Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit Philadelphia 2015 with Baume et Mercier #mymomentofsuccess

Nel-Olivia Waga
November 16, 2015
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The word FORBES itself stands for POWER. It’s a statement. Forbes rankings and lists are the most important in the business world. Forbes is not only a magazine. With Forbes Summits and activities Forbes Media supports several industries and individuals around the world.

The Forbes 30 under 30 list is the most influential one for young entrepreneurs. It selects 30 game changers within different categories at the age of under 30.

Early October this year, the annual (by invitation only) Forbes Under 30 Summit took place in Philadelphia, where the worlds top entrepreneurs and game changers gathered to network, to inspire and get inspired and to support each other. This fantastic summit was sponsored (among others) by Richemont’s watch brand Baume et Mercier.

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Baume et Mercier‘s philosophy is about “celebrating moments“. It has been a tradition in many countries of the world to gift someone with a Baume et Mercier (engraved) watch for a special moment, such as births, weddings, anniversaries or for achieving something great, such as a graduation or the first job.

With the new campaign #mymomentofsuccess Baume et Mercier engages in education, which I find very important. Its activities focus on celebrating moments of success, such as the first signed contract for a job, graduation and a career milestone. Would there be any better fit than 30 under 30?

When Baume et Mercier invited me to participate at the 3 day Forbes Under 30 Summit, as one of their guests, I was incredibly happy and couldn’t wait to jump on the plane and fly from Paris to Philadelphia. I have spent 3 fantastic days with the lovely Baume et Mercier teams from Switzerland and the US in Philadelphia, met amazing people from Forbes and fascinating entrepreneurs from all over the world. Entrepreneurs with outstanding ideas, ones who believe in their dreams and pursue them in every way they can.

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The summit started with a Food Festival, where the worlds top chefs (Under 30) served us some of their special creations. 2 days of conferences including break out sessions, panel discussions, contests and very interesting speeches. It ended with an Under 30 Music Festival.

MY HIGHLIGHTS

TALK

Monica Lewinsky spoke about her activities against online harassment: how she went – over night – from a completely private figure to a publicly humiliated one – because she (as a 22 year old girl) fell in love with her boss, at that time the President of the United States: Bill Clinton. Now she is engaging in fighting against cyber bulling.

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FORBES UNDER 30 DOERS AWARD

Elizabeth Holmes, founder and CEO of Theranos, , receives the FORBES Under 30 Doers Award and her own engraved Baume et Mercier watch, from Rudy Chavez, President US of Baume & Mercier. (At age 31, Elizabeth Holmes is the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire. Her uncle’s death from cancer moved her to develop a way to detect diseases earlier. She dropped out of Stanford University her sophomore year and founded Theranos in 2003 to make cheaper, easier-to-use blood tests. With a virtually painless prick of the finger and a few drops of blood, her labs can quickly run a multitude of tests at a fraction of the price of commercial labs. Courtesy of Forbes).

http://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahhedgecock/2015/10/05/elizabeth-holmes-on-using-business-to-change-the-world/

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FORBES x BAUME ET MERCIER VIP DINNER:

On the second night of the Summit a Forbes VIP Dinner sponsored by Baume et Mercier took place, where 30 selected Under 30ies were invited to one of Philadelphia’s top restaurants called FORK. I had the pleasure to sit next to Baume et Mercier President Rudy Chavez and Katie Anderson, the founder of Save Water Co. Katie was one of the most inspiring persons I met during this Summit. She was one of the 30 under 30’s on this year’s list http://www.forbes.com/30under30/#/energy and has founded a company to save water in buildings and hotels. The three of us were in such deep conversations during the evening, that we didn’t realize our untouched main course has become cold and we couldn’t eat it anymore. But the evening was definitely worth it. 🙂

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MY MOMENT OF SUCCESS:

Do you know the song “Billionaire” by Travie McCoy?  One of the lyrics says “I wanna be on the cover of Forbes Magazine, smiling next to Oprah and the Queen”. When I heard the song for the first time, I just smiled, because secretly, I always wanted to work for or with Forbes, and of course to appear on the platform. Not for the fame, but as an achievement, a result of my work.

Faster than ever expected… this dream came true: During the summit I met the lovely ladies Olivia and Jessica from Forbes who invited me to the Forbes Headquarters in New York for meetings with Moira Forbes (President, Forbes Woman) and Michael Solomon (Editor, Forbes Life).

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One month later, you can see the result of this meeting here: I have got my own blog on www.forbes.com/lifestyle, and am writing about the beautiful things of life: Travel.  I couldn’t be more thankful and happy.

www.forbes.com/sites/neloliviawaga

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My advice to young entrepreneurs: believe in your dreams, pursue them and have faith that everything is going to happen, as it is meant to be.

THANK YOU Baume et Mercier & Forbes!

Fun Photo-Box Selfie with Baume et Mercier and Forbes Ladies:

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HER/etiquette

Founded in 2014, re-launched in 2019, by Nel-Olivia Waga. HER/etiquette is an international luxury lifestyle blog, that features curated stories coming from a conscious mindset. It collaborates with leading brands and specialists who share the idea of generating a positive impact in the world. Based in Zurich, we cover local hotspots and global trends around sustainability, innovation, well-being, health, beauty, travel, time, art, business and philantropy.

Nel-Olivia Waga is the Founder & Publisher of HER/etiquette. She is a Brand Consultant, an Author and Entrepreneur, most passionate about well-being, travel, nature and art. Her work can regularly be seen in her column on FORBES. Her consultancy YMPACT LAB, creates innovative projects for luxury brands based on passion, purpose and sustainable impact.

CONSCIOUS LUXURY

#ConsciousLuxury is the theme of HER/etiquette. We combine luxury lifestyle with consciousness. Each story we share, is underlined with values. The purpose and innovation of the brands we collaborate with, are as important to us, as their initiatives towards ethical craftsmanship, sustainability, holistic health and social responsibility.

This is our first step towards contributing to the global movement of creating a more positive impact within our community and beyond.

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Photo credits:
Nel-Olivia Waga and Forbes

CONSCIOUS LUXURY

#ConsciousLuxury is the theme of HER/etiquette. We combine luxury lifestyle with consciousness. Each story we share, is underlined with values. The purpose and innovation of the brands we collaborate with, are as important to us, as their initiatives towards ethical craftsmanship, sustainability, holistic health and social responsibility.

This is our first step towards contributing to the global movement of creating a more positive impact within our community and beyond.

PLANT TREES WITH US

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