Geneviève Bégin receives the Émérite Fondation Desjardins scholarship from the AMBAQ
June 10, 2015
Geneviève Bégin, an HEC Montréal MBA graduate since September 2014, has won the $5,000 2015 Émérite Fondation Desjardins scholarship from the Association des MBA du Québec (AMBAQ). For 12 years now, this scholarship program has been rewarding academic success and identifying MBA graduates from each Quebec university offering the program who best demonstrate the array of skills and qualities required today for effective business management.
Geneviève holds a Master’s degree in Arts and Visual Communication (cum laude) from the Institut d’Arts Visuels d’Orléans (France) and a Bachelor’s degree in Arts and Design – Graphic Design, from the Université du Québec en Outaouais. It’s an unusual career path for an MBA graduate, combining artistic creativity and discipline.
She was very busy during her studies. Between a case competition, founding the Comité de microfinance HEC Montréal, a Campus international stay in Colombia and several other commitments, she managed to stand out thanks both to her academic performance and her unique personality. “I was the outsider who rallied everyone to a cause and sparked discussions by questioning conventional wisdom,” she says. “I even developed my personal ‘brand’ as a ‘Colourful Leader’ during an MBA workshop, and my fellow students supported and recognized me in this unique role. Today I don’t have an employer – I’m an entrepreneur. A social entrepreneur. I’ve been working for a long time to shape tomorrow’s society, but with my new MBA tools I can put my business intuition into words and communicate it. Now I can transform my creativity into concrete solutions.”
Her business – PopupCamp, a turnkey childcare centre for special events – kicked off in October 2014, at the Startup Weekend Women Montreal, when her team took third prize from the jury and the people’s choice award. Three months later, Geneviève and another member of the team carried out two tests in the field and incorporated their business as a privately-held company. Their first PopupCamp was held in March 2015 at SOCENT, an event for social entrepreneurs. Their customer list has grown since then. They are looking to become an essential solution for juggling work, family and relaxation time for all event organizers in Quebec by 2019, and for all parents in North America by 2025. We wish them lots of success!