[Portrait] Technological innovation and entrepreneurship: Éloïse Minder

Eloïse Minder: " The PEIT helped me refocus my project ."

It was her experience in PEIT that motivated Éloïse Minder to continue her studies with a thesis!

• How long have you been interested in entrepreneurship?
  I’ve always wanted to start my own business. Even as^{a freshman}in Master of Science , I participated in Entrep’ de Bourgogne, a program that teaches the basics of running an entrepreneurial project.
  My project involved developing virtual reality business meetings, with avatars gathered around a table.
  Then, my project evolved. By the end of^{my first} year, my goal was to develop an app for collaboratively sharing 3D models, still within the virtual reality space.
• What did the PEIT program offer you?
  I participated in the PEIT during^{my second} year of Master of Science. Thanks to the coaching and discussions with the instructors, I realized that I had focused my project on a very technical issue that didn’t really suit me.
  I also understood that I needed to better grasp how people can communicate naturally and fluidly in virtual reality. In fact, the PEIT allowed me to refocus my project on a topic that truly interests me.
  That’s what motivated me to write a thesis on optimizing social interactions in VR. I secured funding through a regional grant that provides me with a stipend for three years and gives me access to courses in management, administration, and entrepreneurship.
• Do you still have an entrepreneurial project in mind?
  Yes, today I plan to create a development and consulting studio specializing in social interactions for immersive technologies.
  Three types of companies could be interested in this service: providers who develop VR applications, companies that use this type of application, and even large groups that have Fab Labs.
  I could even offer them development building blocks to help them make better use of these technologies.
  But of course, this project may still change because there are so many parameters to take into account and technology is evolving very quickly!

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