With Gathering Tables, she invites guests from a wide variety of backgrounds to come together for exceptional dinners, where differences are erased to make way for sharing. The next edition in Paris will featureHélène Darroze, also a KEDGE graduate, a symbol of excellence and the alumni network.

Before embarking on her entrepreneurial adventure, Cassandra built up a solid background in international trade. After graduating with a bachelor's degree specializing in the import-export zone, she opened up to the world thanks to an exchange program at Seneca College in Toronto, followed by an internship in Singapore, where she supported the development of French agri-food companies in Asia.

She then joined KEDGE Business School for the Master of International Business (MIB), an international course that gave her a global vision of business issues and exposed her to passionate professional speakers. She completed her training with an internship at Pierre Fabre, in the Latin America Export Division, before leaving to travel in Australia.

Her first position as Export Manager then took her to London for a VIE, before she was recruited by Revol Porcelaine to create and manage the British and Irish subsidiary. In three and a half years, she doubled the company's sales and built up a solid network of upscale hotels and restaurants. Today, this network is an invaluable asset for the development of Gathering Tables.

"Each stage of my career has enabled me to broaden my horizons and combine a passion for international business, a solid network and a commitment to concrete projects."

At KEDGE, Cassandra is part of a graduating class made up of students from the four corners of the globe: Russia, Iran, Africa, Europe... This cultural diversity has had a profound impact on her and has nurtured her international vision.

The school also gave her access to a powerful network, enabling her to meet professionals and explore different professions. These encounters inspired her to launch Gathering Tables, a project focused on human connection.

She also remembers a quote, printed on a school T-shirt, that stayed with her for a long time: "Putting people at the center means putting them everywhere."

A mantra that resonates today in the DNA of Gathering Tables.

"Kedge taught me that wealth comes from encounters: it's by bringing together different backgrounds that we build the most meaningful projects.

It was in July 2025 that Cassandra decided to put her idea into practice, after several years of reflection. The initial observation was simple: in both large metropolises and medium-sized towns, isolation is on the increase. Gathering Tables proposes to respond to this by bringing people together around a gastronomic meal, whatever their age, origin or professional background.

The concept is based on a founding principle: bringing people together rather than dividing them. Thanks to its network of chefs and hoteliers, Cassandra organizes dinners that bring together a variety of profiles, in a gastronomic setting that facilitates exchange and conviviality.

In less than two months, four editions have already taken place in London, New York and Dublin. The next event will take place on October 16 in Paris, for an exceptional dinner at the Joia restaurant by Hélène Darroze, a symbol of French gastronomic excellence and values shared with Cassandra.

"Around a table, differences fade away: all that remains is meeting, sharing and inspiring stories."

This Parisian dinner has a special symbolic significance. By bringing together two Kedgeuses, Cassandra Leduc and Hélène Darroze, around the same project, it highlights the strength of the network and the power of encounters.

Cassandra tells us that this partnership was born by chance, during a trip to the United States where she met Hélène Darroze's childhood friend. This chance meeting turned into a collaboration, and the Paris dinner became a reality.

"This dinner is much more than a meal: it's a celebration of diversity and the magic of human connections."

The Gathering Tables adventure is just beginning. Cassandra's ambition is clear: to continue developing the concept internationally, multiplying the destinations and offering more and more people the chance to enjoy these unique experiences.

With successful editions already held in London, New York, Dublin and soon Paris, the project is part of an international dynamic. At each dinner, a wide range of profiles gather around the same table to share much more than just a meal.

"Gathering Table is being rolled out in several phases to grow internationally and create unprecedented connections between talents and cultures."

"First: dare to put your ideas on paper, ask yourself what's fair and ethical, then get started. If your driving force is people and social ties, don't wait: every little step counts.

My own experience has taught me that before creating something, it's useful to learn, to get involved and to test things out. I've worked in companies, volunteered, observed and listened to our world at every opportunity. Every day is an opportunity to learn something new, every encounter is not there for nothing and failures are part of life. These experiences feed my project today.

Secondly, don't be afraid of criticism: it's inevitable. The most important thing is to be surrounded by professional, caring people, so that you can stay true to your values. If you act from the heart and with respect for others, you'll be able to move mountains.

Finally, believe in the impossible. When I was told that it would be utopian to bring together around the same table an Iranian, an American, a Russian and a Ukrainian, I replied: "That's precisely the point." To bring people together where politics divides, to create links where others build walls.

At the end of the day, we're all human. We breathe, we love, we share the same emotions. So, if you want to be an entrepreneur, do it to build meaning, to serve a community, and above all... to be happy.

Gathering Table is an example of this: bringing people of different nationalities, ages and professions together around a table, where the world tends to divide."

"Throw yourself into a meaningful project, give back to a community and create a bond: the rest will naturally follow."