Jade, student and entrepreneur, talks about her double life
My name is Jade Vanborren, I’m 22 and I’m a student in business school (Kedge) in Bordeaux. I’m doing a sandwich degree at BNP Paribas Personal Finance commitment department since September 2021 in the communication, change and philanthropy division.
Backpacker, lover of the great outdoors and passionate young entrepreneur, I created the brand Enmode-survie at the end of 2019, via a participatory financing, for an eco-responsible, practical and smart outdoor. I initiated this entrepreneurial project with my father. It’s a family adventure!
Following a gradual awareness of the major socio-environmental challenges we face and which are increasing day by day, I decided that I wanted to be a part of change and participate in the transformation of society that is taking place by conducting projects with positive impact!
With Enmode-survie, we want to be the guarantor of the tranquility of outdoor activities by offering eco-designed survival kits, made in France. This ultra-complete kit of 23 products contains one part for first aid and one with the essentials for outdoor activities.
Committed to a responsible approach, Enmode-survie gives new life to old parachute sails to design its kits.
Committed to social and local inclusion, Enmode-survie has entrusted the realization of the kits to an adapted company employing disabled people in Vierzon, France.
Each kit is a unique assembly of parachute sails and has a singular design. It is a colorful product that attracts the eye and arouses curiosity! It is ready to use and easy to carry. Thanks to the eyelet -like the ones found on parachutes- and the carabiner, you can easily hang the kits wherever you want (backpack, suitcase…).
We also want to inspire hikers and emphasis the importance of taking care of nature. We have therefore created #parolesderandonneurs. It’s about building a community around shared experiences and common values: sharing, authenticity, respect for nature and people.
I joined the business incubator of Kedge Business School where I was able to attend various workshops, have coaching sessions, meet other entrepreneurs and learn from each other’s experiences. I also joined the women’s impact collective The Wonders which offers a program of 21 challenges in 21 weeks to boost your boldness. We closed this wonderful program with a tour of France of the Social and Solidarity Economy. This was a great opportunity to promote Enmode-survie to entrepreneurs, associations, and public actors, but above all to live an extraordinary human experience.
Enmode-survie also joined the Upcycling collective gathering more than 80 French brands. This collective was initially created to brainstorm solutions to recycle the 25,000m2 of polypropylene of the work of Christo and Jeanne Claude, on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
This entrepreneurial experience is very rewarding and formative! It has allowed me to move from theory to practice, to work on all areas of a company and to develop an entrepreneurial network. It also allowed me to develop my self-confidence and to cultivate my curiosity.
I was able to use my entrepreneurial network to make connections. This was the case, for example, with The Good Goods, a startup that campaigns for responsible fashion, which we interviewed on the BNP Paribas Personal Finance Podcast On The Way de BNP Paribas Personal Finance. Moreover, the entrepreneurial spirit is increasingly sought after in the business world; Enmode-survie is a very concrete application.
Combining studies, a position at BNP Paribas and entrepreneurship is not easy and requires a lot of commitment. I work on Enmode-survie mainly in the evenings and on weekends. I have delegated part of the logistical and administrative activity to my father since the beginning of the sandwich degree. So we work in pairs.
Several of my colleagues are already customers and have given me feedback on the product or follow me on social networks (Instagram, Linkedin). Several of my colleagues are already customers and have given me feedback on the product or follow me on social networks (Instagram, Linkedin). I have had very positive feedback from them with a real interest in the brand. This is very encouraging!
I want to continue to develop the distribution network in physical and online, especially in France, Switzerland and Belgium. Moreover, we have recently established a partnership with a French brand of natural cosmetics to market a “hygiene” kit for hiking. Stay tuned, the product will be released in July!
Also, if you know people who have parachute canopies they no longer use, don’t hesitate to contact us (jade.vanborren@enmode-survie.com) to give them a second life! Receive in exchange a kit made from this canopy 😉
Finally, if you also want to share your most beautiful hike or discover the one of others, it’s here.
The kits can be found on enmode-survie.com, the kits can be found on enmode-survie.com, on the Nature & Découvertes website, Decathlon, in Entre 4 Murs stores and in your local concept stores.
