decision. It not only deepened my academic knowledge and supported me with practical tools as an entrepreneur, but I also became a member of two powerful alumni groups.”

Gourevitch highlighted the experiences she had while completing her Entrepreneurial Project: “Not only was I able to find my entrepreneurial path, but the fact that I was able to carry out my project in a privileged setting like ESSEC gave me the confidence I needed to pursue further adventures in business.”

Since 1907, ESSEC has been giving entrepreneurs from around the world not only the skills, but the courage to lead and achieve their goals. With a long list of celebrated alumni, including French and global leaders, it has consistently achieved excellence in business education.

A view inside the ESSEC Paris campus. Photo: ESSEC

In 2022, ESSEC not only offers MBA programs for people with different level of experience – the Global MBA or Executive MBAs for instance – but also ones specialized in Luxury management (EMiLUX) and Hospitality Management.

Each of these courses prepares the business leaders of tomorrow using real life practical assignments, as well as the input and thought leadership of guest lecturers and leading lights sourced from across the global business community.

Interested individuals can follow in the footsteps of Illes and Gourevitch on June 18th, when ESSEC opens its doors with a ‘hybrid’ open day, combining online and on-site activities – no matter where you are, you’ll be able to register and attend events. Potential students can speak to alumni who have made the journey, as well as professors and other admissions consultants, who will help you to choose a course that’s right for you. 

The business world is changing, and trailblazing women leaders are playing a big role. ESSEC is a supportive and inspiring environment making that change happen. 

Ready to make some waves as an entrepreneur? Find out more about ESSEC Open Day, featuring info sessions, masterclasses and more, on June 18. 

For members

STUDYING IN FRANCE

France passes law to make foreign students pay ‘deposit’ to study

The French parliament has passed a new immigration law that will bring about big changes - including for those wishing to study in France. Here's how the changes will affect current and future students in France.

France passes law to make foreign students pay 'deposit' to study

Late on Tuesday night, France’s parliament passed the long-contested immigration bill, with the adopted version being notably further to the right than the original that was first sent to the Assemblée Nationale last week.

You can find a full breakdown of the text HERE.

The original bill contained no specific changes for foreign students, but the revised bill contains a clause that tightens up the rules on getting a student visa.

As a result, non-EU citizens looking to study in France will now be required to submit a deposit – amount to be specified later by France’s Conseil d’État – when applying for the first time for a student visa. 

The bill states that “the first issue of a temporary residency permit bearing the mention ‘student’ is conditional upon the foreign national submitting a deposit”

The foreign student would be able to get the deposit back “if he/she leaves France on the expiration of the ‘student’ residency permit, if he/she renews the permit, or if he/she obtains a new French residency permit with a different title/ status.” 

However, the new law states that “the deposit [will be] definitively withheld if the foreign national has evaded enforcement of a removal order.”

The law will also require that those with multi-year student residency permits prove annually that they are enrolled in a ‘real and serious’ educational programme. 

READ MORE: Revealed: The best cities in France to be a student

Additionally, the legislation seeks to produce more information about the student residency permits granted, by introducing the requirement of a yearly report detailing how many applications were rejected, with information on the applicants’ country of origins and personal qualifications, as well as the time taken to process paperwork and the number of students who drop out of their courses.

In terms of when these changes will come into effect, the law will first need to be looked over and approved by France’s constitutional council and then several requirements will need to be given further detail by the Conseil d’État, which ought to be specified in the days and weeks to come.

Ultimately, it will be up to the French government to decide when it will be put into effect, so there was not a clear timeline for enforcement as of December 2023.

Why the changes?

These weren’t part of the original immigration bill – which was more focused on better integration of immigrants and filling skills gaps in certain sectors – but were added at a later stage by senators. 

Senator Roger Karoutchi, from the right-wing Les Républicains party, in an interview with Les Echos, said that student residency permits “have clearly become a means of immigration”.

“A number of university presidents have told us that many students registered under this scheme do not turn up for their exams or even go to lectures. This residence permit does not allow illegal immigration, but rather a diversion from its original purpose.”

However, the proposal has been slammed by higher education leaders.

The leaders of renowned French business schools ESSEC, ESCP, and HEC together spoke out against the changes, saying that the “bill will threaten France’s international competitiveness.”

They added that the new deposit requirement “goes against the principles of republican equality and (…) will reduce the proportion of international students in our schools and universities.”

The leaders also added that the new law would “destroy the government objective of doubling the number of international students by 2027,” referencing a goal of French President Emmanuel Macron’s administration to increase the country’s international competitiveness, particularly in the field of research.

What is not changing?

Students will continue to have access to housing aid (CAF). They were listed as an exception to the new rules laid out by parliament for foreigners benefiting from government benefits. 

The law also does not change the right of students to work up to 964 hours per year (60 percent of the annual working year).

Similarly students will still be able to travel freely in the Schengen zone during their studies.

The changes also will not affect pre-existing requirements for most foreigners to initially apply for their visa using the Campus France (Etudes en France) system. 

As for those who obtained a degree in France, the law does not change the ability to apply for the ‘job-seekers’ permit afterwards, nor does it change the shortened residency requirement students benefit from when applying for citizenship.

READ MORE: Ask the expert: How students can remain in France after finishing their degree

The deposit scheme does not affect people already studying in France – it is only required for a first-time student visa. 

What about the details?

Key details of the scheme – such as the amount required for the deposit, how it will be paid and exactly what proof is required of ‘serious study’ are still to be confirmed.

Speaking on Wednesday, government spokesman Olivier Véran said that each article of the bill would now need to be “studied and clarified”.

The bill also needs to be approved by the Conseil Constitutionnel, which can require sections to be altered or removed.

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