Nominees for the Dynamism Away Award

Nominees for the Dynamism Away Award

1 – Marina Féat-Gultzgoff, founder of Omaïdo

After having been general secretary of Aribev-Ariv, the inter-professional association of local breeders, Marina Féat-Gultzgoff created Omaïdo in March 2019. This young company, incubated by the Technopole de La Réunion and certified by the Cosmetic Valley, wants to “revolutionize the world of cosmetics” by offering facial care products entirely formulated with a cold process. Treatments of 100% natural origin and incorporating active ingredients from the cosmetopeia of Reunion Island (organic turmeric, organic bourbon geranium, sugar) and the Indian Ocean.

When its products were launched in May 2022, Omaïdo was the first and only cosmetics brand present in pharmacies guaranteeing cold formulation of its treatments.

Omaïdo educates its consumers about preserving their cosmetic products in good conditions, and ideally in a cool place, in order to preserve the effectiveness of the formulas and benefit from the natural benefits of cold on the skin.

Omaïdo’s development is taking place in parallel on Reunion Island and in France where it has been able to have its products listed in the largest Parisian pharmacies thanks to its innovative concept and its unique positioning.

Since the start of 2024, Omaïdo has received four national distinctions: three “Responsible Beauty Victories” and one “Best Pharma Product”, prizes awarded blindly by consumers and which reward effectiveness. , sensoriality and CSR commitment of the winning products. Present at the Cosmetic 360 international trade fair, Omaïdo now aims to export outside of mainland France, and in particular to the markets of Korea, Switzerland, Benelux and Canada.

2 – Ashley Gaüzère, founder of Hub2

A telecommunications engineer from Reunion Island, Ashley Gaüzère worked for eleven years for Orange, particularly in the Middle East and Africa, before striking out on her own. In 2018, he imagined Hub2, an interoperability system between most of the countless mobile payment solutions offered in sub-Saharan Africa. Although the banking rate is still very low in this part of the world, the possibilities for mobile financial transactions are very numerous. But telecom operators refuse to open up to others, to retain their customers.

Hub2 is marketed to banks, insurance companies, and all economic players who need to send or debit money to mobile wallets, regardless of the operator. Ashley Gaüzère’s company made its first sales in 2019. It has since experienced rapid development, mainly in French-speaking West Africa. Hub2 today has 35 employees, including seven in Reunion Island, which is home to its parent company. It brings together seven subsidiaries, including a customer service department based in Mauritius. It has a consolidated turnover of 10 million euros, has processed the equivalent of a billion euros in monetary transactions over the last twelve months and has the ambition to become an international payment provider, like different operators that it links together. In 2023, Ashley Gaüzère was joined by Jean-Rémi Kouchakji, another specialist in Fintech and Africa, who became his partner.

3 – Malika Mimoune and Carole Wong-Wha, founders of La Jolie Fun

Malika Mimoune discovered Reunion Island 30 years ago when she came to visit a friend. She remained there, initially working in fitness, before founding Robinrun, a commercial company which mainly distributes parapharmacy products. It was through fitness that she met Carole Wong-Wha. They are both sports instructors. Carole Wong-Wha will collaborate with Robinrun and it is together that they will decide to launch La Jolie Fun, a lingerie-swimsuit brand. “We’re doing two in one,” explains Malika Mimoune. It seems simple, but it is not, it was necessary to develop numerous prototypes before arriving at a product, based on recycled polyester, offering both great comfort and the resistance of a swimsuit, in particular by managing the problem of seams. At the origin of La Jolie Fun, there is covid-19 which disrupts Robinrun’s activities. Malika Mimoune took the opportunity to train in e-commerce and, with Carole Wong-Wha, the enthusiasm kicked in, the brand was launched in January 2020. They discovered an artisanal company in Indonesia capable of making panties, tangas, thongs , shorties and monokinis, of high quality and in vibrant colors, which can also be worn on the beach and in the sea. Malika and Carole are fully involved and participate in numerous international trade shows. Success is there with a turnover that doubles year after year, reaching 700,000 euros in 2023, 80% of which is outside Reunion Island. Sales which are made via the site, but above all with around fifty resellers in mainland France, in the French Overseas Territories, in Mauritius, in Spain, in Italy, in Belgium, in Switzerland and in Denmark. Recently, a reseller in Mexico and another in the United States were added to the list.