Supporting female entrepreneurship in reunion with the HEC stand up program

Supporting women in Reunion Island who have entrepreneurial projects is what the HEC Stand Up program in Reunion is committed to offering! For the final module of the program, Nathalie Riond, the academic director of the program, visited in person to lead this final session.

"Entrepreneurship can be a path to emancipation and social progress for women and a crucial tool for our society to address current social and environmental challenges. There is no doubt; women have a fundamental role to play."
Nathalie Riond explained this during a conference on "Debunking the Myths of Entrepreneurship" for the ecosystem of Beelab, the first female incubator in the Indian Ocean.

HEC Stand Up in Reunion: a program for equal opportunities

Supported by BRED and the Fond’Ker Foundation, the HEC Stand Up program in Reunion represents yet another commitment by HEC Paris towards equal opportunities. It aims to bridge the gender gap in entrepreneurship. Created in 2012, introduced in Reunion Island in 2021, and completely free, the program supports ambitious women who want to become financially independent through entrepreneurship.

What distinguishes the HEC Stand Up program is the dedication of the guiding team to understand each participant's personal situation to help them scale their project. The goal is to validate their project beforehand and ensure there is a real business opportunity behind their idea. This is done by structuring the program to allow women to self-assess their project with a three-step pedagogy.

Change, Act, and Create: the HEC Stand Up pedagogy

The program is organized over 10 weeks around three main axes:

• CHANGE Module: Digital sessions to remove personal and systemic obstacles. Participants work on their journey, skills, and understanding of what a client is.
• ACT Module: Women engage with their future clients on the ground to validate their business value proposition.
• CREATE Module: Four days in person to equip them with the fundamentals to start their business.

Jessica Lechat, a participant in the recent cohort, feels ready to start her business.

“I intend to offer raw preparations to cook at her butcher shop for those who want to eat well but lack time to cook.” The CREATE module was intense and emotional both personally and business-wise. Jessica emerged transformed: "My project evolved so fast that I now have confidence. My posture changed completely; I learned to organize, and commercial techniques like nudge, AIDA, pitching… I’m eager to start!"

The adventure does not end after the 10 weeks. Like all HEC Paris Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute programs, HEC Stand Up allows participants to join the HEC Stand Up community and access HEC's resources to strengthen their projects.

Developing Key Skills

Female entrepreneurship does not fundamentally differ from male entrepreneurship, but some steps may present specific obstacles for women. Nevertheless, more women are becoming entrepreneurs, offering potential for emancipation and social progress. Our program aims to support these ambitious women.

Developing certain skills is essential for success in today’s entrepreneurial environment. HEC Stand Up provides these critical skills. Understanding numbers is crucial: mastering accounting, finance, and creating realistic sales projections are essential to set precise goals and avoid failures.

Another crucial learning aspect is focusing on a limited number of objectives and learning to say no to distracting solicitations. Concentrating energy on clear objectives contributes to long-term success.

Self-Confidence And Network: Pillars Of Success

Beyond technical skills, the program helps women deconstruct limiting beliefs, essential for encouraging action. Women aligned with their identities overcome obstacles more easily and fear failure less. The goal is to help them realize their own power and encourage a change in posture.

Entrepreneurship often feels like a solitary journey requiring resilience and endurance. To counter this loneliness, the program helps women build a strong network. “Trust is the foundation of any network, but to inspire the trust of others, you must first trust yourself,” says Nathalie Riond. Group exercises within the program create strong bonds through mutual support. Participants unite to solve problems that are difficult to tackle individually, like gaining access to resources or media coverage.

Carole Bellini, another participant whose project involves the circular economy and heritage with upcycling old furniture from Reunion Island, testifies: “I expected validation and a solid pathway for my project from a great business school... I received much more!” Beyond professional skills, the program allowed her to get to know herself better as an individual, "to progressively step into the role of a business leader as the primary resource of our business is ourselves!"

Empowering And Contributing To The Local Economy

In Reunion, about fifteen women in the South, twenty in the North, and 35 in the online modules have benefited from Stand Up support this year. The results are clear: they have become actors in their emancipation. For this cohort, entrepreneurial projects were mainly focused on crafts, coaching, wellness, environment, sustainability, furniture, and decoration. There is diversity in sectors and profiles, but a common goal: testing project viability and personal growth.

The HEC Stand Up program ensures that female entrepreneurs contribute to the local economy. All paths are possible: creating economic, social, or environmental value. Local territories, which understand the program's stakes, often support it by providing time and facilitating access to financial resources. This is especially true for state services, represented by the Prefecture of Reunion, with input from the Regional Directorate for Women's Rights and Equality (DRDFE) and the Directorate of Economy, Employment, Labor, and Solidarity (DEETS).

Delivered in mainland France, Reunion Island, and the Antilles, the next HEC Stand Up program session begins on October 31st in Guadeloupe and Martinique with BRED as a partner.

Ready to apply? Explore the HEC Paris Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute