HEC AfricaDays - Speakers

MAY 15 2017
Africa in the Making – Challenges of the 21st Century

SPEAKERS

Ameenah Gurib-Fakim
President of the Republic Of Mauritius

Ameenah Gurib-Fakim was elected President of the Republic of Mauritius in May 2015. She is the first woman to be elected as president of the country and the third woman to serve as head of the state after Elizabeth II and Monique Ohsan Bellepeau.

Ms. Gurib-Fakim has had a brilliant career in the field of Chemistry. First a professor at the University of Mauritius, she then founded and directed the CIDP Centre for Research and Innovation.

Ameenah Gurib-Fakim has also been awarded several international prizes such as the L’Oréal-UNESCO award from women in science, the Mauritian National Economic and Social Council award (2007), and the African Union award for Women in Science. France has also awarded her an honorary degree at the University of Pierre and Marie Curie.

Having first received a degree in Chemistry from the University of Surrey (1983), President Gurib-Fakim received her PhD in Organic Chemistry from the University of Exeter.

Daniel Kablan Duncam
Vice President of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire

Mr Daniel Kablan Duncan was appointed to the position of Vice President of the Republic of the Côte d’Ivoire in January 2017 by President Alassane Ouattara. Created in 2016 by the new institution of the Third Republic, he is the first to occupy this post.

Mr. Daniel Kablan Duncan, a prominent statesman and member of the Democratic Party of Côte d’Ivoire (PDCI), has held many prominent positions before reaching his current position of Vice President. A “Special Appointee” to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), he was then active in the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) from 1974 to 1989, and then again from 1989 to 1990.

He was appointed Minister for the Economy and Finance of Côte d’Ivoire in 1990, and from 1990 to 1993, he acted as Delegate to the Prime Minister, in charge of Economy, Finance, Budget, Planning and Trade. From 1993 to 1999, he was the Prime Minister of the Côte d’Ivoire. In 2011, he was named Minister of State, and Minister of Foreign Affairs. At the end of 2012, Mr Kablan Duncan was again appointed to the post of Prime Minister, Head of Government, whilst also Minister of Economy and Finance.

Mr Daniel Kablan Duncan is a graduate of the Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales du Nord and of the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce in Bordeaux. In 1968, he obtained a degree in commercial engineering from the l’institut commercial de Nancy, and also has a degree in International Business.

Tiemoko Meyliet Kone
Govenor of the BCEAO

Tiémoko Meyliet Koné was appointed to the position of governor of the Central Bank of the States of West Africa (BCEAO) for a six-year term on 31 May 2011.

​Before becoming Governor, he was director of the Prime Minister’s office under Prime Minister Guillaume Soro, as well as Minister of Construction and Urban Development in Laurent Gbagbo’s last government before the presidential election of November 2010.

​“My goal is to make a significant contribution to the ambitious policies pursued by governments to accelerate growth and achieve their economic goals”

​The BCEAO is a central bank serving the eight West African countries which share the common West African CFA franc currency and comprise the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA).

Michaëlle Jean
Secretary-General of the International Organization of Francophones

Michaëlle Jean was nominated as CEO of ‘La Francophonie’ on 30 November 2014 at the 25th Francophonie Summit in Dakar, becoming the first woman appointed to this post.

​Born in Port-au-Prince, she moved to Quebec with her family in 1968. Ms. Jean is a journalist with Radio-Canada and the CBC, and has participated in several documentary films created by her husband, filmmaker Jean-Daniel Lafond. For 10 years she has helped create shelters for women who are victims of domestic violence, and she is involved in setting up an emergency network in Canada.

​From 2005 to 2010, Michaëlle Jean became a stateswoman, the 27th Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada. She was the third woman to hold the post after Jeanne Sauvé and Adrienne Clarkson. In November 2011, she was appointed Special Envoy of Unesco to Haiti and appointed Chancellor of the University of Ottawa.

​She obtained a Master's degree in Comparative Literature from the University of Montreal, where she taught in the Department of Italian Studies. Polyglot, she speaks five languages ​​(French, English, Spanish, Italian and Haitian Creole).

Mostafa Terrab
CEO of OCP Morocco

Dr Mostapha Terrab has been the Chairman of the OCP Group since 2006.

An advisor to King Mohammed VI of Morocco, Mostapha Terrab is very active in the development of human capital and Deputy Chairman of the Mohammed VI Foundation, which works for sustainable development.

He was named one of the 100 most influential African personalities by New African Magazine in 2013 and among the 50 most influential African personalities in the world by Jeune Afrique in both 2014 and 2016. In 2016 Mostafa Terrab also featured amongst a list of 100 personalities who contributed to the transformation of Africa.

He holds an engineering degree from the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées (1979), a Master's degree in Engineering (1982) and a Ph.D. in Operations Research (1990) from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

OPENING
Peter Todd - HEC Paris Dean

Professor Todd has taught and led degree programs, executive education and applied research programs in management, innovation and information technology for over 25 years.

​He also has over 20 years of increasingly senior leadership experience as a Dean, Associate Dean, Program and Centre Director at prominent Canadian and US universities. From 2005 to 2014 he was Dean of the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University.

Before joining McGill, Todd was the Chesapeake and Potomac Professor of Commerce at the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce where he also served as Associate Dean for Graduate Programs.  Before that he was Professor and Associate Dean at the University of Houston where he played a key role in securing a $40 million naming gift to establish the Bauer College of Business.  At the University of Houston Professor Todd also led the Information Systems Research Centre delivering applied research and executive education programs while doubling the Centre’s membership to include 30 prominent Texas-based companies.

Professor Todd holds an undergraduate degree in Commerce from McGill University and a PhD in Business Administration from the University of British Columbia.  

He speaks English and French.

MODERATOR
Pascal Chaigneau - HEC Paris Associate Professor

A University Professor, Pascal Chaigneau is Director of the HEC Centre for Geopolitics and of the double-diploma, HEC-Sciences Po.

He has developed courses on sustainable development at HEC Paris. A Foreign Trade Advisor, he is a member of the Africa Commission and has been Director of Radio France Internationale for the past 10 years.

He is visiting professor at the universities of Benin and Tunisia, and responsible for HEC programs in Morocco and Madagascar. A Doctorate of Arts, Law, Sc. Political and Development Economics, he is laureate of the Institute of France and Prix Vernimenn 2012 of HEC.

CONCLUSIONS
Abdelmalek Alaoui - CEO of La Tribune Afrique

Abdelmalek Alaoui is CEO of the Guépard Group, a pan-African company and shareholder of Huffington Post Maghreb, La Tribune Afrique and Afriquinfos.com.

​A graduate of Science Po Paris, Mr. Alaoui also holds an MBA from HEC and a postgraduate degree from the École de Guerre Économique, and is a recognized specialist in influential communication strategies. In this field, he has advised some of the largest stock market capitalisations in Africa, as well as numerous governments during a career of more than fifteen years in strategy consulting. He is now dedicated to media investment and is a senior editorial writer at La Tribune Afrique.

MAY 16 2017 - Entrepreneurship in Africa: the Keys to Success

SPEAKERS - THE BIG DEBATE

Kako Nubukpo
Director of the Economic and Digital Francophonie (OIF)

In March 2016, Kako Nubukpo became Director of the economic and digital Francophonie within the OIF.

Born in Togo and educated in Strasbourg, he was a teacher at Sup de Co Lyon (1997-99), an economist specializing in cotton at the Sahel Institute in Bamako (1999), a macro-economist at the research department and then head of Service of external training actions at the headquarters of the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) in Dakar (2000-03). He then joined the Center for International Cooperation in Agricultural Research for Development (CIRAD), a French public institution based in Montpellier, where he worked from 2004 to 2008 in Bamako as a French technical assistant.

Since 2010, he is leading the economic analysis department of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA).

Brahim Benjelloun-Touimi
Group Executive Managing Director and Chairman of BOA Group

Mr Brahim Benjelloun-Touimi is Group Executive Managing Director of BMCE Bank.

He is Chairman of the General Management Committee, Vice-Chairman of the Group Executive Committee and Vice-Chairman of the Senior Credit Committee.

As part of BMCE Bank Group’s overseas strategy, Mr Brahim Benjelloun-Touimi is Chairman of BOA Group, a banking group in which BMCE Bank Group has a stake of just under 73% with operations in 19 countries, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa.

He is also a Director of the Group’s European banking subsidiaries. As for his other functions, he is either Chairman or Director of a number of Group companies in Morocco in the areas of investment banking, specialised financial services – factoring, consumer credit, leasing and loan recovery – and insurance brokerage.

Within the framework of strategic partnerships with benchmark shareholders, Mr. Benjelloun-Touimi is a Director of RMA Watanya, an insurance company and FinanceCom, its holding company.

He is also Chairman of the Board of EurAfric Information, a technology company and Director of Euro Information in France, a technology subsidiary of Crédit Mutuel Group.

Reflecting the Group’s commitment to corporate social responsibility, Mr Benjelloun-Touimi is a Director of BMCE Bank Foundation for Education and the Protection of the Environment.

He also sits on the Board of Proparco, a development finance institution & Director of the Casabanca Stock Exchange "Société de la Bourse des Valeurs de Casablanca".

Mr Brahim Benjelloun-Touimi is a Doctor of Money, Finance and Banking fromUniversité Paris I Panthéon Sorbonne. He began his career in financial markets in France and went on to become Head of Research within the Securities division at one of France’s leading investment banks. He joined BMCE Bank in 1990.

Koffi N'Guessan
Director of the Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny

Koffi N'Guessan is the director of the Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Cote d’Ivoire. Since 2009, Koffi N'guessan has also been a member of the scientific council of the National Institute for Demographic Studies (INED).

​He began his career in Cameroon in 1982 and became a researcher at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Statistique et d'Applied Economie d'Abidjan (ENSEA), where he held senior positions as Director of Studies from 1987 to 1994 , and director from 1995 to 2015.

​Elected as Vice-President and then President of the Union for the Study of the African Population and as President of the Ivorian National Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Mr N’guessan is also a member of the Scientific Council of the "Migration and spatial reconstruction" project initiated by the Agence Française de Développement and various learned societies, including the International Union for the Scientific Study of the population, and the Association of Statisticians and Demographers of Côte d'Ivoire.

​Koffi N'Guessan holds a diploma in geography from the University of Cocody. In 1981, he obtained a diploma in demography from the Yaounde Institute for Demographic Training and Research.

Elie Nkamgueu
President of Club Efficience

To combat prejudice, Mr Ekie Nkamgueu decided to create Club Efficience, a self-financing organization specializing in social and economic engineering. Also a ‘think and action tank’, Club Efficience is composed of nearly 530 members, including executives, business leaders and many others from the Afro-French bankgrounds.

​Publisher of the Gotha Noir, a report gathering together African talents, Club Efficience launched its RH Efficience in January 2017 in cooperation with AfricSearch and Le Point Afrique.

​Club Efficience also helps young talents through a two-year scholarship program, as well as young entrepreneurs, through a program of financial support and mentoring.
Among the current initiatives is the establishment of an investment fund, open to the general public, to companies, and especially to institutions with a franco-african background with a presence in France and in Europe. Its aim is to invest in African SMEs and promote the economic development of the continent.

​A dentist by profession, Elie Nkamgueu is still practicing.

Jean-Marie P. Ackah
President of CGECI (General Confederation of Businesses of Côte d'Ivoire)

After having assumed the role of president of IPRAVI (Inter Profession Avicole Ivoirienne), UOFA / AO (Union of Organizations of the Poultry Industry of West Africa) and UGECI until 2016, Jean-Marie ACKAH is today President of the CGECI (General Confederation of Enterprises of Côte d'Ivoire).

​An expert in the corporate environment of the Côte d'Ivoire, Jean-Marie Ackah has led an excellent career in the agro-food industry, and is well renowned for his expertise in the field. First the Senior Manager at Palmindustrie in 1978, in 1980 he joined the Ivorian Society of Livestock Production (SIPRA). In 1992, he was appointed Deputy General Manager of Ivograin (department of livestock), and was promoted in 1993 to the post of Managing Director General by the majority shareholder, the Evialis Group France, then to the role of CEO from 2000 to 2011.

In 2011, and whilst retaining the presidency of the company, Jean-Marie P. Ackah decided to dedicate more of his time to the development of LMCI, ‘Les Moulins de Côte d'Ivoire’, a company he created in 2007, today the second mill of the Côte d'Ivoire with a turnover of 70 billion CFA francs.

​Furthermore, BNP Paribas has appointed Jean-Marie Ackah as Chairman of the Board of Directors of BICICI (the International Bank for Trade and Industry of the Côte d'Ivoire), its subsidiary in Côte d'Ivoire.

​Jean-Marie Ackah holds a Master’s degree in Economics and Management from the Faculty of Economic Sciences at the University of Côte d'Ivoire and a diploma from the French Institute of Management.

Rania Belkahia
President and Co-founder of Afrimarket

In March 2013, Rania Belkahia co-founded, with Jérémy Stoss and François Sevaistre, Afrimarket, a money-transfer service for Africa, of which she is CEO.

​The idea is simple: instead of sending money, through the platform money is transferred from the sender's Afrimarket digital account in the form of credit (rather than cash), which can only be redeemed at designated point-of-sales, and used for specific purposes. The transfer is secured using encryption technology. In 2015, the company had 31,000 customers and 300 partner stores in four countries: Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, Benin and Togo.

​Ranya Belkaya has received several awards, including ELLE and Impact 2 from the Comptoir pour l'Innovation. She was nominated among the 30 women of 2014 by the Women's forum. She joined the French Digital Council in 2016.

Rania is a graduate of Télécom ParisTech and HEC Paris.

Samuel Mathey
Founder of the African Entrepreneurs Foundation

Dr. Mathey is the founder of the African Entrepreneurs Foundation, an initiative to harness and promote entrepreneurship across the continent and across minorities.

​A professor of economics, strategy and management, Dr. Mathey lectures in the USA, Europe and Africa, and has worked with major consulting, auditing and accounting firms (including KPMG and PwC). He has led several projects and conducted numerous workshops and seminars across the world.

​Samuel Mathey holds a Doctorate in Economics (Ph.D.) and an MBA from the universities of Delaware and Ohio State, and a Masters in Econometrics and Monetary Economics as well as a Bachelor in accounting and Information Systems (2000).

 

AWARDS - 100 African Startups to Invest in 2017

Christian Kamayou
Founder of MyAfricanStartup, Founder and CEO of Financetesetudes.com

Christian Kamayou is the founder of MyAfricanStartUp, the first African platform that facilitates the linking of startups with the general public and the media.

As an African entrepreneur, Christian Kamayou values the importance of increased visibility in order to attract the attention of those who are likely to help new businesses grow: media, investors, large groups, accompanying structures. He is also the founder and CEO of ‘Financetesetudes.com’, a student loan broker that acts as an intermediary between students and banks.

MyAfricanStartup is supported by partner companies involved in Africa. Christian coordinates a network of young people based in several African countries, who propose and create projects from their countries of origin. They bring their dynamism and their knowledge of the field, to serve the ambitions of myafricanstartup for the ecosystem startup in Africa.

​A graduate of HEC Paris with an MSc in Management, in his spare time he is in charge of the HEC Africa network to make the continent better known to all HEC graduates in France, Africa and elsewhere.

Etienne Krieger
HEC Paris Affiliate Professor

Dr. Etienne Krieger is an affiliate Professor at HEC Paris and Scientific Director of the HEC Entrepreneurship Center. Mr. Krieger has developed and taught various programs on entrepreneurship and finance and advised numerous advanced technology start-ups. Dr. Krieger is founder and President of the Challenge+ alumni association and member of several committees selecting high tech new ventures. His is also co-founder and member of the board of the French Academy of Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

He is a graduate of HEC Paris and holds a Ph.D. in management science from Paris Dauphine University.

OPENING
Eloïc Peyrache - HEC Paris Associate Dean

Eloïc-Anil Peyrache has been the Associate Dean of HEC since September 2008.
He is in charge of the pre-experience programs, as well as HEC entrepreneurship and Equal Opportunities programs. Beforehand, he was the director of development (2006-2008) but has been a professor at HEC since 2003.

​Alumnus of Ecole Normale Supérieure of Cachan (ENS Cachan), he received his doctorate at Toulouse School of Economics (TSE) in June 2003. His research focuses on the challenges of transmitting information on the labor market and of the problems regarding intermediation.

MODERATOR
Didier Acouetey - President of AfriSearch

The founder of “AfricSearch Men & Management Consulting” in 1996, an international recruitment firm with a presence in Francophone Africa, Didier Acouetey was a pioneer in this field in France, where he established himself as an avid entrepreneur.

​Dider Acouetey was born in Lomé, Togo, and holds an MBA from the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce in Paris (ESCP) and two postgraduate degrees in international trade and industrial marketing. He also studied management at various international universities including Harvard Business School.

​Since the creation of "AfricSearch" Didier Acouetey has travelled the world to seek out promising intellectuals in order to help them better the businesses of the continent.

 

SPEAKERS FOR THE PANEL "Africa: Careers and Opportunities"

Jean Michel Debrat
Director of the AfricaFrance Foundation

Jean-Michel Debrat is the current Managing Director of AfricaFrance, a position he has held since November 2015.

Jean-Michel Debrat began his career as a civil servant in the Ministry of Finance in 1984, and subsequently became an inspector in the General Inspectorate of Finance in 1988. In 1990, he was appointed technical advisor to the Ministry of Cooperation then financial advisor for Africa in the Ministry of Finance.

​In 1995, he was appointed Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the French Development Agency (AFD) in charge of the Mediterranean and overseas territories. He became Deputy Managing Director in 2002, and Regional Director in charge of South Africa in 2014.

​He graduated from the University of Nice in 1973 and is a former student of the National School of Administration (ENA).

Etienne Giros
Deputy Chairman of CIAN

Mr. Etienne Giros is CEO of CIAN, an association created in 1979, with the unifying goal of connecting companies invested in Africa. He is a former member of the Bolloré Group, where he led the African network before joining the department of Marketing and Communication Studies. He then became the Deputy Chairman of the French Investor Council in Africa.

CIAN has 140 members, including CAC 40 companies, middle-tier companies and SMEs, consulting firms, but also institutions such as the French Development Agency (AFD), HEC Paris and Sciences Po. The primary aim of CIAN is to put these insitutions in contact with each other, in order to create a favorable environment for the development of commerce within Africa. Mr Giros believes that Africa is the new source of growth on the planet, and that companies must work in unison to avoid the fragmentation of such a large continent.

Christian Makolo-Kabala
Director of Development in France - Club Efficience

Christian Makolo-Kabala is Director of Development in France for Club Efficience, an organization which specializes in social and economic engineering. Composed of nearly 530 members, including executives, business leaders and many others from the Afro-French bankgrounds, Club Efficience wants to develop the France of tomorrow by demonstrating its commitment to the idea of "better lives together”.

​A polyglot with competencies in 7 languages, Christian has studied at the Institut Franco-Américain de Management, University of Maryland College Park and Strayer University.

Stephane Timpano
Bain & Company, Partner and Head of Lagos Office

Stephane Timpano is the managing partner of Bain & Company's Lagos office. He is an expert in Bain's Telecommunications, Media and Technology (TMT) practices. 

Stephane has worked for major companies, governments and international institutions in the major sub-Saharan countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and South Africa.

In the public sector, Stephane has supported several governmental organizations in redesigning their operating model and organizations. He also worked closely with institutions to redefine their long-term development plans and guarantee their capacity to deliver results.

​Stephane holds an MBA from SDA Bocconi in Milan, a BA in economics from Université d'Aix-Marseille and a BA in political sciences from Institut d'Etudes Politiques.

Laura Pyke Jean
Laura Pyke-Jean Senior Business Development Manager Africa, Allen & Overy LLP

Laura Pyke-Jean is head of the Department of African Development at the international law firm Allen & Overy, a firm that has been active in Africa for more than 25 years.  Laura is a graduate of ESSEC (Marketing and Business Development) and of the University of Leeds (French and Philosophy).

​A&O now has 44 offices in 31 countries, including two in Africa, Morocco and South Africa. Much more than a global consultancy in business and finance law, A & O has become a strategic and privileged partner of its clients, whom they assist on a daily basis and at all stages of their development. The main function of A&O is the understanding, advising and accompanying of clients in their fields of operation.

Carlijn Nouwen
Partner, Dalberg Johannesburg

Carlijn is a partner with Dalberg Global Development Advisors and the Office Director of Dalberg’s Johannesburg office.

She also heads up Dalberg’s global Inclusive Business Growth expertise area. She focuses most of her work on healthcare and financial services, often serving private sector clients with market entry and product/ service development to serve largely unand underserved markets. From her home base in South Africa, she works across the African continent, where Dalberg has 6 offices and over 200 staff.

Prior to joining Dalberg, Carlijn worked for McKinsey & Company, advising both private companies and hospitals on a range of topics. Carlijn holds a Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering and Management Science (with honors) from the Eindhoven Technical University, and has followed diplomat’s training while working for the Netherland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Louis Boisgibault
Founder of VALMERE

Louis Boisgibault is an Entrepreneur, a Senior Lecturer and a Researcher specialized in Energy & Climate. He is the founding partner of the Paris-based VALMERE, a consulting company specialised in renewable energy and energy efficiency. He has been travelling to Africa since 10 years to boost entrepreneurship and to research for the energy transition. He is lecturing at HEC Energy Certificate and Ecole Polytechnique.

He is the author of publications such as Constraint Carbon in the Mediterranean (IPEMED, 2011), COP21 objectives: towards a joint energy transition in the Mediterranean? (IPEMED 2015), L’énergie solaire après Fukushima la nouvelle donne (Medicilline, 2011).

Former executive of BNP-Paribas, Electricité de France and Engie, he is an alumnus of HEC Paris (MBA 1990) and obtained a PhD in Geography and Planning from Paris-Sorbonne

MODERATOR - Didier Acoutey

MAY 17 2017
Afropean Creativity and the Fashion Industry in Africa

SPEAKERS

Imane Ayissi
Fashion Designer and Author

Imane Ayissi creates haute couture pieces in France, bringing together both his experience in the world of dance and his Franco-Cameroonian double culture together to create luxurious works of art. Imane Ayissi makes particular use of the fabrics traditionally used in the continent, such as wax.

Imane Ayissi was born in Cameroon to a family of artists and sportsmen. At the same time that he began a career as a dancer at the National Ballet of Cameroon, he was involved in fashion - a passion born in the wake of a Miss Cameroon mother - and became a stylist for the biggest manufacturers of ready-to-wear clothing in the country. He moved to Paris in the early 1990s, and began his career as a model, working for some of the the biggest luxury brands in the world, such as Dior, YSL, Valentino and Givenchy. It was at this time that he decided to devote himself fully to his work as a tailor.

Sakina M’Sa
Franco-Comorian Fashion Designer

Sakina M'Sa is a women's clothing brand created in 1997 by Sakina M'Sa.  Modern, simple, feminine and functional, the production line is based on durability with recycled fabrics and high-end manufacturing. She studied fashion at The Mediterranean Institute of Fashion and had her vision of fashion changed during an internship with Geneviève Sevin-Doering.

Sakina exhibited her collections at Galeries Lafayette, and at Maria Luisa, presenting an exhibition called "The Fabric of Heroines" at the Petit Palais and the Museum of Art and Design in New York. Her work is known throughout the world including Brazil, United States, South Africa and France.

​The fashion designer has received numerous awards including the "Kering Foundation Prize for Women's Dignity" in 2010, "Elan Fashion Federation Federation of ready-to-wear" in 2008.

Marie Dupin
Head of Fashion & Beauty Consulting – NellyRodi

Maire Dupin is Head of Fashion and Beauty Consulting at Nelly Rodi, and Directrice of Axe Mode. Previously, she has worked with New Look as a International Marketing Manager.

​Nelly Rodi is a trend forecasting agency established in 1985. The company is a pioneer in understanding how consumer behavior has a direct influence on new fashions as well as all other lifestyle sectors. The company helps their clients unlock their innovative potential by advising them on new customer behavior, strategies, products, or distribution methods.

She was educated at Sciences Po Paris and has a Master’s degree in Marketing.

Brice Ahounou
Anthropologist and Journalist

An anthropologist and journalist, Brice Ahounou is in charge of the « Mercredis du film ethnographique » which he animates at the Musée de l’Homme, in the wake of Jean Rouch, for whom he was assistant for seventeen years, and with whom he shares an interest in the study of spirit possession cults. After having conducted research on Vodou and the power of the imaginary in West Africa and the Caribbean, he continues to investigate in the observation field opened by the pioneer of visual anthropology among the Songhay people – a fieldwork where gods and men of the Niger River interact in front of the camera. Brice Ahounou is also an advocate of the congolese ‘Sape’ culture.  

Gaelle Tabeko-Kenmoe
Founder and Creative Manager of Maison Nouss

Gaelle Tabeko-Kenmoe is the Founder and Creative Director of Maison Nouss, a company that figures amongst the 100 African Startups in which to invest in 2017.

​Created in 2015, Maison Nouss is an advocate of the growing enthusiasm that women in recent years have been giving to clothes inspired by the loincloth. The company produces clothing ranges that allow Africans all over the world to proudly display their culture, even in their professional environment.

​Educated at Sciences Po Paris, she was head of a Club Afrique in 2010.

Daniel Tohou
Creator of Nefer Fashion

At 36, Daniel Tohou has an NVQ in male tailoring as well as a tailor’s degree from AFT (Association Formation Tailleur), the only tailoring school in France. He is also graduate of a Master’s in Philosophy and a BTS in Sales. With his brand ‘Nefer’, an Egyptian word meaning ‘perfection’, he combines Parisian excellence with African creativity. Its Italian clothing jackets combine sober fabrics and colorful patterns, effortlessly merging his French and Togolese cultures.

OPENING
Anne Michaut - HEC Paris Affiliate Professor of Marketing

Anne Michaut received a Ph.D. in Social Sciences from Wageningen University, where she had previously obtained a M.Sc. degree in Marketing and Consumer Behavior. She also holds an agronomics engineering degree. Prior to joining HEC Paris, she worked on innovation process methods and new product adoption processes at Unilever, which funded her PhD research. Her work has been published in Journal of Product Innovation Management, Journal of Brand Management, or Journal of Brand Strategy, and she has contributed to edited books.

​At HEC Paris, she teaches in the Grande Ecole, MBA, Executive MBA, and Executive Education programs. Her teaching covers varied topics about Luxury Management as well as Innovation Marketing. She is now the Director of the LVMH Academic Chair; and works on developing HEC Paris’ excellence in teaching in the field of Luxury.

MODERATOR
Elé Asu - Franco-Nigerian TV Journalist

A graduate of the Institute of Political Studies in Strasbourg, Elé Asu worked for the French Ministry of Culture for some time before turning to journalism.

Since January 2014, she has presented ‘Success’, the African economical magazine on Canal + Afrique.

In 2007, Élé Asu was awarded the Best Young Television Reporter Award at the Young Talent Awards.

AFROPEAN FASHION SHOW

​Kimya by Olivia
by Olivia Kakule

“Its more than a design; it is a mindset, a new trend, a new concept.”
 

Kimya is a clothing line launched in October 2013 by Olivia Kakule, dedicated to women and especially  "to the generation of dynamic and cosmopolitan working women, aged between 18 to 50”. Her designs exhibit French and African culture with exuberance and great elegance.

After her Literature degree, Olivia trained at the Fashion Management School in Paris (ESIV). During her internship at Chanel, she decided to create her own fashion line. To encourage her creativity and open her imagination, Olivia has travelled to North America, Europe and Africa.

​The Kimya clothing line is made using wax print fabrics, a mechanical technique of wax printing derived from Indonesian Batik. With bright colors and traditional African designs, and the same intensity of colour both outside and in, they do not need lining. Many mainstream fashion designers now use this type of material to promote a new wave of very contemporary trends in fashion.

Le Pagne et Lys
by Alexandra Lys

LE PAGNE & LYS is a relatively new brand of 3 years which is essentially based on street and casual style. The creator, Lys Alexandra, proudly manages the project “Noir &”. Creating fashion collections that are accessible to everyone is a major part of Alexandra Ba’s goals. In this sense, Le Pagne et Lys is a clothing line for every age: from 4 year old children to great-great grandmothers and the collections can be worn during the day and the evening.  

LE PAGNE & LYS transforms basic pieces with a touch of Africa, which mainly features colourful wax print fabrics with bright, vibrant colours.  She capitalizes on the growing popularity of wax prints, and hopes to popularize this style on the catwalk.​

In the meantime, Lys Alexandra has also launched the Braderie des Créateurs, an African fashion show with two main events, the fashion show itself and the accompanying exhibition.

Maison Nouss
by Gaelle Tabeko

In the name of color and of the loincloth ...

​My name is Gaelle and I am the creator of the Maison Nouss brand. My passion is to create stylish, refined, and elegant clothing and accessories for strong minded women. I design the products, choose the materials and have them made by talented and driven Cameroonian artisans.  I am aiming to take my team and my company further in the wake of the great luxury leather and fashion brands by promoting Maison Nouss to many demographics, with the principle goal of making the loincloth desirable to all; an emblem of my culture and a powerful form of elegance.

Nash Prints It
by Shade and Nafi Affogbolo

"The wax of my childhood, the holidays in Benin.
The multitude of colors stacked along the full market aisles.”

Nash Print It, a fashion line of wax print, urban and timeless shirts, lwas aunched in 2013 by mother and daughter Nafi and Shade Affogbolo..

​Nafi, the mother, who originally had a sewing workshop in Dakar, is responsible for the production and Safi, the daughter, of creating the designs. Together, they have gradually expanded their collections offering a full wardrobe for every season: skirts, summer dresses and shorts, coat and sweats in the winter, bags and clutches. Despite the classic prints, Nafi and Shade carefully select colors and graphics that they can adapt to their brand in order to make sure they suit both the styles of men and women.

Nash Prints It complements African culture and its “lappa” aesthetics. It also contributes to the development of the textile business in West Africa as the brand’s production is based in a small dressmaking workshop in Benin which employs ten dressmakers and sustains fifty people.

NEFER
by Daniel Tohou

“The dandy style”

Nefer is an elegant clothing brand for men created by the tailor Daniel Tohou in June 2013. It combines Parisian elegance with African creativity. The brand also makes a range of accessories such as belts, cufflinks, and ties.

​Nefer comes from the Egyptian word which meaning “perfection”, and  Daniel Tohou’s unique style comes from a refined mix of both dark and wax fabrics, along with Italian craftsmanship – his suits are handmade in Italy.

Daniel Tohou himself is an experienced tailor who studied at the Association Formation Tailleur (AFT). After his internship at Lanvin, he got his first contract at Smalto.

​His future goals? Develop his brand and expand his collection.

Tcheka in Concert

​Tcheka
Singer and musician

Neither traditionalist nor modernist, Cheka is simply captivating.

Born in a village on the island of Santiago, in Cape Verde, Tcheka has created a unique and refined style, which encompasses a great number of influences. Whilst paying tribute to numerous genres of Cape-Verdean music (batuku, funaná, finason, tabanka, morna et coladera), Tcheka's music is also influenced by Brazilian and African pop, and traditional forms such as folk, jazz, blues, jazz, pop, rock, as well as literature, anthropology and cinema.

Tcheka will release a 5th album in 2017, with tracks that highlight his inimitable style and his extraordinary mastery of both guitar and vocals.

Website: http://tchekamusic.com 

CATERERS
A Taste of Africa

Le Village Traiteur
Franco-African Cuisine

In 2015, a group of friends, with a love for Fusion cuisine and the art of entertaining, decided to found Le Village Traiteur. An events caterer, Le Village Traiteur offers meals that effortlessly combine the best of french gastronomy with the flair and diversity of African cuisine. 

Black Spoon
African Food Truck

Black Spoon is a food truck service offering traditional African dishes. They try to convey the African sense of openness through their service by exploring the richness and diversity of African flavours. They offer Halal meat and their products are organically sourced as often as possible. 

​They also offer a grocery service, with a range of 'Moriba' products, such as chocolates, coffee, spices, juice, etc. 

 
 
 
 
Chinese, Simplified