X-HEC Entrepreneurs Dinners 2024-2025

What if you could have dinner with some of the most promising entrepreneurs and CEOs from the HEC Paris ecosystem and beyond? Recognizing that meaningful connections are often lost in large networking events, two HEC Paris students have created an innovative dinner series to foster deeper relationships. Amine Athamena and Elodie Ben, students in the MSc X-HEC Entrepreneurs program, have launched a successful initiative that provides HEC Paris student entrepreneurs with valuable networking opportunities and has inspired similar clubs at other business schools.

Elodie and Amine, Two Resourceful Students

From the day they set foot at HEC Paris, Elodie and Amine have been developing inspiring projects for their fellow students. Elodie Ben, interested in both entrepreneurship and tech, joined the HEC Paris Master in Management (MiM) double degree in M1. “When I arrived at HEC, I discovered the power of the school’s network and all the doors it could open to you,” she recalls. 

Amine Athamena, a MiM student passionate about venture capital, launched with the help of Elodie and other students, the VC Bootcamp in 2023 to help HEC Paris students better understand the VC ecosystem. This first initiative helped them to build a strong network, as well as to secure internships both in France and in London during their gap year. 

Both students joined the X-HEC Entrepreneurs Master program where they attended many conferences… and identified a key issue. 

From Ordinary Conferences to Intimate Conversations

The X-HEC Entrepreneurs dinners initiative emerged from a brilliant insight: traditional networking events simply don't cut it anymore. “During conferences, participants didn't get the chance to ask many questions,” Elodie explains. “You don't get to go really in-depth in the discussion.” To address some of their own and fellow students’ frustration, Elodie and Amine decided to create a whole new experience: the X-HEC Entrepreneurs Dinners.

What began as a modest ambition to organize just five or six dinners quickly grew into more than 20+ events, showcasing the huge enthusiasm from both students and distinguished guests! The intimate gatherings of 12-14 participants create a perfect atmosphere that sparks authentic, transformative conversations. Guests share their stories more openly and authentically

Amine explains that “as a student from HEC Paris, you can envision yourself because those people were in your shoes a few years ago, a few decades ago. And I think this is something really interesting.” He carries on: 

"The most interesting part is knowing about people and their career paths, and also the hidden gems behind their success, like the secrets of what made them successful!"

All dinners were hosted at PNY Burger, a chain created by two HEC alumni, Graffi Rathamohan et Rudy Guénaire, where the group shared a meal in a dedicated room. Both were happy to develop such a partnership. Graffi explains: "When Elodie and Amine contacted me to organize these dinners at PNY, I couldn’t help but feel a little envious. Why didn’t we have the same idea when we were at school? The whole pitch was perfect: the choice of guests, the student selection process, the idea of gathering in an informal atmosphere. Without a doubt, this is one of those student initiatives that will outlast its founders and endure for years to come."

Beyond Networking: Creating Amazing Opportunities

This dinner series stands out by generating real-world outcomes. Amine recounts how a beverage company set to launch a new company in Luxembourg discovered a potential co-founder during one of their dinner conversations. In another success story, a fintech CEO connected with students and later helped them with their fundraising efforts. Amine emphasizes:

“There are concrete things happening after, there's key takeaways, but also there's action afterward!”

The duo's commitment to excellence is clear in their meticulous selection process. Participants are carefully chosen based on motivation, professionalism, and relevance to the guest's expertise. From their database of around 250 people in Paris and 300 in Singapore, Amine and Elodie curate each dinner to ensure the most impactful and meaningful interactions.

"We really make sure to match the profiles of the participants in the best way possible with the special guests so that it makes sense and that we get very interesting discussions," Elodie shares.

Diversity is also an important value to both co-hosts. Every dinner, the team tries to reach a balance between men and women. Elodie also ran a dinner with Tatiana Jama, founder of VC fund Sistafund, serial entrepreneur and female advocate, with women only.

A Star-Studded Line up of Inspirational Guests

The dinner series features a line up of top-notch business leaders, including unicorn founders like Eléonore Crespo from Pigment and Typology's Ning Li. They have welcomed prominent figures such as Cédric O, former Minister of Digital Economy, and AI pioneer Luc Julia. In Singapore, they have also orchestrated dinners with space industry trailblazer Lynette Tan and are set to dine with the French ambassador!

"We've had mostly entrepreneurs, but now we're also having people from the public sector to embrace new perspectives," Elodie highlights, showcasing the diversity of their guests, and resonating with their different career paths and interests.

The duo's extensive professional connections, cultivated through various internships during their exchange semester in Singapore, helped them secure these guests. They indeed leveraged what they call a “snowball effect” – after establishing credibility with top-profile guests, subsequent invitations became increasingly easier!

Creating Success and Great Impact

When asked about the secret behind the success of their initiative, both Amine and Elodie attribute it to decisive execution and powerful partnership. “My advice would be to try to find someone that you enjoy working with at HEC,” says Amine. “When you have a good team, you can just do whatever project you want!” 

Elodie adds, “We really executed fast and didn't waste too much time thinking about the most optimal way to do things, but rather focusing on getting to the milestones quickly!” A recipe that has proven to be very successful. The response to these dinners has been nothing short of phenomenal! “We didn't expect it to become so big!” Students and guests both show a lot of enthusiasm, which pushed Elodie and Amine to seek out more inspiring people to have dinner with. 

“Sometimes coming out of a dinner, you really feel energized because the guests have an incredible ability to transfer their energy to people and inspire them,” Elodie shares. 

Without a doubt, these dinners are a way to inspire and empower students having the chance to exchange for two hours with great leaders. “It helps you have a role model,” Amine states. 

For the guests, many of whom are proud HEC alumni, the dinners provide a fantastic opportunity to give back while staying connected with emerging trends. As Amine notes, citing Ning Li, founder of Typology: 

“If you want to see what is happening in the next 10 years, you have to talk to people that are in their 20s and not the people in their 40s!”

A Legacy of Innovation

As Amine and Elodie prepare for graduation, they have ingeniously designed their initiative to thrive long after their departure from HEC Paris. "From the beginning, we knew that we wanted X-HEC Entrepreneurs Dinners to be something that we would pass on from promotion to promotion,” Elodie explains. They are currently recruiting students from next year's X-HEC Entrepreneurs cohort to carry the torch forward.

The success of their initiative is undeniable. Their concept has flourished way beyond HEC Paris inspiring similar initiatives at various business and engineering schools! Within HEC Paris itself, an exciting new club called HEC Inspire emerged, connecting students with distinguished alumni from corporate paths like investment banking and consulting, through dinners, breakfasts, etc.

The Grand Closing Dinner: A Bold Closing Event

The enterprising duo is now organizing a grand finale – a closing dinner on May 7th on the HEC Paris campus within the Hall d’honneur, bringing together 150 guests including 3 phenomenal speakers. What is the common denominator of this event, sponsored by the HEC Paris Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute? People who have a connection with the X-HEC Entrepreneur program or the entrepreneurship major, including students, HEC Alumni, HEC Paris entrepreneurs and their friends, as well as people who supported Amine and Elodie along the way: juries, mentors, etc.

> Registering to the Grand Closing Dinner 

After the Grand Closing Dinner, other dinners are already planned featuring once again distinguished guests:

• Tuesday, May 6 at 7:45 PM: Gilles Babinet (Serial Entrepreneur)
• Thursday, May 22 at 7:45 PM: Jacques-Henri Eyraud (Former CEO of Olympique de Marseille)
• Monday, May 26 at 7:45 PM: Christophe Gaschin (CEO, Groupe Bertrand)
• Tuesday, May 27 at 7:45 PM: Patrick Sayer (Former Eurazeo & Lazard Executive, TC)
• Wednesday, May 21 at 7:45 PM: Vincent Luciani (CEO & Founder, Artefact) - TBC

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