Jean-Claude CHARLET

Jean-Claude CharletA graduate of ESSEC ('89) and Stanford (MBA '98), with a Master's degree in Modern Literature from the Sorbonne ('93), Jean-Claude is an eclectic and curious entrepreneur. From teaching Small Business in Cambodian refugee camps in Thailand, to the world of publishing (Hachette, Le Seuil), to creating 3 start-ups in the field of online travel, online music (financed by Bernard Arnault) and retail, his experience is broad and varied.

His passion for education and entrepreneurship led him to launch in 2004 the program CPi (“Innovative Product Creation”), a pioneering multidisciplinary innovation and Design Thinking program in France, run jointly by ESSEC, CentraleSupélec, and Strate School of Design.

This disruptive academic program, inspired by Silicon Valley’s Design Thinking and Lean Startup methodologies, aimed to create and launch new innovative services and products for businesses.

Having changed its status to “mission-based company” in 2020, Innovation Studio, in conjunction with Schoolab, is now dedicated to developing new collaborative, hybrid, and positive impact approaches to entrepreneurship and innovation training, business consulting, project acceleration, and ecosystem and “third place” creation.