#WomenInTech at VivaTech : Rita Hadjioui and Hind Benchaaboun, co-founders of Behav
Rita Hadjioui and Hind Benchaaboun, co-founders of the start-up Behav, will be at VivaTech 2024 on Wednesday, May 22. Come and meet them at IMT’s stand, L18!
Tell me about yourself.
I’m Rita Hadjioui, a Franco-Moroccan aspiring to shake up the fashion industry!
My journey began in my hometown of Rabat and continued in Casablanca, where I lived until I was 18. I started my studies in Morocco before continuing in France, where I joined a Grande École program specialized in Corporate Finance. I started my career in Paris as a corporate controller in the automotive sector, then in the field of affordable luxury, which allowed me to gain over five years of experience in the financial sector.
The turning point came after the COVID-19 pandemic, when I was reflecting on the kind of impact I wanted to have. I wanted to reconnect with my Franco-Moroccan roots and contribute to the textile industry, which is part of my family heritage that dates back to my grandfather’s weaving factories in Fez. So, I decided to turn down some great opportunities for promotion in Paris and New York to embark on an entrepreneurial project.
Working together with Hind Benchaaboun, a childhood friend and engineer who shares my values and aspirations, we identified a major gap in the European fashion industry: the lack of eco-responsible sourcing alternatives. This is how BEHAV was born, in response to this growing demand.
Could you tell us more about your project?
BEHAV is an industrial start-up dedicated to the eco-design of innovative textile materials. We are currently in the R&D phase of an eco-responsible cactus-based alternative to leather from Moroccan agriculture.
Our vision is to contribute to the ecological transition of the textile industry with our fully traceable, low-environmental impact material that provides a high social impact. Our solution therefore addresses the twofold problem of the textile industry’s environmental impacts as well as changes in consumer expectations and European regulations on the circular economy.
In practical terms, our goal is to produce our material in France at our own production unit and to have an impact in Morocco through our partnerships with agricultural cooperatives and women’s cooperatives. This will allow us to create additional income for farmers by cultivating a cactus that was previously underdeveloped, and for women from rural areas by working with women’s cooperatives to extract and process this plant.
You are supported by the IMT Nord Europe incubator. How is this support helping you develop your project?
It is much more than an incubator, since we carry out part of our R&D at the CERI MP laboratory of IMT Nord Europe, where we receive specific scientific support.
In addition, during the first months following the creation of our company, IMT Nord Europe was able to offer us exceptional support, ranging from legal and financial issues to the challenge of our business model.
What are your expectations for VivaTech?
At VivaTech we are expecting to meet with the innovation departments of stakeholders using animal leather or imitation leather in the design of their products (leather goods, shoes and automobiles) as well as investors seeking to support positive-impact start-ups for our upcoming fundraising campaign.
What advice would you give to someone who would like to embark on an entrepreneurial adventure?
My advice to women wishing to pursue entrepreneurship would be to go for it without a second thought! We often hear that the path is fraught with pitfalls, that it’s not the right timing, or that we’re not quite ready yet. But the truth is that the biggest challenge lies simply in making the decision to embark on this adventure.
There will certainly be challenges to overcome, but every obstacle encountered will provide an opportunity to learn and grow, both professionally and personally. To move forward you must surround yourself with the right people and aim to have a major impact. You can always acquire technical skills, but what really makes a difference is your mindset, values and the strong support of those around you.
So even though your journey is full of challenges, remember that every step forward brings you closer to your goals. Dare to dream big and dare to take action to make a difference!
