Whether they are passing the ball on a volleyball court or making business calls on the entrepreneurial track, athletes and entrepreneurs are striving for much more than just winning the set. Our special series "Champions Journey" celebrates those who dare to dream and create with passion, discipline, resilience, and determination. Discover these champions who are shaping the future and making up our EDHEC Entrepreneurs community!

From a passionate child to a determined entrepreneur

Since her early childhood, Emilie stood out for her curiosity and open-mindedness. She loved discovering new things and investing herself in each of her activities. She tried her hand at multiple musical instruments and individual or team sports before realizing her passionate nature and desire not to be confined to a single category: "I had a burning passion within me. Since I was little, I wanted to do many different things, and entering the workforce was quite frustrating because I couldn't explore everything I wanted to and was put into a box."

So, after completing her high school diploma, she decided against specializing in communication or finance and instead pursued a master's degree in entrepreneurship. She found herself surrounded by student entrepreneurs who were already managing their own businesses, while she was working part-time. Quickly, the desire to "be like them" began to grow within her. Far from being envious of her peers, she soon realized that "entrepreneurship is a way to succeed in doing the things [she] wanted to do and to experience all the professions [she] desired." Alongside these new aspirations was the need to do something meaningful and impactful so that her "voice could also be heard."

Emilie is already demonstrating the early signs of a champion. Like great athletes, she is determined in everything she undertakes and strives to blaze new trails to express herself. If all the ingredients are there, it was during a trip to New York and a conversation with a taxi driver on the way to the airport that the magic and American-style "dream big" mentality really took hold: "He kept saying 'but you can do it,' 'it's obvious you have enormous potential'... you come out of there feeling like you can conquer the world!" The gears were officially set in motion, and Flushy emerged!

Flushy for daily commitment

It was during an international exchange that Emilie first encountered an issue that would become central to Flushy: food waste. While participating in the distribution of surplus food to students at her university, she realized the amount of food that inevitably ends up in the trash. "Upon further research, I discovered that food waste isn't just what we see at the end of the chain, but also includes fruits that don't even make it to us."

Emilie decided to launch Flushy, a solution offering household products (dishwashing liquid and cleaners) made from fruits rescued from waste — "too ugly for our plates, but too powerful to be thrown away." Her goal is to democratize environmental impact and eco-friendly practices in the daily lives of businesses, without adding additional burdens.

Just as Flushy's official launch has been announced, Emilie is already working on a new ambition: to establish their own ingredient creation chain and expand the range to offices throughout France. The objective? To become the official partner for household products among employees!

Convinced that "people have enormous power but need to have the right attitude to use it," Emilie emphasizes listening and empathy rather than taking a moralizing stance towards those who aren't doing enough. "I realized that people aren't ready to add more constraints to change their consumption habits. We live lives where we're constantly chasing time and our free time, so we want to spend it on things that bring us joy. And that's normal!"

Therefore, this champion's strength lies in her ability to listen to others and sincerely understand their individual and collective issues. Emilie adapts to all situations to push her ambitions to the top and encourage everyone to have an environmental impact on their own terms, without pointing fingers at potential shortcomings.

“I don't like to lose when I know I can win”

One defining trait of Emilie's character is her winning mindset! Whether in sports activities, team building, or the entrepreneurial scene, Emilie dislikes losing, especially when she knows she has the means to win: "I realized that to accomplish things, you have to give yourself the means to do so." She doesn't skimp or make excuses; like a seasoned athlete, she always strives to give her best to achieve her goals.

Nevertheless, she maintains a sharp awareness of her own abilities and the obstacles she may face, understanding that not everything can be perfect on the first try. This determination doesn't prevent her from stepping back when necessary and staying on the sidelines to allow her team to achieve victory: "Yes, I'm a fighter when it's for a cause I deeply believe in. And even without a victory, if my team and I gave it our all and enjoyed what we did, it's not a defeat! Now we need to draw conclusions from what happened to really win next time."

However, maintaining the motivation that drives her daily struggle for victory isn't easy. In both sports and entrepreneurship, sometimes she has to push herself or find small joys along the way: "It's very easy to let the flame die out. So, it's essential to find moments that feed it, little pleasures that make you happy."

Beyond these "pleasure" tasks that motivate her daily, Emilie relies on a steel-like mindset to bounce back after each challenge and not remain grounded. "What brings me back into the game every time is focusing on what I want to achieve. And I deeply believe in what I'm doing!" With genuine empathy towards those she encounters daily, the founder of Flushy also demonstrates a remarkable ability to self-reflect and learn from each setback.

Winning alone but fighting as a team

It's on the volleyball court that Emilie developed an unwavering team spirit. Despite initially having a low level, she managed to integrate into a team and become an essential element through hard work and determination. For her, nothing is more powerful than mental strength and self-confidence on the field because "we don't need to all be number 10s to go far. However, we do need a team that complements each other to develop everyone's skills to the fullest."