From Rennes to Monaco: My Entrepreneurial Beginnings

I was born in Bujumbura, Burundi, and moved to France when I was three. I grew up in Rennes, where my first experiences of business began long before I had a company or a clear idea of the industry I would work in.

Looking back, the connection between those early experiences and my work today is a desire for independence. I wanted to create opportunities and build something of my own.

That motivation eventually took me to Monaco. It started with much smaller transactions.

My first business at twelve

At twelve, I was selling drinks and sweets at school.

It was a simple activity, but it gave me an early experience of commerce: finding something people wanted, buying it and offering it at a price they were willing to pay.

There is a directness to starting that way. You can have an idea about what will sell, but people’s decisions give you an answer. You begin to understand demand through conversations and transactions.

Those beginnings remain part of my story because they show how early my interest in business appeared. I was already drawn to the possibility of turning an idea into something practical.

Leaving school and reselling sneakers

At nineteen, I left school and pursued entrepreneurship, including sneaker resale.

Sneakers gave me another way to explore how a market works. Availability, condition, timing and desirability all influence what someone is prepared to buy. Understanding the product is part of the work; understanding the buyer matters too.

That experience also connects with a question I still find useful today: what gives someone a reason to choose what you are offering?

It is a question that applies across very different industries. The product changes, the amounts change and the responsibilities grow, but you still need to understand the person on the other side of the transaction.

Leaving school was a decision in my own journey. Anyone considering their next step has to assess their circumstances, responsibilities and options. My path developed through pursuing business and learning as I went.

Moving to Monaco at twenty-one

I moved to Monaco at twenty-one.

It became an important place in my entrepreneurial development, bringing me closer to the worlds of automotive, hospitality, yachting and private aviation.

These industries often meet around the same places and occasions. A hotel, a marina, a store or a major event can bring together people with very different businesses and areas of expertise.

Over time, my work developed across those connections. Monaco became part of the environment in which I built relationships and explored new opportunities.

For someone starting out, being close to an industry can help make it more understandable. You begin to see the work behind the finished experience: the introductions, the coordination, the questions and the responsibilities.

My first Ferrari brokerage

At twenty-one, I also brokered my first Ferrari transaction.

It was a significant step in my early career and an introduction to working with a higher-value product.

Brokerage involves understanding what someone is looking for, communicating information and helping the parties move towards a decision. As the value of a transaction increases, clarity becomes especially important.

One lesson I associate with that period is the importance of being precise about your role. What are you responsible for? What needs to be checked? What still depends on someone else?

Those questions remain relevant to my work today. A clear understanding at the beginning gives everyone a better basis for deciding how to proceed.

Developing a wider business

LUND GROUP developed over time into activities spanning private aviation, yachting, automotive, hospitality and experiences. I created Mon Avion in 2016 as a private aviation brand.

Later projects brought different kinds of work. In 2025, LUND GROUP opened a store at the Fairmont Monte-Carlo.

Each project has its own identity and requirements. Working on a retail concept and coordinating a travel enquiry involve different decisions.

My early experiences gave me an interest in finding opportunities. Building businesses has also required attention to the practical work that follows: defining the offer, understanding responsibilities and making decisions.

Why freedom remains the motivation

Freedom has remained a central reason for pursuing entrepreneurship.

For me, that means having the ability to build, choose and give direction to my own work. It also comes with commitments to the people involved in a project.

Respect for time is particularly important to me. Clear communication and a defined next step help people decide where to put their attention.

When I look back at Rennes, sneaker resale and those first steps in Monaco, I can see the beginnings of the questions I still work with today: what can I create, who is it for and what will it take to make it happen?

My entrepreneurial journey is still developing. Those beginnings remain a useful reference as I decide what to build next.