How to innovate? For what purpose? Why? For some, innovation is like a flash, a brilliant idea. Others believe that innovation can only be the result of a favorable environment and research. Two visions that ultimately converge to create a fertile ground for creation.
We present the case of an innovation born from the phrase: “I have never done that, but I can look into it if you need me to.” A helping hand for a friend’s project, that opened the doors to a sector still unknown to Max Lévy-Soula.
After his schooling in a Parisian public high school and a great final year, Max joined ESSEC Business School, a leading business school with programs ranked among the best in the world. This academic success, directly dedicated to his relatives, was the first step towards the elite, the result of hard work and determination.
Once at ESSEC, Max, along with three fellow students, founded the first ESSEC Business School Junior Enterprise in Africa; the Junior Consulting ESSEC Africa, which he chaired for more than three years.
Born into a family of entrepreneurs, Max could not consider another career than following the tradition. He took the plunge with this first experience… and undoubtedly not his last. In a tight-knit family—a sister graduated from top international schools in political science, a mother, a grandfather, and an uncle all three brilliant entrepreneurs and company directors—Max grew up with the willingness to create, understand, and alone or in a team, develop and valorize original ventures.
After studying at ESSEC in Morocco, Paris, and then Taiwan, Max entered a work-study program with a historic French industrial construction company, a mid-sized SME. Through this experience, Max discovered a new sector, new ways of thinking and pressing needs; a market where know-how and experience have long been priced above all.
He notes that in the construction sector, innovation is sometimes difficult to implement, especially in France. Despite significant innovation potential, habits and mindsets can slow down the adoption of new technical tools and, more generally, of innovation. On a European scale, the construction market is even more dynamic. Having joined the SME’s export team, he observes that leading countries like Germany, the United Kingdom, and Italy, and others like Poland, Spain, and Portugal are evolving and developing rapidly.
In this context, supported by experts and professionals from the sector, Max was able to grasp this market, understand its needs, and develop an innovative response to an entrenched problem.
The idea came about in an original way. While helping his friend with her project, Max was exposed to new technologies, namely automation systems, algorithms, and the use of generative AI. Far from having a technical profile, Max had to learn, fail, and start over until finally, “after several days (and nights) of racking my brains,” he says, of unsuccessful trials, he began to understand the basics of these new tools. This is the beginning of the valorization of an innovation.
This “mission” was a turning point in Max’s journey. By discovering these new tools, their functions, and their potential, he quickly adapted his friend’s project model to his own business sector: the construction market. By coupling his analytical and reflective skills, acquired through various experiences in consulting and research, with his new knowledge of the market, acquired during the first part of his work-study contract, Max began to find ways to use these technical tools and bring change to a market that is quite reluctant to technological progress.
Today, Max (at 21 only!) has begun the process of filing his first patent application. He is warmly supported by Brandon IP, intellectual property attorneys, about the legal and technical aspects of protecting his invention. This process is also wholeheartedly supported by Brandon Valorisation, another branch of the group, to plan and anticipate the next steps for the valuation of his innovation: either through the creation of a startup company or through licensing, after a financial valuation of his patent.
We wanted to highlight this interesting and pretty remarkable approach that led Max to innovation. Coming from a family of talented entrepreneurs, born into an environment of curiosity and openness that doesn’t preclude self-questioning, Max sought to understand and adapt. Through his unwavering commitment to the tasks entrusted to him, and undoubtedly many more, Max endeavors to put his intelligence at the service of his company’s sector of activity.
During one of the discussions we had with Max Lévy Soula, he stated that “the keys to innovation are curiosity and research.” Off the record, he told us his loving family is his true inspiration, pushing him to believe in his skills and outdo himself. As there may be some truth in this; we can’t help thinking that business is in Max’s DNA, as he clearly shows strong affinities and predisposition.
At Brandon Valorisation, we are very familiar with innovators and wanted to share the uncommon journey of this 21-year-old Parisian student, young entrepreneur and inventor, who has studied and observed on three very different continents.
Max’s journey illustrates the willingness of a young, enthusiastic student/entrepreneur to change things and have an impact on society.
For the record, Max indicates that part of his motivation is to “make his sister, mother, and grandfather proud.” Not bad! This is an unmistakable part of his values.
We hope that, like us, you will truly appreciate the extraordinary journey of this young man…
We remind you that for several years now, the Brandon Rezac Group, in partnership with HESAM, is proud to support CNAM students carrying an entrepreneurial project.
For more than 30 years, Brandon Valorisation and Brandon IP have been supporting companies of all types in their development through innovation, with the aim of positioning them favorably in the national market, as well as in Europe and internationally.
