Let's put an end to preconceived ideas. Entrepreneurship is not the prerogative of a certain public, reserved for an elite. In neighborhoods where unemployment is twice as high as the average, it has managed to carve out a place for itself over the past 20 years. As a vehicle for wealth creation, democratizing access to it has also made it possible to combat social inequalities. A true breeding ground for ideas and talent, the neighborhoods are now writing entrepreneurial success stories that are changing the image of these areas.
"Today, it is quite tricky for an investor to think that he will finance a start-up in Seine-Saint-Denis," says Romain Jullien, head of the La Courneuve incubator. He left his job at a Parisian incubator to dedicate himself to creating value in the 93. Surrounded by the high buildings of the Cité des 4 000, the incubator was launched in 2005 by the association La Miel and the Plaine Commune Territory. "It aims to revive the neighborhood economically. Since its creation, 120 projects have been in residence there," adds Romain Jullien. When a company wants to join, we analyze its social and economic potential, i.e. its ability to create jobs in the area." Entrepreneurs can stay there for six years. At the end of their stay, they are encouraged to set up shop nearby to create immediate wealth. Here, half of the profiles come from the surrounding area, the others from elsewhere. 80% have a 5-year degree. A recruitment committee ensures this balance in order to promote the diversity of projects.
More than just social
In the "Atlas of Territorial Inequalities" published in 2019, La Courneuve has unemployment rates of 27% and poverty of 43%. The same year that the incubator was created, an 11-year-old was killed by a stray bullet, surrounded by these same large housing bars. A few days later, the president at the time, Nicolas Sarkozy, declared: "We are going to give useful means. [...] I will put in the manpower we need, but we will clean up the Cité des 4 000 with the Kärcher."
In tandem with political and police responses, the business community is considering exploring other solutions, as testified by Initiative France President Guillaume Pepy: "We can no longer enter these areas with a purely social perspective. It is economic development that can improve the quality of life of its inhabitants and reduce poverty. In the neighborhoods, starting a business often means creating a job, becoming your own boss and affirming your success." Value creation that makes sense to those on the ground... "There is a potential to extend incubator projects on the territory, because the share of entrepreneurs is growing in the population. In addition, our action in the neighborhoods helps change mentalities," adds Romain Jullien.
Male hand making a pile of eggs isolated on a white background. Balance concept.
In the same vein, Sophie Jalabert, General Delegate of BGE, goes even further: "Neighborhoods are a breeding ground for ideas with strong entrepreneurial potential." In the Bpifrance/Usbek&Rica special publication "Concours Talents des Cités", the authors highlight the economic and historical aspect of these territories: "With the end of the Thirty Glorious, they are home to the first population of unemployed. [...] Despite this, they remain outside the scope of economic development. Still too much perceived as labor territories, it is the increase in real estate prices that will push companies to settle there and develop economic activity."
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