This ‘Princess On A Bike’ Means Business: Meet IÉSEG Grad & Racing Champ Emily Bondi

When Emily Bondi walked into IÉSEG School of Management with a motorcycle helmet under her arm, she didn’t just turn heads — she was rewriting the narrative of what it means to be a business student. 

Now a rising competitor in the newly launched FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship (WorldWCR), Bondi is making waves on and off the track.

“I was in school one week a month, very intensively,” she recalls of her schedule. “The rest of the time I was in a company, doing my apprenticeship. And on top of that, I had my high-level sports project. It didn’t simplify my life — I had school, work, racing, and a little personal life on the side. So yes, it was intense.”

That intensity defined her IÉSEG experience. She wasn’t just managing a double life — she was merging two worlds: high-performance racing and high-level business education.

BREAKING BARRIERS IN BUSINESS — AND MOTORSPORT

Bondi’s path is exceptional not just for its ambition but for its bold defiance of stereotypes. In France — and across much of Europe — professional motorcycle racing remains male-dominated. But Bondi, a graduate of IÉSEG’s Master in International Business program, wasn’t interested in playing by outdated rules.

Her journey began when she was still in high school. At 19, she launched her racing career, eventually landing in France’s national competition circuit. In 2022, she became the first woman to win a race in the French Yamaha R3 Cup — a landmark victory in a one-make championship series that typically draws seasoned male riders.

She didn’t stop there. In 2023, she finished third overall in the French Women’s Speed Championship, racking up several podium finishes and catching the attention of organizers for the new international women’s series.

This year, Bondi became one of only 24 racers selected worldwide to compete in the inaugural WorldWCR, which launched in 2024 with full backing from Yamaha. Each rider competes on identical Yamaha R7 machines, and the races run alongside the Superbike World Championship, giving Bondi a global platform — and an elite competitive stage.

PIONEERING A NEW KIND OF STUDENT-ATHLETE

Back at IÉSEG, Bondi helped pioneer a different kind of legacy. She was among the first students to be granted “high-level athlete” status by the school — a policy the administration developed in part thanks to her direct feedback.

“It really helped me to have more flexibility with absences,” she tells Poets&Quants. “All my professors were aware of what I was doing. If I had to give something in a day late because I had a race, they understood. It made a real difference.”

The status gave Bondi institutional support at a time when few schools had a roadmap for managing students competing in global sports. She recalls meeting with IÉSEG’s leadership, including the dean, multiple times to discuss improvements for future students. 

“I wasn’t just given a box to fit into — they asked me how to improve the box,” she says. “Now there are more than 20 students at the school with high-level athlete status. That’s something I’m proud to have helped shape.”

WORK-LIFE-RACING BALANCE

Bondi’s academic program was already demanding. As part of her Master in International Business, she completed an alternating schedule that placed her in classes one week each month while working in an apprenticeship the remaining three.

“It was already complicated,” she admits. “And then on top of that, I was doing everything for my racing — calling sponsors during lunch breaks, booking flights in between meetings, organizing gear shipments late at night.”

At one point, the pressure reached a breaking point. Her manager at the event agency where she worked sat her down and gave her an ultimatum.

“He said, ‘I think you need to decide — either you keep doing events or you pursue motorcycles. Right now, they’re not compatible,’” she recalls. “I was scared, because I needed a company to complete my apprenticeship.”

Instead of walking away from either path, she found a creative solution. A sponsor offered her a new role — this time, one that directly supported her racing career. 

“I did small jobs in communication and marketing for them, and they supported my racing,” she says. “Now my work time was aligned with my passion. That was the turning point — when I went from student to professional racer.”

A CAMPUS PRESENCE YOU COULDN’T MISS

Bondi’s presence at IÉSEG was unforgettable. 

“Everyone knew me as the student with the helmet,” she laughs. “Every day, same helmet, same jacket. I changed my clothes, of course — but the helmet was part of me.”

She used her racing identity not just to stand out, but to build a brand. Her Instagram account, which now attracts thousands of fans, was originally born as a classroom project. 

“I used everything I learned in my communication classes — Google Ads, digital strategy, all of it,” she says. “I applied it directly to my racing.”

When group projects came up, her classmates had her back. 

“Sometimes I didn’t even know what the project was about, and they still included me,” she says. “They saw I was working hard. We supported each other.”

THE PROFESSOR WHO CHANGED EVERYTHING

One of Bondi’s most formative academic experiences came in a class she didn’t expect to love: finance.

“I didn’t like finance at all,” she says. “But Professor Emmanuel Dauphiné gave me so much of his time — he stayed after class, explained everything personally. He wanted me to succeed.”

Bondi did more than pass — she aced the course with a perfect score. 

“Twenty out of twenty on the final exam. I was so proud. He was proud, too. And even after the class ended, he kept following my journey. He still checks in on LinkedIn. His advice stuck with me: Have your life plan. After that, you can do anything.”

MOTORCYCLES, MARKETING & MEANING

Even now, Bondi’s success is inseparable from her strategic mindset. Her bright pink racing gear isn’t just about style — it’s a signal. 

“I wear pink so that little girls watching can see a princess on a bike,” she says. “They need to know that a girl is under the helmet.”

That branding, like everything else, is intentional. 

“I think differently than a lot of athletes,” she says. “I always think, ‘This is business. This is how it works.’ I know how companies think. I know how to pitch myself. That’s what IÉSEG taught me.”

Bondi says she often feels out of place among her competitors — not because of performance, but because of perspective. 

“Many riders didn’t have the opportunity to study,” she says. “Sometimes it’s hard to even have a conversation. But I think beyond racing — about leadership, about legacy, about what comes next.”

PAST THE FINISH LINE

Though her competitive career is accelerating, Bondi isn’t waiting to think about what comes next. Her time at IÉSEG instilled a broader mindset — one that blends entrepreneurship, personal development, and long-term planning.

“Performance is important,” she says. “But you have to ask: for what? What are you building? I always think about that.”

Her advice to young athletes is both inspiring and pragmatic. 

“Everything is possible if you want it,” she says. “It’s not that you can’t — it’s that you don’t want to put your energy there. But if you organize yourself, choose the right people, and stay dedicated, you can do both.”

She adds, “You can’t do it all alone. You need a team — mentors, classmates, sponsors. That’s what makes it work.”

THE ROAD AHEAD

Bondi recently returned from another WorldWCR event and is preparing for her next race — this time on home soil in France. She’s proud to be part of the world’s first official women’s motorcycle racing championship and even prouder to represent something bigger than herself.

“This isn’t just about speed,” she says. “It’s about showing what’s possible — on the bike and beyond it.”

DON’T MISS INSIDE THE BOLD TRANSFORMATION OF A ‘GRAND ÉCOLE’ BUSINESS SCHOOL and SHE WAS 19 WITH AN IDEA. NOW HER GLASSES RECYCLING STARTUP IS TAKING OVER FRANCE

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