Santiago Lefebvre, co-founder of Change Now: “A summit for a vision of the future that is not scary”

In 2014, Santiago Lefebvre completed an MBA at INSEAD, the equivalent of a bac+5 degree in business management, recognized internationally. At the same time, he sees more and more solutions for the environment appearing on social networks. In December 2015, he participates in the COP 21, in Paris. A click. He then embarked on an ambitious objective: to create the first global event that brings together actors from 120 countries, stakeholders in concrete solutions for the planet. Bet won.

What is the genesis of Change Now?

SANTIAGO LEFEBVRE. With the other two co-founders, including my wife, we didn’t know anyone in the ecological transition or events. For months, we approached partners, without success. Three months before the first edition, everything was ready, we had put all our savings to rent Station F, the Parisian start-up incubator, but still no funding. It’s June 2017 and former United States President Donald Trump fate of the Paris agreements. A political time that triggers an interest in our project. It changes everything. La French Tech becomes our first financial partner.

What has changed since the first edition?

The dimension of the event has changed a lot. The meeting with the teams of the Grand Palais, in 2020, changed the adventure of Change Now. We explained our project to them, presenting it as a universal exhibition, but for the planet. They accepted. We then went from a surface area of ​​2,000 m2 to 15,000 m2 and from 6,000 visitors in 2018 to 28,000 in 2020. Today, we expect 30,000 to 35,000 visitors for this 6th edition.

How would you present this year’s event?

Today, Change Now is a way of reconciling people with a future that isn’t scary. We are going to talk a lot about biodiversity. With the climate, it is the greatest urgency. Who better to talk about endangered regions than the people who live there! Representatives of indigenous peoples will come to carry the voice of these territories where Deforestation. Innovations that contribute to their protection will also be presented. We seek to create bridges between these populations and the actors of change (policy makers, companies, investors)so they can find the support they need.

What can you do at Change Now?

It is above all an experience. For companies, opportunities for collaboration in terms of innovation on subjects of sobriety, but also more technical or social things. It is also the meeting between projects and political decision-makers, such as mayors or ministers. Saturday is open to the general public. Visitors will be able to attend lectures in French. A space dedicated to recruitment and training is also planned. A comedy show will take place on the theme of the environment. Children will be able to attend workshops but also a treasure hunt. Art has its place too, with a participatory artwork on display at the entrance, which invites everyone to reflect on an environmental topic and make a commitment.

Personally, what do you expect from this new edition?

I am waiting to see the concrete results for the solutions that are present at the summit. In the past, the Secretary of State for Ecological Transition, Brune Poirson (since become director of sustainable development for the Accor group), met PlanetCare, a Slovenian start-up that is developing a washing machine filter that recovers plastic microfibers. This meeting made it possible to include a new article of law stipulating the obligation to equip each new washing machine sold in France, from 2025, with microplastic filters. Each year, we are surprised by the commitment of actors and visitors, with a real desire to make things happen. On the other hand, there is a real need to speak to new audiences, to democratize the transition. We have a program with influencers like Curious Squirrel (315,000 followers on TikTok), WhySauceS (957,000 TikTok followers) or even Charlotte Lemay (145,000 followers on Instagram). They come to find out what we do and that allows us to create new bridges with younger communities or those who are far from the subject.

Change Now takes place on May 25, 26 and 27, at the ephemeral Grand Palais, 2, place Joffre, in Paris (VIIe), from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Information and prices on www.changenow.world.