Interview of Antoine MICHE, Founder & CEO of Football Ecologie France / CEO of myKamie

Why did you choose to study at TBS Education a few years ago? 

Beyond falling in love with the city, the atmosphere and the rankings, I had the choice between schools that had more or less anchored Sustainable Development and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in their pedagogical objectives and their operation. In particular, I had noticed the "Sustainable business" Master in 3ᵉ year at TBS Education. Everything was thus gathered for this school to offer me a beautiful academic, associative and entrepreneurial course.

So I chose TBS Education in 2004, at the time the ESC Toulouse, because I wanted to instil these subjects as much towards the students, the associations as towards the Management of the School and its teachers. I was not disappointed, since with some student friends, we created the Sustainable Development Office (B3D), then the National Sustainable Development Conference (ANEDD). The school moved forward and quickly set up a CSR committee, then the TBS Education Foundation supported more and more this type of project. The next logical step was for the school to become avant-garde by becoming a "company with a mission".

How did the National Sustainable Development Conference (ANEDD) come about, financed in part by the TBS Education Foundation and of which you are the founder? 

After the creation of the B3D in 2006, the ANEDD was born with the idea of having a strong annual anchor point on CSR for all the stakeholders of the School. Anchor points are milestones and a guarantee of continuous improvement.

In order to succeed, the first editions organised by the students had to be successful, so that the School would gradually take hold of the event as an anchor point. This was confirmed by the progress made by the School over the last 16 years, by the students and by its partners on the theme of RSE.

The success of the first two editions also led to the creation in October 2007 of the French Network of Students for Sustainable Development (REFEDD, now RESES) so that university and school student associations working for sustainable development could join together in a national network. 

The moral and financial support of the TBS Education Foundation has been crucial in the influence and progress of the ANEDD, a bit like a long-term and trusted partner who ensures the qualitative and visionary development of an innovative project. With hindsight, I would like to warmly thank all those from the Foundation and the School who believed in this rather crazy project and who now regularly return to it.

What benefits do participants get from this event to raise awareness of the challenges of the ecological and societal transition?

The ANEDD is a time for reflection, personal and collective questioning, learning and motivation. There are conferences, the competition, practical workshops and many informal exchanges. Whether you are a company, an alumni, a student, a professor or other, everyone comes to find what they want, and even more so with such a rich and varied programme! Students will be looking to learn how to shape their professional career and to be inspired by entrepreneurial projects, alumni will be looking to inspire participants and support promising initiatives.  

What is certain is that the meetings between participants and the gathering of the projects presented give a real boost of energy, faith and desire to act. Then, collaborations and synergies are made by themselves between participants to invent the society of tomorrow, in connection with the planetary limits and social justice.

Why is it interesting for a company to become a partner of such an event?

A company that supports such an event acquires a partnership in which the dominant theme is CSR, i.e. an official commitment to the social and environmental issues facing our society. Beyond the image gain, this commitment is coupled with a proximity to the students, particularly those who are most focused on inventing the fair and sustainable world of tomorrow. There are therefore employer brand issues at stake, since companies are necessarily looking for talent that will be able to reinvent socio-economic models and therefore business models.

What role do you think a foundation should play for its school and its alumni network?

In my opinion, a Foundation is an essential body for collecting and supporting the school's strategy, its partners, and its students. It therefore seeks funds to direct them towards future projects, without forgetting to facilitate the treatment of social issues of a school (diversity, equal opportunities, etc.). It is therefore a tool for incubating the strategy and thus the success of the School and its students.

In fact, supporting the TBS Education Foundation means supporting the success of the School, its students, and the projects that feed the evolution of our society and the economic players. The stronger a foundation is, the more the vision carried by the school is realized and benefits the actors concerned, including the students and the economic partners. A TBS Education alumni, whatever his position in the economy and society, has every interest in supporting the Foundation to accelerate the development of the School and improve society.