In this special episode of the Selected Podcast, recorded live at VivaTech 2025, world-renowned chef and modern gastronomy pioneer Yannick Alléno joins host Ben Costantini to share a deeply personal and powerful mission: turning tragedy into systemic change. Following the devastating loss of his son in a road accident caused by a repeat offender, Yannick co-founded an association that launched Impact, a civil tech initiative uniting startups, policymakers, artists, and corporations to fight road violence. He discusses how tech, art, and activism can converge to save lives, and why exhibitions like VivaTech are key to accelerating that movement.
Yannick Alléno is best known for revolutionizing French cuisine. But in recent years, he’s stepped into an entirely different arena—road safety advocacy. After his son’s life was taken in a senseless car crash, Yannick transformed his grief into action, founding an association to tackle road violence through legislative reform, youth support, and technological innovation.
At VivaTech 2025, Alléno launched the Impact initiative—the first platform rallying civil tech actors to combat road deaths globally. The effort brought together over 120 startups from 42 countries, proposing solutions spanning AI, sensor tech, vehicle safety systems, and behavior-change tools. Three standout projects were showcased:
“Tech can save lives, and it can be a good business too,” Yannick says.
Beyond policy and startups, Impact uses art and storytelling to change public perception. Its signature performance, Fragiles, fuses dance, music, and testimonies - including from perpetrators of road violence - to humanize the statistics and engage younger audiences.
This intersection of emotional resonance and policy innovation is at the heart of the project’s approach.
Impact’s mission rests on three pillars:
From France to New Delhi, Alléno’s ambition is global. He’s seeking partnerships with governments, insurers, mobility companies, and tech leaders to embed road safety solutions at scale. Renault is already an anchor partner, providing both financial and strategic support.
This isn’t bad luck, it’s preventable. And we can act now.
Association Antoine Alléno – Official site of the initiative
Impact Project – Civil tech movement for road safety
VivaTech – France’s biggest tech & innovation event
Sesamers – Discover the events and people shaping the future of innovation