Alizée Lanckriet - Participant 2021-2022
“Above all, this Prince Albert Fund year helped boost my resilience even more.”
Role
After working for Ester, a food tech startup, Alizée switched projects due to the coronavirus pandemic and the company’s financial difficulties. She ended up joining Gimber, a premium alcohol-free drink brand, as a business developer in the United States.
Responsibilities
At Gimber, Alizée’s main objectives were to conduct a market analysis and develop and roll out a business plan. She had to define a sales approach for each target segment and map the competition, while receiving commitments on the first orders. Entering the US market made the mission even more challenging, given the administrative burden in terms of product compliance: the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Food Canning Establishment (FCE), Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP), etc.
How she benefited
Both Prince Albert Fund projects enabled Alizée to further develop her decision-making skills, also helping her to work more autonomously. She learned to structure her work and build processes to collaborate more easily. Moreover, the different setbacks that she faced contributed to her ability to put things in perspective. “Some things you can’t control, but you can control to maintain a positive, growth mindset”, Alizée concludes.
The company – Gimber
Founded in 2018, Gimber produces an organic alternative to any alcoholic drink in the form of a ginger-based aperitif. The Belgian company’s organic drink is made from premium ginger, lemon, herbs and spices. Its headquarters are in the province of Walloon Brabant. The brand plans to expand its distribution through its export strategy.
“Alizée managed to give us a clear idea of the market scope, as well as a deep insight into the go-to-market possibilities. This gave us a good base to analyze our actual potential as well as the risks involved.”