TEAM & PARTNERS

The Bench was founded in 2023 at the initiative of Christophe Gerschel, Director of the Master’s program in Mergers & Acquisitions at Université Évry Paris-Saclay, together with a team of students driven by a strong entrepreneurial mindset.
Since then, The Bench has welcomed each year women and men who share a common commitment and values, united by the same passion for meaningful innovation serving environmental preservation, collective well-being, and the pursuit of a more desirable future.
At the end of 2025, the arrival of 11 new partners marked a key milestone in The Bench’s development, further strengthening its mission to support the next generation of purpose-driven entrepreneurs.

Christophe GERSCHEL

Founding Partner

Christophe is Director of the Master’s program in Mergers & Acquisitions at Université Évry Paris-Saclay and Founding Partner of the law firm Alérion.

Committed to fostering a fertile environment for the next generation of entrepreneurs within the University, he initiated the creation of The Bench Incubator.

He began his career as a Tax Inspector (1989–1994) before joining the law firm Bignon Lebray.

A graduate of the Institut d’Études Politiques de Toulouse, he holds a PhD in Law from Paris I University and a postgraduate degree (DEA) in Business Law from the same institution.

He served as a member of the entrance examination jury for the École Nationale d’Administration (ENA) and as a member of the supervisory commission of professional championships within the National Directorate of Management Control of the French Professional Football League for nearly ten years.

Beyond his interest in startups, he is actively engaged in volunteer work, particularly in projects dedicated to biodiversity protection. He is the founder of the NGO Green Sanctuaries, which works to protect endangered remarkable forests around the world.

Antoine JOUANNAUD

Entrepreneurship Project Officer

Antoine began his career with immersive experiences in organizations facing diverse challenges, ranging from facilities management at STMicroelectronics to HR support at EF Education First. This early operational versatility enabled him to master the fundamentals of organizational structure and internal communication.

Driven by a strong entrepreneurial mindset, he simultaneously became involved in student and community initiatives, emerging as one of the founding members of Start in Sceaux. It was through this experience that he discovered The Bench, which he joined as part of the third cohort of the Aventurine program in 2025.

Building on this experience, he officially joined The Bench in April 2026 as an Entrepreneurship Project Manager. Within this committed ecosystem, he now supports impact-driven entrepreneurs, actively contributing to pre-incubation and incubation programs aimed at turning societal challenges into tangible opportunities. Recognized for his intellectual curiosity and his ability to navigate rapidly evolving environments, Antoine leverages the principles of sustainable innovation and human-centered support to successfully carry out his missions and foster the growth of the entrepreneurs he works with.

Philippe Février

Partner CEO & Founder of Veltys

Following an academic career, Philippe founded Veltys, a firm that supports companies in leveraging data and artificial intelligence for strategic and operational decision-making. He also founded Altermind Economics, which advises companies in proceedings before competition authorities and business courts.

Philippe Février is a graduate of École Polytechnique and ENSAE, and holds a PhD in Industrial Economics from EHESS.

He is currently a member of CREST (Center for Research in Economics and Statistics) and serves as an adjunct professor at École Polytechnique and ENSAE. He is also a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of GENES.

Université Evry Paris-Saclay

Partner

As an associate member of Université Paris-Saclay, Université d’Évry fully leverages its strengths at the heart of an ecosystem that accounts for 15% of French research output and competes with the world’s leading universities.
It contributes dynamic resources – 12,000 students, 450 faculty members and researchers, 425 engineering and administrative staff, and 18 research laboratories – along with an ambitious project to advance the development of a genomics-driven industry serving humanity and society. This initiative is pursued alongside its Evry-based partners, including Genopole, and supported by leading research and educational capabilities in robotics and control systems, applied mathematics, finance, sociology of work, contemporary history, and musicology.

Master’s and doctoral students (and soon undergraduate students) benefit from the academic excellence of some of the most prestigious higher education institutions in the southern Paris region.

Jonathan CHANTEUX

President – Partner

Jonathan began his career in international event management before gradually moving into Executive Education, working with prestigious institutions such as INSEAD and ESSEC.

For the past 12 years, he has specialized in designing and delivering customized training programs, covering everything from pedagogical design to operational implementation and commercialization.

His professional experience has allowed him to support a wide range of organizations, from large corporations to family-owned SMEs and individual entrepreneurs, while operating in culturally rich and diverse international environments.

Dedicated to the professional and personal development of students and executives, this passion drives him to thrive in intellectually stimulating and varied environments. Colleagues often describe him as possessing the energy and vision to move mountains and open new perspectives through an entrepreneurial mindset and innovative ideas.

A true team player, Jonathan prioritizes the well-being and development of his teams, placing people at the heart of his leadership approach.

Corinne COLSON LAFON

Partner CEO & Founder of Naama

Corinne is the daughter of a farmer, born in the Yonne region of France, an origin to which she remains deeply attached and which continues to inspire her personal commitments.

A graduate of École Centrale Paris (1991) and holder of an MBA completed in the United States (1996), she began her career within the Gaz de France / Engie Group, working in the energy sector before moving into Facility Management.

In 2008, she founded STEAM’O from scratch, a company specializing in Facility Management. In parallel, in 2009, she co-founded Kid’sUp, a company specializing in inter-company childcare centers, which she co-led until 2018.

In 2019, she integrated STEAM’O into an industrial group, which she left in mid-2021 to immediately launch NAAMA at the end of 2021, alongside Christophe Gerschel.

Naama, a coworking and hospitality management operator within major corporate office buildings, is a mission-driven company, with environmental preservation as one of its core pillars, naturally leading her to take an interest in Green Sanctuaries.

Corinne is highly active in various associations. She is a member of Club APM Paris, a business angel, and a partner in the 50 Partners Impact fund.

SOFIPAG

Partner – Family Office

We are a family-owned business with over 60 years of experience, historically rooted in the construction sector. Driven by a taste for challenge and a strong entrepreneurial DNA, we have gradually diversified our activities beyond our core business, notably by developing an investment platform. We are deeply committed to supporting purpose-driven projects with ecological, social, and human impact, ventures that are resolutely future-oriented. What drives us is the desire to bring energy, share our vision, support meaningful initiatives, and connect with those who are shaping change.

Capucine DUROT

Entrepreneurial Projects Manager

Capucine Durot began her career at Cegid, where she played a central role in the creation, development, and management of an acceleration program. As Program Manager, she oversaw the entire initiative, from startup sourcing and operational support to coordinating a network of mentors, managing ecosystem partnerships, and organizing around thirty major events.

Building on this experience at the intersection of innovation, strategic management, and ecosystem development, she joined The Bench in 2025 to lead its flagship support programs (Aventurine, Amazonite, and Emeraude), designed to nurture high-impact entrepreneurial projects from ideation through acceleration.

Alongside her professional career, she competes at the highest level in sport as a member of the French national Viet Vo Dao team. A multiple-time French champion and world medalist in the discipline, she brings the values of rigor, commitment, resilience, and collective performance to every mission she undertakes.

Richard de Palmas

Partner

Richard is an early-stage investor and experienced operator, with nearly 20 years of experience in developing, structuring, and turning around companies, particularly in the Food & Beverage and consumer goods sectors.

As a leader of SMEs and international scale-ups, he supports founders on go-to-market strategy, operational structuring, governance, and scaling readiness, combining a pragmatic execution mindset with strong strategic vision.

He serves on The Bench Advisory Committee, where he brings an investor-operator perspective on sustainable value creation and long-term growth trajectories for early-stage ventures.

Sébastien Videment

Sébastien Videment

Partner CEO & Founder of Meritis

After completing a preparatory program in Nice and graduating from the Arts et Métiers Institute of Technology (ENSAM) in 2003, Sébastien began his career in Paris at an IT consulting firm as a Business Development Engineer.
He gradually advanced to the positions of Branch Manager and later Agency Director.

In 2007, driven by a strong conviction and a clear vision of the consulting market, Sébastien founded Meritis. Since then, he has led the company’s long-term growth, guided by a commitment to excellence and strong values, always focused on delivering outstanding satisfaction to both clients and employees.

INNOVATION VERTICAL leads

Open to innovation in all its forms, The Bench has identified nine innovation verticals and appointed, for each of them, recognized leads selected for their sector expertise, their ability to bring together experts and potential investors around supported projects, and to advise The Bench Invest on sourcing and fundraising support.

Lionel Rigaud

CEO QbitSoft

Data, AI & Quantum Lead

With over 30 years of experience in quantum technologies, AI, data, blockchain, and information systems, Lionel is currently CEO & co-founder of QbitSoft, a French Tech 2030 award-winning startup and pioneer in Quantum-as-a-Service (QaaS).
QbitSoft democratizes access to quantum technologies through a simple and powerful SaaS platform. The algorithms implemented on the platform help companies solve complex optimization and planning problems without requiring technical expertise or specialized infrastructure.

Previously, he turned around a publicly listed company on Euronext Growth, taking its results from -€22.5M to +€1.4M in one year, with the share price quadrupling. He also co-founded and chaired Trimane, an IT services company specializing in data and AI, exceeding €10M in revenue and featuring a recognized research laboratory.

Hugues Renaut

CEO Health Care Advisory

Health Lead

With over 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry in senior roles across the globe, Hugues now leverages his expertise to support the biotech, medtech, and digital health innovation ecosystem. Through his company, Health Care Advisory, he advises startups, family offices, investment funds, and pharmaceutical companies, and supports the development of high-impact medical projects.

In parallel, Hugues invests in innovative startups that deliver real value to patients and serves on the board of Angels Santé, Europe’s leading network of health-focused business angels.

Pierre Boulet

Independent Board Member, Former CEO of Novares

Industry 4.0 Lead

From 2012 to 2025, Pierre served as CEO of Novares, an automotive supplier specializing in the design and production of plastic components and systems, employing 10,000 people across 23 countries with €1.1 billion in revenue.

Pierre holds an engineering degree from Arts et Métiers (1978), an Executive MBA from HEC (1998), and a Corporate Board Director certification from Sciences Po Paris IFA (2021).

He began his career in 1983 in the nuclear industry, founded Dicom (industrial vision engineering) in 1986, and joined Cap Gemini Sogeti in 1992. In 1994, he entered the automotive supplier sector, managing various operational divisions: wiring harnesses at Sylea, seating at Lear (2001), dashboards at Visteon (2007), and plastic systems and components at Mécaplast (2012), which became Novares in 2017.
Pierre has extensive experience in managing major crises, including successful Ad Hoc mandates in 2008–09, 2012, and 2020, as well as IPO processes (2017–18), and transformative acquisitions and integrations in 1996, 2016, and 2019.

In 2017, he also launched an investment vehicle within Novares, creating an ecosystem of innovative startups.

STUDIO 2050 VENTURES

Greentech & Energy Transition Lead

Studio 2050 is a venture studio dedicated to accelerating the energy transition and advancing responsible artificial intelligence. We partner with talented engineers, researchers, scientists, entrepreneurs, and technology transfer offices (TTOs) to transform breakthrough innovations into scalable, high-impact companies.

From early-stage inventions, patents, and prototypes to venture creation and growth, Studio 2050 provides hands-on support, investment, and commercialization expertise to de-risk technology development and unlock market opportunities. Our mission is to build ventures that create long-term value while addressing some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

Our first cohort focuses on transformative technologies in energy-efficient data centers, long-duration energy storage, smart grids and decarbonized mobility. By supporting innovations that improve resource efficiency, strengthen energy resilience, and enable responsible AI adoption, we aim to accelerate the climate transition and foster sustainable economic growth.

Working closely with universities, research institutions, corporations, and visionary founders, Studio 2050 bridges the gap between scientific discovery and commercial success, turning untapped potential into impactful businesses and attractive acquisition opportunities for industry leaders and investors.

To Be Appointed

Fintech & Insurtech Lead

To Be Appointed

AgriTech & FoodTech Lead

To Be Appointed

Education & Future of Work Lead

To Be Appointed

Smart Cities & Proptech Lead

To Be Appointed

SportTech & Smart Clothing Lead