emlyon supports entrepreneurship from low-income neighborhoods off the ground
On Thursday, October 9, emlyon business school hosted the closing ceremony of the tarter Track of the “Entrepreneurs dans la Ville” program, co-founded by the School and the association Sport dans la Ville, led by Philippe Oddou (emlyon PGE 1994).
Co-founded in 2007 by Sport dans la Ville and emlyon business school, Entrepreneurs dans la Ville is a fully free program that offers entrepreneurial talents from underserved neighborhoods the opportunity to design and grow their projects through three support phases: the Starter Track (6 months), the Incubation Track (12 months), and the Acceleration Track (12 months).
Since 2007, the program has achieved:
Nearly 1,600 entrepreneurs supported,
900 businesses still operating,
A 91% survival rate after 3 years,
An average of 4.2 jobs created per company.
Focus on the Starter Track
The starter track is the first phase of the program: 200 hours over 6 months. It is designed for project leaders who want to turn an idea into a viable business. Thanks to a tailor-made academic curriculum designed by emlyon business school — combining practical workshops, mentoring, personalized coaching, and the strength of a collective— entrepreneurs structure their projects, develop their entrepreneurial vision, and lay the solid foundations for their future business. Originally created in Lyon, the track is now offered in six French cities: Lyon, Paris, Lille, Grenoble, Saint-Etienne, and Marseille.
Watch the ceremony’ aftermovie
emlyon, co-founder and national academic certification partner of the “Entrepreneurs dans la Ville” program
120 entrepreneurs from across France received their starter track completion certificates during a ceremony held at emlyon’s campus, national academic partner of the program.
You are at home here. Your success is our future. Since its creation, emlyon has been the home of entrepreneurs: it was the first French business school to launch an incubator, back in 1984.
Entrepreneurship at emlyon in numbers:
Over 40 years of emlyon venture labs,
3,000 companies created in 40 years,
Nearly 15,000 net jobs generated,
150 student projects supported last year.
The event was attended by Philippe Oddou, Co-founder and CEO of Sport dans la Ville, Naïm Khelkhal, Director of Entrepreneurs dans la Ville, along with many partners, alumni, and entrepreneurs from the program. The ceremony delivered several inspiring messages to those completing their starter track:
“Be proud to be French. France needs captains of industry, people who create global champions.” — Olivier Camino, Founder and COO of Foundever, sponsor of the class
“It’s not despite the ‘no’s that I got here — it’s because of them. Thankfully, there were also some ‘yes’s — from emlyon business school, then from Entrepreneurs dans la Ville. Believe in yourself.” — Sarah Samir, emlyon GBBA 2022, Director of l’Académie des Lauriers
Naali: from Entrepreneurs dans la Ville to hypergrowth
Naali, a Lyon-based start-up developing and marketing saffron-based dietary supplements, takes its name from the Persian word for “young shoot.” Highlighting the beauty of Afghan terroir and relying on a harvest largely carried out by women, Naali harnesses the therapeutic properties of saffron. Nadir Tayach & Abderhaman Nour Ebad, co-founders of Naali, completed the Entrepreneurs dans la Ville program from 2020 to 2022.
“We were in your place five years ago.” — Nadir Tayach & Abderhaman Nour Ebad, co-founders of Naali
The support they received helped them progress from idea to business, from growth to hypergrowth. In early 2025, Naali appears on the TV show “Who Wants to Be My Partner?” and raises €600,000 to continue its development.