INTERVIEW 💬
1️⃣ To start, tell us about your academic background: what did you study at KEDGE and before joining the school?

Before joining the MAI program at KEDGE, I worked as a sales manager for products and visuals in event and communication agencies. It was B2B work at professional trade shows like Maison & Objet. The environment was international, and I had studied business. In 2005, I joined KEDGE and earned a Master’s degree in Purchasing.

INTERNATIONAL PURCHASING & INNOVATION MANAGEMENT

2️⃣ Tell us about your career after graduation: what roles did you hold, and what did you learn from them?

I worked as a buyer for large corporations in France and abroad. My unique strength is having dual expertise in purchasing and sales, which gave me a global business perspective. I gained experience in purchasing both services and products, always working in project mode and in international contexts. The purchasing categories I worked on included: food and medical products, FM/multi-service management, vehicle fleets, construction materials, intellectual and service-based offerings, travel, hotels, payment cards, air and rail transport, events, and implementing new purchasing methods within organizations.

3️⃣ What is your current project/situation? What inspired you to do what you're doing today?

Driven by passion, I transitioned into the arts. For several years, I took evening classes in drawing, painting, and sculpture at the Bordeaux School of Fine Arts and in the studio of artist Jean Michel Charpentier. Following these hands-on experiences, I returned to university at Montaigne to deepen my practical and theoretical knowledge of art. I earned a Bachelor's degree, a Master’s in Art, and I’m now in my third year of doctoral research at the Bordeaux graduate school.

In parallel, I also earned a Law degree from Bordeaux Montesquieu University and completed an internship at an auction house with the goal of taking the auctioneer exam.

Currently, I’m the founder of an ambitious and innovative project: launching an online art platform called Art Interactivities. The name reflects the interconnected nature of art today.

The art market is evolving with new technologies — everything is faster and more connected. This type of platform meets current needs. People lack time, and the advantage of digital is that clients can shop anytime, anywhere.

The AI platform will allow art lovers, experts, and professionals to buy and sell unique, authentic artworks. The project is led by the Art Interactivities team, which combines theoretical and practical knowledge of art. We noticed that most existing platforms are run by finance professionals or tech graduates, not by people from the art world.

Thanks to my unique background, I bring dual expertise in business and art. We believe it’s essential to bring passion and realism into the globalized art world. The AI team is made up of diverse, unconventional profiles who share a love for visual and plastic arts.

ART INTERACTIVITIES

4️⃣ What are your development goals for the future?

We want to launch the project in France and abroad. Our short-term goal is to establish the platform in the French art scene, then expand internationally (U.S., Asia, Middle East). The ultimate goal is to become a leading reference site in the art world.

To succeed, we need capital to support the company’s growth. We’re starting with a fundraising campaign on ULULE, targeting supportive and passionate art investors. Later, we plan to bring in other experts: legal advisors, logistics providers, financial analysts, tax specialists, art experts, etc.

Two years ago, I created a private Facebook group for artists — we call it “the circle” — where we share and exchange knowledge. The ULULE campaign is now live to raise awareness and funds to launch the online art platform in 2020.

ULULE

5️⃣ How did your education at KEDGE Business School help you become who you are today, and how did it support your project’s development?

The degree provided strong management skills and solid expertise in purchasing techniques within an international environment. I also gained experience as a buyer of services and products in both French and international contexts. These roles helped me understand the business world from A to Z and inspired me to start my own venture — combining my passion for art with my professional life.

KEDGE BUSINESS SCHOOL

6️⃣ If you had one piece of advice for KEDGE graduates who want to follow a similar path, what would it be?

My advice to KEDGE graduates is to diversify your professional experiences, go abroad, read, dare to think differently, and be visionary. Stay curious, open-minded, and above all, be yourself.

My unconventional journey — rich in travel, theoretical and practical knowledge in both business and art — gave me strong adaptability and the drive to create my own project.

7️⃣ Astrid, anything else you’d like to add?

In 2020, we’re launching the online art platform. To succeed, we’re running a fundraising campaign on ULULE.

Why support us?

• Because everyone knows a friend, family member, or artist who struggles to gain visibility, sell their work, or make a living from their art — or who only shares their work within a small circle.
• Because we strongly believe in democratizing artistic culture and offering guidance in this field.
• Because we want to showcase artworks online and facilitate exchanges and acquisitions between artists and buyers worldwide.
• Because we aim to become the leading digital platform in the arts.

Feel free to support this innovative adventure by becoming a patron — you can contribute to our fundraising campaign or make a donation. Every contribution will receive a personalized reward.