Laura Paul - Platan

Today we present the career path of Laura PAUL, Class of 2017.

Can you summarise your career path?

I graduated from ESCE in 2017 after a Master's degree in Finance completed during a work-study program at Schneider Electric in management control. Immediately after graduation, I went in a completely different direction. With Marine, a young architect turned florist, we decided to set up our own bespoke planting company. Platan was born to bring nature back into our daily lives.

Platan is a workshop on a human scale, made up of passionate plant artisans ready to take up any challenge to bring more nature into our spaces.

Our know-how: to offer customised vegetation for the identity of a company, its spaces and its events. We also share with you convivial moments of well-being with our hands in the earth.

We're almost 3 years old, 6 people working full time at Platan, dozens of clients from all walks of life (L'Oréal, Veolia, Instagram, My Little Paris, BHV). I don't regret this choice.

What made you decide to go into your new profession?

In 2015, I was an intern at a start-up in Buenos Aires, specialising in equipment for playing polo. Nothing to do with plants, except that the city is permanently inhabited by nature, in a wild or calculated way. I loved it! For a long time, the mixture of nature and the city, the beehives on the roofs, or a green wall like the one at the Quai Branly Museum in Paris have fascinated me. At the same time, I met my future partner, Marine Dubois, a simple tourist but above all a florist! When we returned to Paris, we met again and decided to set up a project together. In the meantime, I spent two years working as a trainee at Schneider Electric, in their finance department. Then I started working on a business plan, and we both joined our respective fields of expertise: flowers for her, and international trade for me. Our company was officially born on 1 March 2018, even though we had started working on it earlier!

Where can we find you?

Our workshop is based at the gates of Paris in Pantin, in the heart of the 93 region and its new urban projects oriented towards a greener future. We work all over France.

You can contact us on our website or through all the networks to see examples of our green creations.

Linkedin Instagram

What did ESCE bring to you during this course?

First of all, my school, ESCE (École supérieure du commerce extérieur), in agreement with my professors, allowed me to carry out a market study on "The green wall, the future tool of communication" instead of submitting a classic thesis. This confirmed the interest of the market for more nature in our daily lives as city dwellers.

The school also offered me visibility through different alumni events and fairs to present Platan. We were able to organise a plant mural to lead a workshop during the orals to help students relax. 

Any advice for Alumni?

Never stay in your corner with your idea, but test it as soon as possible against the market and customers. The faster you test your idea, the quicker you can make mistakes and correct them!