Our Foundation

Our vision

Our Foundation is dedicated to empowering young talents from disadvantaged neighborhoods, fostering their potential and ambitions for a brighter future. By promoting academic excellence, leadership, and artistic expression, we aim to nurture future successful professionals and leaders who will contribute to a fairer, more resilient society.

We aim to create role models who, through their success, inspire others and drive positive social change. We believe that with the right support, young talents can achieve their dreams and make significant contributions to their communities.

They grew up in working-class neighborhoods, amidst social difficulties and economic uncertainty, and have a distinctive merit when they succeed in realizing their ambitions.
They have an important role to play in building a fairer, more resilient society, because their ambition to succeed goes hand in hand with empathy and concern for others.
They know how crucial it is to innovate and create wealth, as is supporting the most vulnerable in the face of technological, economic and social change.
Their minds go hand in hand with their hearts, and they are determined to contribute to society's improvement.

Our mission

Our foundation identifies promising middle-school students from underprivileged backgrounds, providing continuous support through their schooling years until they enter the professional world. This long-term commitment ensures that these individuals have the resources and mentorship needed to overcome social and economic barriers.

Outstanding students at school
Young leaders committed to their neighborhoods and schools
Young champions who convey the values of the sport they practice
Aspiring creatives who express themselves through their art

Once selected, an Archery Laureate will be supported in his personal and professional journey by a dedicated mentor.

In parallel, all Laureates participate in Group Activities, which are developped around the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals framework, with particular attention paid to the following SDGs:

Through this Group training, the Laureates meet changemakers from the private, public and non-profit sectors.

Our mission

It is also through their participation in this latter part of the programme that the Laureates get to work on :

Their soft skills
Their ability to work as a team

Each Archery Laureate will also benefit from financial support throughout the entirety of the programme.

We at Archery believe that by combining long-term support with adequate means, we will enable the talented youngsters who join our programme to fulfil their potential and dreams.

Our commitment

From the pre-selection of candidates to the moment Laureates exit the programme, the Archery Foundation commits to the highest standards of integrity and professionalism.

In particular, and with regard to the Laureates, the Archery Foundation commits to the following:

Promoting autonomy

Give them autonomy and responsibility for their own decisions, while working alongside them and providing any support they may need

Inform parents/legal guardians

Provide all the information needed to understand the Foundation's project and be available to their parents or legal guardians, especially during the period of support when they are minors.

Transparent support

Inform them in a precise and exhaustive manner of the content of the support offered by the Foundation, as well as the means made available to them to achieve their personal and professional goals.

Ongoing support

To support young talents from the time they are selected by the Foundation's jury until they enter working life, or until such time as the Foundation and the Laureate mutually agree that the support has met its objectives.

Offer one-to-one mentoring

Identify and match each young talent with a recognized mentor from the Foundation's network, who is an expert in his or her field. This matchmaking takes place in the first few months following entry into the programme, after the Foundation has checked that the mentor's profile matches the young talent's projects.

Provide access to a professional network

Put young talents in touch with one of the Foundation's mentors, whose identities will have been communicated at the start of the Pathway, whenever necessary or appropriate.

Provide material support

To provide each young talent with the material conditions required to take part in the Campuses that make up the Parcours collective program. This includes, but is not limited to, travel, accommodation and meals, as well as transfers from their place of residence to the Campus site.

Tailor-made financial support

Examine requests for financial support from Laureates in connection with their professional projects

Our commitment

The Archery Foundation teams with highly qualified and committed partners to deliver upon its promises to Laureates.

Those partners are involved in the implementation of the Archery Program.
Regarding those partnerships, the Foundation commits to:

To work only with partners who are experienced in supporting young talent, and who respect the highest ethical standards with regard to candidates. These partners have a proven track record in equal opportunity issues.
Coordinate with partners to ensure the best possible quality of experience for candidates.
To gather Laureates' impressions of the quality of the program each year, and to continually seek to improve the collective experience.

Our team

Thierry Déau

Chairman and Founder

Thierry Déau

Chairman and Founder

Founder and Chairman of the Meridiam mission company, Thierry Déau is also Chairman of the Archery Foundation, which he created with his daughter, Pascale Déau. A civil engineer from the Ecole des Ponts ParisTech, Thierry is also Chairman of Finance for Tomorrow, a foundation that aims to strengthen the French financial industry's contribution to sustainable development, and of the Long-Term Infrastructure Investors Association (LTIIA).

Erwan Katter

Executive director

Erwan Katter

Executive director

Executive director of the Archery Foundation, Erwan is also Senior Associate at Meridiam, a role which involves developing sustainable infrastructure projects in Europe. Erwan holds a master degree in development economics from Sciences Po Paris and an executive master degree in project finance from the Ecole des Ponts ParisTech. He lives in Seine-Saint-Denis, where he has otherwise worked for five years as social policy advisor to the President of the Département. He currently also teaches quantitative methods at Sciences Po, applied to the analysis of poverty and inequality.

Lyes Ben-Ali

Sourcing and Support Manager

Lyes Ben-Ali

Sourcing and Support Manager

Lyes' passion is helping young people from disadvantaged neighborhoods, who he knows often face the greatest challenges in achieving their goals. An expert in human resources and educational projects, Lyes has held positions as project mana…

Constance Huttois

Mentorship and Pedagogy Manager

Constance Huttois

Mentorship and Pedagogy Manager

Before taking charge of the Archery Foundation's training and mentoring program, Constance worked as a consultant for the social innovation firm Archipel&Co, supporting social and environmental impact projects in France and abroad. She is a passionate advocate of the fight against inequality and equal opportunity. She is a graduate of Sciences Po Paris Law School.

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Our Foundation

Our vision

Our mission

Our commitment

Promoting autonomy

Inform parents/legal guardians

Transparent support

Ongoing support

Offer one-to-one mentoring

Provide access to a professional network

Provide material support

Tailor-made financial support