Benefits FOR startups

Date & location

‍📅 Date: March 19, 2024‍

🕒 Time: 11:00 - 12:30 / 13:30 - 16:00

📍 Location: EPFL Innovation Park, Building D, ground floor, room PLUTON

Rationale

To generate scalable and sustainable Net Positive Impact, regenerative technologies need to be combined with appropriate business models and operational strategies. 

Goal

The workshop aims at exploring innovative business approaches that are needed to finance regeneration at scale.

• Understand the importance and principles of regenerative entrepreneurship.
• Define your impact strategy with the help of well-known analysis tools, methodologies, and reporting standards.
• Turn your purpose into an inspiring vision and mission statement.
• Design a business model combining profitability and purpose in symbiosis, using specific canvases.
• Assessing the regenerative impact.
• Find out how to finance your impact venture and manage shareholders expectations.

Trainers

• Géraldine Fiol, Sustainability Consultant

Géraldine is a Strategy and Sustainability Consultant

In 2019, while Director of Strategy Business Planning Europe for the car manufacturer Nissan, she founded besustainaball to engage companies in reinventing themselves and creating innovative business models for a more sustainable and inclusive society.

Trained in sustainable management, circular economy and climate issues, she guides organisations and their teams in structuring and implementing their sustainability strategy, enabling them to combine business performance with positive impact on ecosystems and human communities.

• Bertrand Klaiber, Impact entrepreneur & startup coach

Bertand Klaiber has 30 years of experience in Cleantech and Medtech industries, where is hold several positions related to engineering and innovation management, strategic marketing and international business development.

In 2012 he co-created the EssentialTech program at EPFL and developed an impact entrepreneurship approach to harness technology and business to drive sustainable development.

From 2015 to 2022 he founded and led as the CEO the startup Pristem (teleradiology services and battery-powered medical X-ray systems), thus gaining experience in the whole life cycle of a startup, from scientific research to fundraising (CHF 18mio), team building, product industrialization, certification and go-to-market.

In 2023 he launched Tech4Regeneration program at EPFL Innovation Park.

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Date & location

‍📅 Date: April 29, 2024‍

🕒 Time: 10:00 - 12:00

📍 Location: EPFL Innovation Park, Building D, ground floor, room URANUS

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Topic

• ‍Fundraising, main principles and realities on the ground

Goal

• Fundraising strategy at different stages
• Expectations of investors
• Investment information required in pitch deck and business plan
• Due diligence process and data room requirements

Trainer

• ‍Marie-Laure Berthié, CEO of Eolus Partners, a financial services company in Switzerland. Her main activities are:

• Advising family offices on investments in private equity and private debt funds.
• Advising entrepreneurs (SMEs and start-ups) on strategy, business development, board preparation, fund raising. Examples include the fundraising of round A for Ecorobotix (CHF 10.6m, 2018),  Dufour Aerospace (CHF 5m, 2019), Cleangreens (CHF 4 m 2021).
• Marie-Laure is active as a finance coach for Platinn, an association that provides coaching services for SMEs and start-ups in Switzerland. She has coached more than 40 startups for their seed stage / pre-series A fundraising.
• Marie Laure is board member of Schmidt Groupe, mostly supporting the company for its digital strategy and M&A.

‍Date & location

‍📅 Date: April 29, 2024‍

🕒 Time: 13:30 - 17:30

📍 Location: EPFL Innovation Park, Building D, ground floor, room URANUS

Rationale

Regenerative ventures need to build appropriate company’s governance, structure, and culture.

This workshop explores how to root impact in the company’s DNA through legal and organizational means.

Goal

Get an insight and some advice on several aspects related to the company's structure and legal aspects:

• Legal form of the business, articles of association, protection of the mission, ...
• Role and Duties of the Shareholders, the Board of Directors and the Executive management
• Better redistribution of benefits (within the company and all along the supply chain)
• Integration of impact & sustainability requirements or ethical rules in various contracts (procurement, partnership, distribution, licensing, etc.)
• Protecting David from Goliath, and cases of force majeure
• Human rights & Nature rights, possible impact on your business
• etc.

Trainer

• Michel Jaccard is the founder of id est avocats — a certified B Corp, with a CSR certification by EcoVadis, member of the UN Global Compact, and awarded an impact label by the myclimate foundation.

For the past 25 years, Michel Jaccard has been involved in corporate finance and M&A deals in Switzerland and abroad, acting for entrepreneurs and owners, venture capital and private equity firms, industrial buyers and financial sponsors. He also advises purpose driven, hybrid companies and impact investors on governance and sustainability issues.

He is co-creator of the Impact Term Sheet, member of the working group for introduction of a new legal status of Sustainable Enterprise in Switzerland, and also Lecturer at E4S Enterprise for Society Center (UNIL, IMD, EPFL) 

Michel Jaccard holds a Ph.D. in Law from University of Lausanne and a Master of Laws from Columbia Law School (LLM’97). He is CEDR Accredited Mediator and also admitted to the New York Bar.

‍First Part of the Public Speaking & Pitching Workshop : Choc Intro Training

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Rationale

Captivate your audience from the very first second, grab their attention and leave a lasting impression. Here's how to rework your introduction and pitch, whether for online courses and presentations, conferences or networking events.

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Time & Location

📅 Date: May 13, 2024‍

🕒 Time: 13:30 - 15:00

📍 Location: Zoom Session (Online)

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Goal

• Create a compelling opening line that captures attention and entices the audience to keep listening or watching.
• Clearly communicate why the topic matters to your audience. Highlight the benefits they will gain from engaging with you.
• Show passion for the subject matter through your tone, energy, and body language to inspire a positive response from your audience.
• Develop a unique hook or story that resonates with your audience, ensuring they remember you long after the introduction or pitch.
• Invite audience participation through questions, prompts, or engagement activities to foster a sense of connection and involvement.
• Share relevant experience, qualifications, or success stories to build trust and establish authority in your field.
• Keep your introduction and pitch concise, focusing on the key points that align with your overall goal.
• End with a clear call to action, guiding your audience on the next steps to take and encouraging further engagement.

Trainer

• Céline Renaud, celinerenaud.ch

Céline is an entrepreneur and speaker who joyfully accompanies others in public speaking and storytelling. After founding and leading JMC Lutherie for over 15 years—a pioneering lutherie workshop combining sustainability and artistry, fueled by her passions for music, nature, and humanity—she successfully transitioned its ownership to five enterprises in 2020. Within this role, she has delivered over 3,000 talks and performances worldwide, averaging more than 300 engagements annually in recent years. She is also a storyteller, columnist, and author of two books on entrepreneurship. Prior to this, she spent a decade in luxury watchmaking (in marketing and finance) and industrial enterprises. Additionally, she has been repeatedly nominated as a prominent entrepreneur, recognized among the top 100 personalities in French-speaking Switzerland (L’Hebdo/Le Temps), one of the 100 women shaping the economy (Women in Business), and one of the 20 influential women in Switzerland (Bilan).

‍Second Part of the Public Speaking & Pitching Workshop : Storytelling

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Rationale

Using storytelling and traditional storytelling techniques, you'll practice writing stories that work, whether they're anecdotes or corporate messages.

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Time & Location

📅 Date: September 4, 2024‍

🕒 Time: 10:00 - 11:30

📍 Location: Zoom Session (Online)

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Goals

• Understand the core elements of storytelling, including plot structure, character development, and pacing.
• Dive into traditional tales from various cultures to uncover common themes, motifs, and narrative techniques.
• Practice crafting stories using storytelling techniques to enhance engagement and emotional impact.
• Learn how to use storytelling to convey business messages, brand values, or company stories in a compelling way.
• Build anecdotes that resonate with audiences, focusing on relatability and authenticity to make them memorable.
• Work in groups to brainstorm, create, and share stories, fostering a collaborative learning environment.
• Obtain feedback from workshop facilitators and peers to refine your storytelling skills and improve your stories.
• Identify ways to integrate storytelling into your professional and personal life, creating compelling narratives for presentations, marketing, or networking.

Trainer

• Céline Renaud, celinerenaud.ch

‍Third and Last Part of the Public Speaking & Pitching Workshop : Face-to-Face Training

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Rationale

With this Face-to-face training you will get real-time feedback and personal interaction, crucial for refining storytelling techniques and building confident public pitchs.

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Time & Location

📅 Date: September 11, 2024‍

🕒 Time: 14:00 - 17:30

📍 Location: EPFL Innovation Park, D Building, Pluton Room

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Goals

• Enhance your understanding of advanced storytelling concepts through hands-on exercises and live feedback sessions.
• Develop public speaking skills by presenting your stories in front of the group, gaining confidence in face-to-face settings.
• Learn how to use body language, gestures, and facial expressions to effectively convey emotion and engage the audience.
• Engage in collaborative storytelling exercises with other participants to build teamwork skills and generate creative ideas.
• Benefit from real-time feedback from trainers and peers to quickly adapt and refine your storytelling techniques.
• Practice active listening and interactive communication to improve your ability to connect with others during storytelling.
• Build relationships with other participants and trainers, establishing a network of storytelling enthusiasts for future collaboration.
• Apply the skills learned in online workshops to real-world scenarios, gaining experience in delivering stories to live audiences with impact.

Trainer

• Céline Renaud, celinerenaud.ch

Date & location

‍📅 Date: May 30, 2024‍

🕒 Time: 10:00 - 17:00

📍 Location: EPFL Innovation Park, Building D, ground floor, room URANUS

Rationale

To lead for a Regenerative future, brands need to deeply rethink their positioning, from a consumer centric approach towards a new communication including society and environment as key stakeholders.

Goal

This workshop takes you on a journey of how to create a sustainable brand and business from scratch, from brand concept to business strategy and its communication.

You will learn:

• Why building an efficient & adequate ecosystem is key to success
• What are the regenerative drivers of an impactful go-to-market strategy 
• How to boost visibility with a sustainable communication — insight & pitfalls

Trainers

• Chantal Baer &  Marine Gruaz-Rébuffat, co-founders and partners of Swiss House of Brands, born from the merger of a brand & business strategy consultancy and a communication agency to support multinational, SME and start-ups on a strategic and implementation level.

Chantal Baer — The art of strategically combining her expertise as a linguist, marketing expert and sustainability consultant to build successful brands. Chantal is co-founder of Swiss House of Brand and founder of Admarka, co-author of the book “les leviers de croissance à l’ère de l’économie numérique", member of the “Cercle Suisse des administratrices “, member of different Boards, speaker & moderator.

Marine Gruaz-Rébuffat — A seasoned entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in the fields of branding, communication strategy and digital. Throughout her professional journey, Marine has founded 2 communication agencies and co-founded Swiss House of Brands, where she honed her skills in creating impactful and innovative communication strategies for various clients & industries. She furthered her commitment to sustainability by undertaking a sustainable business management program at the University of Cambridge. Marine passion lies in blending her entrepreneurial spirit with a sustainable mindset and strong communication skills, and she's always eager to explore new opportunities and collaborations that align with these values.

Date & location

‍📅 Date: June 13-14, 2024‍

🕒 Time: TBD

📍 Location: Climate HACK SUMMIT, Lausanne, Switzerland

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Radical changes require strong leaders!

A new generation of inspired leaders is needed more than ever to forge a world in which humanity can live and flourish, within planetary limits and in symbiosis with the natural world.

We are at an important point in our development where the challenges we face may seem so great that we don't know where to start. As the leader of your company, your start-up or your life, it's time to refocus on yourself, to connect with meaning in order to take action the best possible way forward. 

Goal

• Rediscover what meaning is, where it comes from, and how to use it as a force for moving forward.  
• What if the solution was to bring happiness back at the root of success ?
• How to innovate, create regenerative applications and opportunities with happiness. 
• Harness learnings from Nature to reconnect and guide your next steps.
• Design your own solutions to drive your personal and professional elevation.

Trainer

• Fabrice Leclerc — Fabrice is an innovator and entrepreneur who makes innovation a force for positive human and environmental evolution. His collaborations with renowned organisations such as Haagen Dazs, L'Oréal's Prestige, Apple, SKY, Nespresso, Google, the United Nations and Patagonia have received international recognition. He sits on the board of directors of several start-ups and major groups, and lectures at Bocconi. EPFL and HEC universities

‍Date & location

‍📅 Date: June 25, 2024‍

🕒 Time: 13:30 - 17:30

📍 Location: EPFL Innovation Park, Building C, 1st floor, room NEPTUNE

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Rationale

Your customers probably need solutions that can help decarbonize the whole life cycle of their products and services, from eco-conception to production, integration, distribution, operation, and disposal or recycling. This trend is further fueled by new environmental regulations and policies as well as market and consumers’ expectations.

The whole supply chain shall be considered as it typically induces far greater environmental costs than the company’s own operations, often accounting for more than 80% of greenhouse-gas emissions and more than 90% of the impact on air, land, water, biodiversity, and geological resources.

Goals

• How to quantify CO2 emissions of your solution, and implement CO2 reduction strategies to reach net zero target.
• How to set up relevant targets and KPIs and integrate non-financial data into your reporting.
• How to comply with relevant certifications and labels.
• How to work closely with your suppliers to lessen your overall environmental impact and position yourself for sustainable impact.

Trainer

• Dr. Werner Halter, founder and CEO of Climate Services SA.

After obtaining his doctorate in geochemistry at McGill University in Montreal, Werner worked as a post-doc in the geology department of the University of Lausanne and as assistant professor at the ETH Zurich. Seeking new challenges, he left the academic world to run the company Swiss Climate in Bern, which specializes in CO2-related issues, between 2008 and 2013. With a view to further developing the concept of CO2 management for SMEs, Werner founded Climate Services in Fribourg in 2013. Over the last 10 years, he supported hundreds of companies as well as public entities in developing an approach to manage the transition to a net zero carbon economy.

Date & location

‍📅 Date: September 12, 2024‍

🕒 Time: 09:00 - 17:00

📍 Location: Unlimitrust campus, Rte des Flumeaux 48, CH-1008 Prilly

Rationale

Digitalisation plays a key role in regeneration, providing powerful tools to link financial investments to verified impact on the ground, optimizing agricultural and industrial processes, etc.

However, digital services already account for an increasing 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, which must be tackled as soon as possible.

Many startups have difficulties in disclosing their environmental footprint, especially regarding their ICT infrastructures and services. The lack of common standards and tools to report the impact of Web3 and Cloud applications is becoming a real challenge.

Goal

At this workshop, startups will understand what tools and norms they must follow to make sustainable digitalization an opportunity. 

• As a first step, they will be guided on how to disclose their activities so that they can be considered “sustainable investments” (Taxonomy, SFDR). 
• Then, the different environmental reporting standards for the ICT sector will be explained (LCA, GHG emissions). 
• Finally, an overview of the tools available to track and reduce the footprint of their applications will be presented.

Trainer

• Resilio is a Swiss company leading the sustainable transition for IT. Resilio helps companies keep track of the environmental footprint of their IT activities through Life Cycle Assessment, from IT infrastructure to Cloud services.

Rationale

A new way to communicate is required to contribute to a new storytelling, raise awareness without scaremongering, define positive goals, make regenerative solutions appealing (at least as much as the ones proposed by the old economy), and shift consumers expectations and aspirations for circular economy, recycling and sharing, etc.

Goal

• Popularize and disseminate complex scientific concepts, provide accurate, credible and impactful information in the simplest terms, use multimedia tools (podcast, video, infography,…), etc.
• Develop communication plans (timing, budget,…), prepare PRs, talk to the media, articulate the company’s purpose/impact and prevent perception of “Greenwashing”,
• Social medias strategies, engage influencers and KOLs, Responsible communication.

Trainer

• Laura Scorza, Senior Stakeholder Engagement Consultant.

Before being in charge for Sustainability Communications and Stakeholder Engagement at Quantis, Laura gained significant experience in international environments, with various positions such as Head of Sustainability Communications at PRfact, and Head of Communications EMEA at Logitech.

Her mission is to support companies of all sizes in their sustainable development approach and to help them communicate honestly and transparently and avoid greenwashing.

Her main areas of expertise are: corporate communication (including executive coaching), sustainability communication, employees and stakeholders engagement strategies, social impact, diversity and inclusion, and creative execution.

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Date & location

‍📅 Date: October 9, 2024‍

🕒 Time: TBD

📍 Location: TBD

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Rationale

• Tools and metrics needed to link financial investments with regenerative impact on the ground

Goal

• Identify appropriate sources of financing.
• Understand how impact investors look at companies, the frameworks they use and how you can communicate your company’s impact succinctly
• Concepts or sustainable finance and regenerative Economy – ReFi.

Trainer

• coming soon...