Cahéla Kouleon, a children’s author, member of the regional youth council of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, and entrepreneur, at 25 years old, created Culture Konnect to fund culture passes for young people in francophone Africa.
She completed a bachelor’s degree in real estate but decided not to pursue a career in property management. “I didn’t have time to do what inspires me daily,” said Cahéla Kouleon, a 25-year-old Franco-Ivorian. She then took over the reins of the Recah association that she founded in 2022 to promote and distribute African children’s literature and launched an entrepreneurial project with Culture Konnect in 2024. The concept? To meet the cultural accessibility needs of young people in francophone Africa through cultural passes.
Tying partnerships
“In France, Culture Konnect wouldn’t make much sense where there are already culture passes, youth passes, or young cards. However, in francophone Africa, millions of children and young people do not have access to cultural and educational activities,” she explained. Partnering with Florian Geffroy, she created a digital platform that enables companies to finance passes as part of corporate social responsibility (CSR). Culture Konnect, which takes a 20% commission on pass sales, works on creating partnerships to build a catalog of activities and identify young people through a network of associations on-site. In one year, 150 children were supported in Ivory Coast. The goal is to reach 500 in 2027.
The challenge of slow entrepreneurship
Cahéla Kouleon’s commitment can be traced back to her family history, especially her father who established a leisure center in Ivory Coast based on the French model. “It worked well until its closure in 2010 during a time of war,” she said. Ten years later, she wanted to revive a similar project. “With what money?” her father asked. She eventually chose a digital alternative. This led to the birth of Culture Konnect, a startup project still linked to the association but expected to evolve into a social and solidarity economy (ESS) business. A decision she stands by, even if it may not be the most appealing.
“The social impact is always a bit more valued compared to the economic impact,” she emphasized, following the principles of slow entrepreneurship. She acknowledged that at one point, she felt she was not allocating her energy properly, especially as financial matters started to take precedence. However, by being part of an impact incubator in Nice and ODD-yssée in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, which helps associations and companies secure subsidies for international cooperation projects, she managed to navigate these challenges.
Hybrid model
Alongside her entrepreneurial ventures, Cahéla Kouleon continues to write. She is currently working on her second novel while also serving as a member of the regional youth council of Nouvelle-Aquitaine and participating in key events like the world forum on social and solidarity economy held in Bordeaux. In her future plans, she aims to develop a hybrid model between the French association and the ESS business to finance passes in Africa. “It makes sense to develop projects that cater to both of our reference territories,” she shared. When it comes to business, she stressed the importance of collaboration with a complementary partner. A digital marketing graduate, Florian Geffroy, created the website. With his guidance, she also learned the importance of setting work hours to maintain a work-life balance. In July 2025, Cahéla Kouleon received an honor medal from the city of Bordeaux for her civic engagement.
