This is the detailed program of the Alumni Days. This page is being updated as the various events are being finalized. Tickets are required to participate to the Alumni Days and open registration for each event on the program.
To get your ticket for the event, visit this page. Depending on your availability, you can attend only some of the events.
Here is the synopsis of the event, scroll below for the details!
| Thursday | Friday | Saturday | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | Newlab (includes lunch) Dtech Lab @ Fashion Institute of Technology |
Final Round of Startup Challenge (includes lunch) | Governor Island |
| Afternoon | United Nations visit | Keynote, panels and fireside chats on thought provoking topics | Tenement Museum |
| Evening | Social hour | Cocktail hour |
Thursday October 17, 2024
While the jury is grilling the 3 teams of students on their business idea, Alumni and other participants or speakers are invited to discover some exciting facilities in the New York City area at the juncture of engineering, research and entrepreneurship. Several options are proposed and registration will be required for each as we have capacity constraints and security requirements to access the venues.
Registration will be available only to ticket holders. To get your ticket for the event, visit this page.
| Start Time | End Time | Event Name | Event Description | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9:30 AM | 11:00 AM | Fashion Institute of Technology: D-Tech Lab visit | The FIT is hosting a tour of their ground-breaking lab at the confluence of fashion, design and engineering where new kinds of clothing are made. After a presentation of the program, the visitors will have an opportunity to discover the unique equipment and testing facilities at the FIT. Capacity is limited to 10 spots – take your ticket early if you want to chance to visit this lab! The executive director of the lab Michael Ferraro will present the lab and take questions. The visitors will then have an opportunity to see the 3D scanner at the heart of the lab. | Click |
| 10:00 AM | 2:00 PM | Newlab visit | Newlab is welcoming us for an exciting opportunity to discover this unique place for startups to get support and access to equipment to accelerate their prototyping. Newlab is focused on sustainable development and healthcare-related ideas. Alumni will have the opportunity to meet and interact with up to 9 startups from the Newlab ecosystem, learning more about their product, business plans and challenges. Prototype demonstrations are on the menu. This event includes a networking lunch during which Newlab will present its mission. | Click |
| 3:00 PM | 4:30 PM | United Nations | New York is a unique place as it is hosting the United Nations. A group visit is proposed for those who have not yet seen the place where some of the most consequential conversations happen. | Click |
| 5:00 PM | 7:00 PM | Social Hour | At the end of the day, come and share your experience with your fellow alumni and other participants around a couple of drinks! This is open to all alumni irrespective of registration to the event. This will take place at the Wheeltapper Pub. | Click |
Friday October 18, 2024
The morning event is intended to be broadcasted in each Ecole Centrale for students to get exposure to this event in spite of the distance.
All events are held at the Microsoft Offices at 122 Fifth Avenue. Registration will be required for the event for ticket holders as we have limited capacity and security requirements to access the venue. To get your ticket for the event, visit this page.
| Start Time | End Time | Event | Event Description | Speaker(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8:30 AM | 9:15 AM | Welcome and school updates | Each of the 5 Ecole Centrale and Alumni associations will provide an short overview of their strategic outlook and main events over the past 12 months for the alumni community to get a glimpse on what has recently changed for their alma mater. | Representatives of each Ecole / Alumni Association. |
| 9:20 AM | 10:00 AM | Leadership lessons from sailing around the world | Henry Gazay sailed around the world on his own sailing boat, after selling the company he founded as a student in Centrale. Reflecting on his experience as captain of his ship and comparing it to his career as an entrepreneur, Henry will offer insights to the leaders in the room on making difficult decisions with scarce information, managing limited resources, charting the path to reach objectives and other aspects that cross over between a circumnavigating sailor and a globetrotting entrepreneur. | Henry Gazay (ECL 91), Angel Investor |
| 10:15 AM | 12:00 PM | Pitch Grand Slam | This is it! The final pitch for each team in front of the alumni gathered for the occasion who will decide how their allocate their virtual capital and, as a result, rank the 3 ideas. Alumni in the room will have an opportunity to ask questions of each team. Prizes will then be awarded by the sponsors. | Startup Teams |
| 12:00 PM | 1:00 PM | Networking | Lunch | All Present |
| 1:00 PM | 1:40 PM | Fireside Chat | Drug development cycle: unprecedented changes are coming! |
|
| 1:45 PM | 2:30 PM | Panel Discussion | What could be the impact of Artificial Intelligence on university-level and professional education? | Panelists:
Moderator: Delphine Wermeister-Levert Commercial Manager at Cirium |
| 2:35 PM | 3:15 PM | Fireside Chat | Another angle to diversity: neurodiversity. Lessons from building a global capability in a for-profit environment and why this will matter even more in the future. | Speaker: Hiren Shukla, Automation & Innovation / Neuro-Diverse Center of Excellence Leader, EY Sparring Partner: Sylvie Giret, CEO of Café Joyeux US |
| 3:15PM | 3:30 PM | Break | ||
| 3:30 PM | 4:10 PM | Panel Discussion | What does it take to successfully scale in the US? | Panelists:
Moderator: Sandrine Mottin, Partner at PwC, Digital and Technology Innovation |
| 4:15 PM | 5:00 PM | Fireside Chat | How is the traditional mission of international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund and the United Nations evolving due to climate change? | Speaker: Farah Gheriss – Deputy Chief Office of Innovation and Change, International Monetary Fund Sparring Partner: Jean-Christian Jung, Managing Partner at Global Sustainable Future (GSF) |
| 5:15 PM | 7:30 PM | Happy Hour | Meet our panelists and your fellow alumni for an informal and relaxed conversation in a local bar. This will be held at LS Social, right next door to the Microsoft offices hosting our event. | Click |
Saturday October 19, 2024
This day is dedicated to more informal interactions. Registration will be required for the event for ticket holders. To get your ticket for the event, visit this page.
| Start Time | End Time | Event | Description | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9:45 AM | 11:45 AM | Governor Island | Take the ferry to Governor Island and enjoy one of the best views of lower Manhattan in addition to the opportunity to discover unique exhibits on the island. | Click |
| 12:00 PM | 1:30 PM | Brunch | Enjoy this typically New York moment with fellow alumni. | Industry Kitchen |
| 2:00 PM | 4:00 PM | Tenement Museum | Go back in time to see New York through historically recreated homes of immigrants, migrants and refugees. Discover their stories in two historic tenements. Visitors explore the homes of diverse families with roots all over the world, who lived in New York City between the 1860s and the 1980s. Interactive guided tours of the buildings and the iconic Lower East Side neighborhood are offered. | Click |