Oh my Cream and Meet My Mama awarded by Veuve Cliquot

Juliette Lévy, founder of the Oh my Cream skincare line, Loubna Ksibi and Donia Amamra, Co-founders of Meet My Mama have respectively won the Bold Woman et Bold Future prizes, awarded by Veuve Cliquot.

Since 1972, Veuve Cliquot, the most established international prize, has rewarded over 350 successful women entrepreneurs in 27 different countries. These inspirational women all share the same mindset, determination and proactivity as the pioneer who pushed boundaries when women were not even allowed to work or open a bank account.

An unprecedented digital ceremony

Jean-Marc Gallot, CEO of the Champagne house explained why they still wanted to honor female business leaders who inspire the next generation despite the confinement because “women need role models”. The 100% digital ceremony was hosted by Sophie Fontanel, a writer and Fashion critic. 

Bold Woman Award : Juliette Lévy, founder of Oh My Cream

At 33, this eldest of three boys, mother to a 15-month old, won the highest accolade following her sparkling performances in the launch of a network of concept stores offering alternative beauty and only “clean” brands. Her products are based on organic, natural ingredients, and her cosmetic line differentiates itself from the big players by offering a more transparent, authentic, innate understanding of the use of skincare, by educating women on the composition of cosmetics.

Breaking new grounds

Fervent fan of face creams since her acne-ridden teenage days, she decided that she needed to offer a better alternative to women when she couldn’t find anything that suited her specific needs from the standard beauty products. 

Juliette went through her scholar days at Neuilly, the Lycée Pasteur and prestigious ESSEC and her experience in Finance and Management sparked no real interest in her.

Following an internship in beauty sales at Bon Marché, where she came across demanding customers who despite the most reputable brands available were on the lookout for more ‘green’ alternatives, she knew that entrepreneurship was perfect for her. Fresh out of ESSEC at 24, in 2013, the daughter of a surgeon and a real estate entrepreneur, kick-started her dream in the corner of an office in her father’s locality. Oh My Cream was born! 

Once Juliette’s concept was finalized, she went for business investors: Eutopia was the first of 15 to be interested in the new generation of brands with a mission; she raised 400,000 euros in 6 months and managed to open a store in Paris.

Seven years later, Juliette Lévy raised over 20 million euros from investors (12 million in 2019). Her 20 concept stores and e-shop, now distribute around 45 brands encompassing premium quality in their composition, eco-friendly, eco-responsible, with no harmful products. She has also launched her own cosmetic line Oh My Cream Skincare.

At the ceremony, Julliette paid tribute to her team of 100 women with whom she envisions to open 5 to 10 new shops per year, the creation of Maisons Oh My Cream and a new space which will be a shop, a café, and hammam, dedicated to a holistic approach promoting well-being, experience as well as new products, beauty tools, supplements. 

By 2021, she would like to extend her shops across the United Kingdom and the international market.

She has forged ahead a colossal market that could rake in 860 billion dollars by 2024.

Bold Future Award : Loubna Ksibi and Donia Amamra

Formerly known as the New Generation Award, The Bold Future Award was introduced in 2014 to celebrate innovative fearless entrepreneurs who brought an ethical change in the market. It rewards ventures of less than 3 years. 

Loubna Ksibi, 27, grew up in Metz dreaming of becoming a doctor but diverted to a School of Commerce after a few years into her studies. Member of the CNNUM (National Council for Digital) with a Master’s Degree in Network Industries and Digital Economy at the University of Paris Dauphine, she discovers social entrepreneurship at a conference. At 25, after declining a contract at IBM in 2017 and with the help of her two associates, she decided to continue the entrepreneurial project she took up during her studies.

Donia Amamra’s inspiration originates from her family roots, with an underprivileged childhood in Parisian suburbs, she benefitted from a government-funded program and subsequently enrolled in ESSEC in Paris, thanks to high-school partnership. Once a week she followed orientation, English and general culture courses. Her school also allowed her to get into very elite Sciences Po University. 

It is on a trip to the US, during her gap year at the University in Missouri, that she decided to volunteer in a shelter for female victims of abuse. In New Orleans, meeting a woman who had nothing but still wanted to cope with social inequalities reinforced her dream. After completing a Master’s in Public Affairs, she did volunteer work, often in Algeria and Egypt, reported on migrant’s life on Radio France International and taught them French. In order to fund her projects, she took a Junior Consultancy job at Tenzig.

Donia and Loubna, Co-founders of the start-up Meet my Mama, began this adventure in 2017: a reinvented Catering service ‘with an impact’ and a training school, the Mama Academy. Meet My Mama was born from the realization that migrant and refugee women from around the world, who possess real culinary skills, could meet the demand for Catering services. It’s objective was to professionally and socially train and inspire women who are often faced with harsh realities of poverty by eliminating the economic, language and social hurdles. Now, this platform connects a pool of 300 women to 1,500 companies and private customers. Meet My Mama also accompanies them through the professionalization process and during the growth of their independent catering ventures. 

Their meeting in 2015 while doing an internship in marketing at PwC quickly turned into friendship. Youssef Oudahman, who had already launched a project called Mama’s Kitchen, approached the Moroccan and Algerian young ladies. Together they later renamed their social enterprise. A year into this adventure, the three entrepreneurs generated over 600,000 euros without a single cent spent on communication, no investors and organized over 400 events on their own, only betting on their network. Now, they are supported by big players such as Carrefour and Accenture and collaborate with over 150 mamas, 350 customers and 55,000 foodies who have tasted the specialties originating from more than 20 countries. 

Currently based in Paris, the trio dreams of extending to the international sphere, as you will always find Mamas and customers looking for authentic cuisine anywhere in the world.

Photos : lachampagnedesophieclaeys.fr – business.lesechos.fr -journalduluxe.fr