Entrepreneurship

Student Entrepreneurship at ICN Business School

At ICN Business School, entrepreneurship is a priority. It’s possible to use your studies as an opportunity to start your own business! Throughout your time here, the school supports you in your entrepreneurial endeavors. You’ll receive genuine support from the very beginning by joining the ICN Entrepreneurs program.

What is ICN Entrepreneurs? It is a free, personalized support program established by ICN to inspire students to become entrepreneurs and foster an entrepreneurial culture, from structuring nascent ideas (ideation) to delivering initial services.

The program’s goal is to foster a spirit of initiative and develop students’ entrepreneurial skills, while providing a supportive environment that is compatible with their academic journey. The focus is on experimentation, learning by doing, and promoting student initiatives.

Entrepreneurship at ICN meets the demands for agility and cross-functionality, while offering a genuine hands-on approach—one of the School’s key success factors for many years. Thanks to its unique partnership with the Lorraine entrepreneurship hub, every student across the three campuses can be supported, guided and challenged. This programme can be chosen by students at the beginning or midway through their studies, whether in the Bachelor, PGE or MSc programmes. It is even available within the Executive MBA, as this support is fully adaptable to both academic schedules and time spent in a company (internship or apprenticeship).

The programme also addresses current trends in business creation, such as freelancing and business takeovers.

Learn about the ICN Entrepreneurs Programme

At ICN, the entrepreneurial experience is designed to be accessible and practical. Students develop skills that complement their academic studies while bringing their ideas and projects to life.

Find out more

Spotlight on PEEL, France's leading university entrepreneurship hub

The Lorraine Student Entrepreneurship Hub (PEEL) supports you throughout your entrepreneurial journey. No matter what your project is, what year you’re in, which campus you attend, or what time of year it is, PEEL adapts to your needs.

This program offers a high degree of flexibility. At every stage, you receive personalized support tailored to your specific needs. PEEL also helps you obtain the National Student Entrepreneur Status (SNEE).

You become part of a broad network of professional and institutional partners, which is essential for developing your project. Thanks to PEEL, your entrepreneurial project gains structure, visibility, and effectiveness.

The Entrepreneurship Award

Every year, the ICN Endowment Fund hosts a major gala dedicated to student entrepreneurship. The event takes place on the Paris La Défense campus, at the heart of Europe’s leading economic hub. It is a symbolic venue for celebrating our students’ boldness and entrepreneurial spirit.

This year, four student entrepreneurs were honored. Among them is Léo BRICE, a first-year student in Master in Management. He is currently taking a gap year to focus on developing his project.

And this project is moving quickly. It already has two employees and is generating revenue! Léo shares his journey with sincerity:

“Since I was 15, I’ve launched numerous entrepreneurial projects. Not all of them were successful.
These failures never held me back. On the contrary, they strengthened my resilience. For me, it’s all part of the learning process. By entering the Entrepreneurship Award at ICN, I wanted to show that these lessons lead to success. That’s exactly what happened. I’m very happy because, beyond the project itself, it’s my perseverance and self-confidence that have been rewarded.”

His story perfectly embodies the values of entrepreneurship at ICN: commitment, resilience, and ambition.

Meet our partners

At ICN Business School, we are fortunate to have two entrepreneurship enthusiasts who are dedicated to bringing your business projects to life. Meet them!

GEGONNE David

Professor and Director of Student Support at ICN - Executive Director of Grand Nancy Innovation

LE BRETON Erwan

Entrepreneurship Coordinator at ICN

I support the development of innovative companies and local public policies, drawing on my expertise in research, innovation, and economic development. Since 2019, as the entrepreneurship advisor at ICN, I have been supporting the creation and growth of student projects, guiding each student-entrepreneur along their journey.

GEGONNE David

Professor and Director of Student Support at ICN - Executive Director of Grand Nancy Innovation

I provide personalized support at every stage, while fostering and promoting the campus’s entrepreneurial ecosystem through dedicated events and initiatives. My role also involves directing students to the right contacts and helping to cultivate a genuine culture of initiative and creativity within ICN.