I was at a crossroads in my business — unsure which direction to take and feeling uninspired after months of stagnation. It was then that I heard about the Ye! Community through a friend. Upon joining the platform, I began scrolling through the ‘mentors’ section when I came across Grégory Valadié, an incredible business mentor who had been helping entrepreneurs like me make the most of their ideas. After an initial meeting with him, I knew that he was the one who could help me turn things around.

Grégory’s approach to mentorship was simple yet effective. He guided me through the process step by step, teaching me how to evaluate my ideas and develop them into viable solutions. He worked with me consistently and diligently to strengthen core aspects of my business. He also provided valuable insights into the markets I was targeting and how I could best capitalize on them. With his help, I was able to advance my impact startup, Invicta, and gain more traction in my industry.

The most incredible thing about my mentor-mentee relationship with Grégory was the confidence and success it brought me. It was through his guidance that I was able to make the tough decisions that would take my business to the next level and keep it there. He also provided me with the motivation I needed to stay focused and achieve my long-term goals. The impact that Grégory has had on my business is undeniable. I owe him a debt of gratitude for his advice, wisdom, and guidance in helping me take my business to the next level.

Grégory has helped me to transform my business in a number of ways.

1- He has provided me with invaluable advice on how to scale up my business, offering actionable advice into various aspects such as marketing, finance, and operations.

2- He has also connected me with potential partners and investors who can undoubtedly help take my startup to the next level.

I feel incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to meet Grégory and have him as my mentor. He has been (and continues to be) an integral part of my journey as an entrepreneur, helping me to transform my impact startup from an early-stage startup into a thriving business. He has given me the confidence to move forward with my business ideas, even in the face of uncertainty. He has been a great source of encouragement and advice throughout the process, and his enthusiasm for innovation has inspired me to take risks.

Grégory is someone who I deeply trust and confide in, and I have a great deal of admiration for him. Not only is he fun and engaging, but he is also incredibly kind, and always willing to talk and listen. Grégory is also very straightforward and pragmatic in his communication, which I truly appreciate. This can make it easier to understand his perspective and gain insight into his thought process. Furthermore, although Grégory and I live pretty far apart from each other, we always maintain open communication and stay connected.

One of the most admirable things about Grégory is his willingness and openness to leverage his extensive (global) network for the sole purpose of helping my business advance. He provides insight into the various ways I can make my business more successful and goes the extra mile to introduce me to potential collaborators who can help me grow.

Community’s and networks, like Ye! Community, are important to participate in and leverage when you are in the early stages of your entrepreneurial journey. Through community, you can connect with individuals, mentors, and potential partners, that you may never have connected with otherwise. The synergies and collaborations that can arise out of these networks makes them critical assets in the startup journey.

Finding Grégory and working with him so closely has proved invaluable throughout my business journey. I am forever grateful for his friendship and support. Simply put, I wouldn’t be where I am today without him.

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About Eden

Eden is an award-winning journalist, social entrepreneur and digital innovator from Ethiopia. She has more than 10 years of experience in the nonprofit and tech industry across three continents (Africa, Asia and Europe). As a proud non-conformist and global citizen, Eden strives to empower youth to cultivate their digital skills, develop success habits and unlock their inner potential. She is the Founder of Invicta, an award-winning social impact platform that connects refugees and internally displaced youth with online courses, skills development training, mental health support and remote work opportunities. 

About Invicta

More than 80 million refugees are hosted in developing countries where economic opportunities are limited, thus creating a huge, wasted talent pool. 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗮 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁. Invicta is an award-winning, tech-enabled, career development platform that helps refugees and internally displaced people find opportunities for remote work, skills development, mental health counselling, digital education and entrepreneurship. Our vision is to achieve faster economic growth and poverty reduction, ensuring millions of marginalized and economically disadvantaged refugees have equal opportunities to secure fair wage jobs.

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To find your next rockstar mentor, visit the Ye! Community to search for great mentors from around the globe who can play a role in your journey.

Or visit our mentoring page and join the various initiatives we run to connect mentors and mentees. Or sign up directly for the Ye! Coffee Roulette initiative round 6! Launching soon.