Ismael Belkhayat

Respect the hustle of Ismael Belkhayat, this guy’s a straight-up beast in the startup world. So, he’s Moroccan, right? But his story is all about jumping into the deep end and making shit happen. Started out with a solid background, did his thing at ESCP in Paris and then got his Master’s from Cornell. Dude’s got brains, no doubt. But what really sets him apart is how he’s always been about building stuff from scratch.

Before Chari, he was all over the place, working at BCG in Paris, which is basically the consulting holy grail. But he wasn’t just chillin’ there; he was launching ventures like Wib.co, Morocco’s first web incubator. That’s some real local impact. He also founded VotreChauffeur, which got snapped up by Avis, so he’s clearly got the Midas touch for startups. Then there’s Sarouty, a big player in Moroccan real estate, partnering with Propertyfinder. The guy’s got a knack for spotting gaps and turning them into legit businesses.

But here’s where it gets wild, in 2020, he took all that hustle and co-founded Chari. This isn’t just some local thing; Chari is a B2B e-commerce and fintech platform that’s transforming how traditional retailers in French-speaking Africa get supplies. Think about it, these retailers are often underserved, right? They need quick delivery and micro-loans to keep their shelves stocked. Ismael’s platform does just that. It’s legit changing the game for small shops across Morocco, Tunisia, Ivory Coast. They’ve raised over $6 million, expanded fast, and even made it into Y Combinator’s Summer 2021 batch, which, let’s be real, is a big deal for an African startup.

What’s crazy is, this dude’s all about impact, not just business. Recognized as one of Morocco’s top tech players, he’s snagged awards like Disruptor of the Year from the Africa CEO Forum. On top of that, he’s into skydiving and flying planes, shows he’s all about pushing limits, both in the air and in life.

So, what does this say about him? He’s driven by a real desire to solve problems, to build stuff that matters. His process from consulting to founding multiple startups, then crushing it with Chari, shows he’s all about taking risks, innovating, and making a real difference in people’s lives. Starting things isn’t just a hustle for him, it’s a way to change communities, disrupt old ways, and keep pushing the boundaries. The dude’s the real deal, a proof that with enough grit and vision, you can totally reshape an system. No Cap.