Discover the 6 companies competing for the 2018 FAB Awards!
Finalists for the French American Business Awards will pitch and present their company during a special showcase to the audience on Thursday, May 24th. A vote from the audience will determine the three 2018 FAB Awards winners!
1- 'S' Small Company
- Pathmaker Neurosystems
1- Tell us more about your company and your mission statement.
PathMaker is working to open up a new era of non-invasive neurotherapy, with first-in-class non-invasive systems that enable the treatment of patients with spasticity, paralysis and muscle weakness without the need for surgery or drugs. Our vision is to transform lives for patients living with these disabilities, while enabling major reduction in long-term healthcare costs for these patients.
2- How do you believe your company is disrupting the industry?
PathMaker has pioneered a non-invasive approach to treating chronic neuromotor conditions. Spasticity, for example, is currently treated with painful (and repeated) intramuscular injections of botulinum toxin, a bacterial neurotoxin with serious adverse effects. We are in the process of disrupting this >$2B market and changing the treatment paradigm by replacing toxin injection with a safe, non-invasive treatment based on bioelectronic medicine.
How would you define your leadership?
PathMaker is now a clinical-stage company, and our progress has been based on bringing together veteran experts in various domains who together have been able to design and execute our development plan.
3- Why will you win the award?
We started PathMaker to help the patients who are in desperate need of therapy that can improve the life-changing disabilities they struggle with daily. We've made real progress and expect to have our first product on the market and available to patients in Europe in 2019.
PathMaker is working to open up a new era of non-invasive neurotherapy, with first-in-class non-invasive systems that enable the treatment of patients with spasticity, paralysis and muscle weakness without the need for surgery or drugs. Our vision is to transform lives for patients living with these disabilities, while enabling major reduction in long-term healthcare costs for these patients.
2- How do you believe your company is disrupting the industry?
PathMaker has pioneered a non-invasive approach to treating chronic neuromotor conditions. Spasticity, for example, is currently treated with painful (and repeated) intramuscular injections of botulinum toxin, a bacterial neurotoxin with serious adverse effects. We are in the process of disrupting this >$2B market and changing the treatment paradigm by replacing toxin injection with a safe, non-invasive treatment based on bioelectronic medicine.
How would you define your leadership?
PathMaker is now a clinical-stage company, and our progress has been based on bringing together veteran experts in various domains who together have been able to design and execute our development plan.
3- Why will you win the award?
We started PathMaker to help the patients who are in desperate need of therapy that can improve the life-changing disabilities they struggle with daily. We've made real progress and expect to have our first product on the market and available to patients in Europe in 2019.
- Ace-Up
1. Tell us more about your company and your mission statement.
Ace-Up is a SaaS for talent development that brings personalized coaching at scale within organizations. Our mission is to solve the "employee development gap", or the gap between what support employees expect from their employers and what impact employers expect from their employees. At Ace-Up, we solve the employees’ development gap by providing high-impact and personalized learning programs with ongoing reinforcement through 1-on-1 coaching, for employees at all stages of their career. We use technology to seamlessly create, curate, and scale personalized development solutions to an entire organization, and to measure the impact of learning & development with data.
2. a. How do you believe your company is disrupting the industry?
Ace-Up disrupts the coaching industry through 3 major innovations:
i.We bring quality, transparency, and security to the industry: The executive coaching industry has been suffering from a lack of regulation and transparency. Even for experienced HR and L&D professionals, it is difficult to vet coaches, and understand the content, structure, and price-point of their services. Ace-Up is the only coaching platform that provides a highly-curated network of executive coaches in absolute transparency. On our platform our users can easily access and compare the background, credentials, achievements, price-points, and past customer reviews of our coaches.
ii.We craft, curate, and scale personalized development solutions to an entire organization: The technology on the Ace-Up platform gives HR and L&D leaders the possibility to easily craft, curate, and scale personalized learning solutions for each role/department/employee and seamlessly deploy these solutions to the entire organizations.
iii.We track & measure the impact of coaching with data: On of the main challenge for HR and L&D professionals is to track and measure the impact of talent development solutions deployed in an organization. At Ace-Up, we've develop "competency-based" scoring rubrics with people analytic experts at Harvard to measure the impact of our talent development solutions. Through our scoring rubrics, we can assess the behavioral profile of an employee and track how he/she is improving on specific leadership and business competencies - such as Executive Presence, Fostering Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and others - all along the coaching program.
b. How would you define your leadership?
We define Ace-Up’s leadership with the following principle: Empowering Others. Weather it is with our clients, our employees, and any other party, we believe that true leadership is the one that empowers any stakeholder within an organization to reach their personal and professional goals. This is also through this lens that we approach the impact we want to have in our community, and the world.
3. Why will you win the award?
In January 2016, Ace-Up has been selected to join the accelerator program of the Harvard Innovation Lab. Our two french co-founders, Dr. Remi Tachet and Will G. Foussier, were brought to Boston to study in Cambridge. Now, while still engaged with our respective communities at MIT and Harvard, we stay firmly rooted in New England due to the incredible resources, tech community, and market opportunities in our industry. Our team came from around the world - France, China, India, Russia, and the USA - to New England. In the first quarter of 2018, we've been able to move from initial traction to growth and acquire major corporate clients including General Electric, Fidelity Investment, Oxford Properties, Aldeyra Therapeutics, and many others, and we will reach one million dollars in revenue at the end of Q3. We believe that we will win the award not only due to the disruptive solutions we are bringing to the learning & development industry, but also because we truly embody the values of the FACCNE: We believe that diversity and innovation help us foster inclusion and drive positive change for the French-American community, and beyond.
Ace-Up is a SaaS for talent development that brings personalized coaching at scale within organizations. Our mission is to solve the "employee development gap", or the gap between what support employees expect from their employers and what impact employers expect from their employees. At Ace-Up, we solve the employees’ development gap by providing high-impact and personalized learning programs with ongoing reinforcement through 1-on-1 coaching, for employees at all stages of their career. We use technology to seamlessly create, curate, and scale personalized development solutions to an entire organization, and to measure the impact of learning & development with data.
2. a. How do you believe your company is disrupting the industry?
Ace-Up disrupts the coaching industry through 3 major innovations:
i.We bring quality, transparency, and security to the industry: The executive coaching industry has been suffering from a lack of regulation and transparency. Even for experienced HR and L&D professionals, it is difficult to vet coaches, and understand the content, structure, and price-point of their services. Ace-Up is the only coaching platform that provides a highly-curated network of executive coaches in absolute transparency. On our platform our users can easily access and compare the background, credentials, achievements, price-points, and past customer reviews of our coaches.
ii.We craft, curate, and scale personalized development solutions to an entire organization: The technology on the Ace-Up platform gives HR and L&D leaders the possibility to easily craft, curate, and scale personalized learning solutions for each role/department/employee and seamlessly deploy these solutions to the entire organizations.
iii.We track & measure the impact of coaching with data: On of the main challenge for HR and L&D professionals is to track and measure the impact of talent development solutions deployed in an organization. At Ace-Up, we've develop "competency-based" scoring rubrics with people analytic experts at Harvard to measure the impact of our talent development solutions. Through our scoring rubrics, we can assess the behavioral profile of an employee and track how he/she is improving on specific leadership and business competencies - such as Executive Presence, Fostering Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and others - all along the coaching program.
b. How would you define your leadership?
We define Ace-Up’s leadership with the following principle: Empowering Others. Weather it is with our clients, our employees, and any other party, we believe that true leadership is the one that empowers any stakeholder within an organization to reach their personal and professional goals. This is also through this lens that we approach the impact we want to have in our community, and the world.
3. Why will you win the award?
In January 2016, Ace-Up has been selected to join the accelerator program of the Harvard Innovation Lab. Our two french co-founders, Dr. Remi Tachet and Will G. Foussier, were brought to Boston to study in Cambridge. Now, while still engaged with our respective communities at MIT and Harvard, we stay firmly rooted in New England due to the incredible resources, tech community, and market opportunities in our industry. Our team came from around the world - France, China, India, Russia, and the USA - to New England. In the first quarter of 2018, we've been able to move from initial traction to growth and acquire major corporate clients including General Electric, Fidelity Investment, Oxford Properties, Aldeyra Therapeutics, and many others, and we will reach one million dollars in revenue at the end of Q3. We believe that we will win the award not only due to the disruptive solutions we are bringing to the learning & development industry, but also because we truly embody the values of the FACCNE: We believe that diversity and innovation help us foster inclusion and drive positive change for the French-American community, and beyond.
2- 'M' Medium Company
- GuestToGuest
1- Tell us more about your company and your mission statement.
Vacations are a time like no other. A time to share with family and friends, create unforgettable memories, rest before the next big challenge, step back, change course, breathe life in and look up to the stars. HomeExchange and GuestToGuest create great vacations at the lowest cost for millions around the world. We think everyone deserves a break, and we want to help them get it.
2- How do you believe your company is disrupting the industry? How would you define your leadership?
Home exchange has historically been a niche industry, where a large number of players were catering the needs of a very limited fraction of the world population. We have not only disrupted this industry, we’ve taken it over.
With a market share of more than 50% and the best brands in our industry, our eyes are now set on disrupting a much much larger industry: the leisure hospitality industry.
3- Why will you win the award?
- We are committed long term to developing our Cambridge office, and creating jobs and exciting opportunities for our New England employees
- We are a French company who acquired its American and Canadian competitors, rather than the other way around : it’s rare enough that is should be celebrated.
- We are a hospitality start-up, a living proof that New England is great for all start-ups - not just biotech ones
- I’ve loved the US ever since I lived here as a kid, which is why I chose to come back and raise my three sons in the US. I’ve loved new-England ever since I studied at Harvard and I naturally chose Cambridge for our USA headquarters. At the same time, I remain passionately French at heart. I simply truly love both countries, and I am proud to be CEO of both French and American companies.
Vacations are a time like no other. A time to share with family and friends, create unforgettable memories, rest before the next big challenge, step back, change course, breathe life in and look up to the stars. HomeExchange and GuestToGuest create great vacations at the lowest cost for millions around the world. We think everyone deserves a break, and we want to help them get it.
2- How do you believe your company is disrupting the industry? How would you define your leadership?
Home exchange has historically been a niche industry, where a large number of players were catering the needs of a very limited fraction of the world population. We have not only disrupted this industry, we’ve taken it over.
With a market share of more than 50% and the best brands in our industry, our eyes are now set on disrupting a much much larger industry: the leisure hospitality industry.
3- Why will you win the award?
- We are committed long term to developing our Cambridge office, and creating jobs and exciting opportunities for our New England employees
- We are a French company who acquired its American and Canadian competitors, rather than the other way around : it’s rare enough that is should be celebrated.
- We are a hospitality start-up, a living proof that New England is great for all start-ups - not just biotech ones
- I’ve loved the US ever since I lived here as a kid, which is why I chose to come back and raise my three sons in the US. I’ve loved new-England ever since I studied at Harvard and I naturally chose Cambridge for our USA headquarters. At the same time, I remain passionately French at heart. I simply truly love both countries, and I am proud to be CEO of both French and American companies.
- LogicBio Therapeutics
1-Tell us more about your company and your mission statement.
LogicBio Therapeutics is a start-up biotechnology company on a passionate, time-sensitive mission to restore health and livelihood to children struggling with rare genetic diseases, using our patented genome editing technology developed at the Stanford University Kay Lab.
2-How do you believe your company is disrupting the industry? How would you define your leadership?
Our patented genetic medicine, Generide™, is simple, safe, durable, and administered with a single, gentle treatment. This technology is disruptive to the industry because it is uniquely suited for young patients, where it is important to intervene early in life to defeat devasting non-reversible conditions.
We exhibit leadership in our industry by pairing our new approach to genome editing with a vision for addressing unmet medical need in a sensitive patient pool. We are a lean collective of global biotechnology experts, with decades of experience collaborating across borders to realize our mission.
3-Why will you win the award?
We will win the award because we are an organization led by a team of French executives, who recognize the value, and have invested significant effort, in developing and utilizing an extensive network of French collaborators to grow our organization and achieve our goals.
LogicBio Therapeutics is a start-up biotechnology company on a passionate, time-sensitive mission to restore health and livelihood to children struggling with rare genetic diseases, using our patented genome editing technology developed at the Stanford University Kay Lab.
2-How do you believe your company is disrupting the industry? How would you define your leadership?
Our patented genetic medicine, Generide™, is simple, safe, durable, and administered with a single, gentle treatment. This technology is disruptive to the industry because it is uniquely suited for young patients, where it is important to intervene early in life to defeat devasting non-reversible conditions.
We exhibit leadership in our industry by pairing our new approach to genome editing with a vision for addressing unmet medical need in a sensitive patient pool. We are a lean collective of global biotechnology experts, with decades of experience collaborating across borders to realize our mission.
3-Why will you win the award?
We will win the award because we are an organization led by a team of French executives, who recognize the value, and have invested significant effort, in developing and utilizing an extensive network of French collaborators to grow our organization and achieve our goals.
3- 'L' Large Companies
- BeRelax
1- Tell us more about your company and your mission statement.
Be Relax was founded in 2004 in France and became in less than 10 years the only truly global Airport Spa brand. Currently, Be Relax operates 52 spas in 11 countries across the world. Since 2011, Boston Logan Airport has been part of the Be Relax family with 50 employees.
Be Relax has transformed the travel of millions of passengers, always remaining true to its vision: “Your Journey into Well-being Starts Now…”
We promote a holistic lifestyle of relaxation with wellness and beauty services (massages, manicures, pedicure, facials, hairstyling, oxygen and aromatherapy…), bringing our French Art of Well-Being into airports, to make passengers relaxed before and during their flight.
Today we are ranked #1 on TripAdvisor in our US locations with Certificates of Excellence in Boston, Detroit and San Diego.
2- How do you believe your company is disrupting the industry? How would you define your leadership?
No matter where you are and where you go, Be Relax makes your travel an enjoyable adventure. Be Relax Team comprises more than 40 nationalities, operating in 7 languages.
We are flexible, adapting to the needs of international passengers. We keep innovating. We introduced virtual reality experiences as well as vegan manicures, to enhance the travel experience and the well-being of our guests. Be Relax was the 1st to take the risks of offering these services in an unusual space such as an airport.
Be Relax is still owned in majority by its founders, meaning we kept the same management executives since the beginning, being focused on a long-term vision. Our leadership is customer centric. In May 2018, Be Relax raised €20m to accelerate its development across the US and the rest of the world.
3- Why will you win the award?
We transformed a traditional service business (beauty and massage salon) into a life-changing global concept at a time when all you could find in an airport terminal was duty free stores. With our innovative concept, we revolutionized the way people travel today.
We all travel for different purposes: holidays, wedding, business, but whatever the reason, Be Relax helps you be the best version of you for the rest of your journey
Be Relax has a direct and concrete impact on passengers’ lives: in New England, in the US, and all around the world.
Be Relax was founded in 2004 in France and became in less than 10 years the only truly global Airport Spa brand. Currently, Be Relax operates 52 spas in 11 countries across the world. Since 2011, Boston Logan Airport has been part of the Be Relax family with 50 employees.
Be Relax has transformed the travel of millions of passengers, always remaining true to its vision: “Your Journey into Well-being Starts Now…”
We promote a holistic lifestyle of relaxation with wellness and beauty services (massages, manicures, pedicure, facials, hairstyling, oxygen and aromatherapy…), bringing our French Art of Well-Being into airports, to make passengers relaxed before and during their flight.
Today we are ranked #1 on TripAdvisor in our US locations with Certificates of Excellence in Boston, Detroit and San Diego.
2- How do you believe your company is disrupting the industry? How would you define your leadership?
No matter where you are and where you go, Be Relax makes your travel an enjoyable adventure. Be Relax Team comprises more than 40 nationalities, operating in 7 languages.
We are flexible, adapting to the needs of international passengers. We keep innovating. We introduced virtual reality experiences as well as vegan manicures, to enhance the travel experience and the well-being of our guests. Be Relax was the 1st to take the risks of offering these services in an unusual space such as an airport.
Be Relax is still owned in majority by its founders, meaning we kept the same management executives since the beginning, being focused on a long-term vision. Our leadership is customer centric. In May 2018, Be Relax raised €20m to accelerate its development across the US and the rest of the world.
3- Why will you win the award?
We transformed a traditional service business (beauty and massage salon) into a life-changing global concept at a time when all you could find in an airport terminal was duty free stores. With our innovative concept, we revolutionized the way people travel today.
We all travel for different purposes: holidays, wedding, business, but whatever the reason, Be Relax helps you be the best version of you for the rest of your journey
Be Relax has a direct and concrete impact on passengers’ lives: in New England, in the US, and all around the world.
- iAdvize
1-Tell us more about your company and your mission statement.
iAdvize aims to make ecommerce conversational again. Its conversational software enables ecommerce players (Disney, Nespresso, BMW...) to deliver a premium customer experience, boost online sales and build a competitive advantage. After becoming a leader in its market in Europe, iAdvize is aiming to conquer the US market and has opened in 2017 its first US office in Boston.
2-How do you believe your company is disrupting the industry? How would you define your leadership?
For brands who want to setup a conversational strategy, their biggest painpoint is defining the respondent - "who will engage with online customers on behalf of the brand?" iAdvize has introduced a new generation of respondent: a product expert member of the brand's community of existing customers. iAdvize sources these experts, they share advice with the brand's online customers through real-time messaging, and the brand pays them on a revenue-sharing basis. It's a Uber-like solution tapping into the gig economy.
Just like Uber has become the biggest taxi company without taxis, Airbnb the biggest hotel company without any hotels, iAdvize aims to become the biggest customer service company without any in-house agents.
iAdvize has already disrupted the French market with this new respondent and aims to replicate this success on the US market.
3-Why will you win the award?
iAdvize deserves to win this award for its efficient penetration of the US market. The US office was opened on November 1st 2017, and the team has accomplished a tremendous amount of work in its first 6 months, including the signature of 2 customers (and many more to come!!!).
iAdvize also deserves to win for its unique and disruptive product that has already been validated by the market.