Rita Hadjioui : sustainable entrepreneurship

Rita Hadjioui epitomizes audacity and commitment to a more sustainable fashion industry. As the co-founder of BEHAV alongside Hind Benchaaboun, she has taken on the mission of revolutionizing textile sourcing in France and Europe, while contributing to socio-economic development in Morocco. This is where her story begins… « I was born in Rabat, spent my early childhood in Fes, and grew up in Casablanca where I lived until I was 18. I started my studies in Morocco before moving to France to join a Grande Ecole program specializing in corporate finance. I began my career in Paris as a management controller in the automotive industry, then in affordable luxury. So, I worked for over 5 years in finance, and the turning point came post-COVID when I questioned my impact. »

The COVID-19 pandemic served as a catalyst for her career redirection. Confronted with the need to rethink her impact on the world, she decided to make a radical shift towards entrepreneurship, alongside her childhood friend Hind. « Eager to reconnect with my Franco-Moroccan roots and make a difference in the textile industry, which is a family industry since my grandfather had weaving factories in Fes, I decided to turn down some very promising career opportunities in Paris and NYC, and launch a project with Hind Benchaaboun, a childhood friend, an engineer whose personal story resonates deeply with mine. Aligned on the same values, determined to be part of the change-makers, we launched BEHAV to address this need. »

Their project, BEHAV, is more than just a startup. It is a response to an urgent need: sustainable textile sourcing that respects the environment and local communities. Drawing on their Franco-Moroccan roots and experience in the fashion world, Rita and Hind identified a major gap: the lack of eco-responsible alternatives in the European textile industry. « With my partner, we thus identified a major issue: pollution caused by raw materials, which accounts for between 50 and 70% of the environmental impact of items sold in the leather sector. This realization was the starting point for our research and development efforts to develop a plant-based alternative to leather and faux leather using cactus sourced from Moroccan agriculture, fully traceable, with a high social impact and low environmental footprint. »

Thus was born BEHAV, with a mission to reduce the ecological footprint of the fashion industry. Their innovative approach relies on the use of sustainable raw materials, particularly cactus, abundant in Morocco. This material is transformed into an innovative textile material, offering a plant-based alternative to leather and faux leather, while preserving the environment and supporting local farming communities.

« Today, BEHAV is an industrial startup in the production of innovative textile materials. The idea is to produce our material in France with our own production unit and to have an impact in Morocco through our partnerships with agricultural cooperatives and women’s cooperatives. We create additional income for farmers by valorizing a previously unused cactus and for women from rural backgrounds by working with women’s cooperatives for the extraction and processing of this plant. We are ultimately contributing to the establishment of a new eco-responsible sourcing between Morocco and France/Europe, while helping to enhance skills in Morocco and create solutions adapted to our reality and our vision of impact entrepreneurship in 2023-2024. »

Rita’s commitment goes beyond her company. As a Franco-Moroccan entrepreneur, she is actively involved with Je m’engage pour l’Afrique (JMA), an initiative aimed at rethinking public policies for the development of the continent. Her participation in the citizen conversations in Lille is a testament to her dedication to impact entrepreneurship, focused on social justice, governance, and transparency.

 » In this context, I met Leana Santos, co-founder of Je m’engage pour l’Afrique – JMA with the aim of getting involved with other young African leaders from the diaspora to exchange ideas and rethink public policies related to key development issues on the continent. This commitment materialized on February 2nd with my participation in the citizen conversations in Lille where I spoke alongside Stephanie Rivoal, former French ambassador to Uganda, Cheikh Omar Tall, spokesperson for the Tilenga projects for TotalEnergies, and Loïc Ouattara, co-founder of Djoba Cash in a panel moderated by Jeimila Donty, founder of Koraï, to define together what could be a Business Act for Democracy in Africa.”

“It was crucial for me to highlight the essential role of impact-focused entrepreneurial models in promoting social justice, governance, and transparency. It also seemed essential to emphasize to the audience and the panel that launching a startup in 2023-2024 offers an opportunity to create a business in the economy of tomorrow, by designing its business model in harmony with these values. Fully committing to a global impact, covering environmental, social, and societal aspects, is no longer just an option but a market requirement, supported by investors, legislative frameworks, and partners, and I wanted to convey this message even if it was not necessarily in line with all interventions. »

For Rita and her team, the future looks promising. With ambitious projects to commercialize and industrialize their innovative material, they plan to enhance local skills in Morocco and create employment opportunities for women in rural areas. Their vision of eco-responsible sourcing between Morocco and Europe reflects a deep commitment to a sustainable and inclusive economic model.

« Our roadmap is ambitious for the next two years. We plan to commercialize our material by the end of 2024 and have the capacity to industrialize it internally by the end of 2025. This involves raising funds scheduled for the first quarter of next year to finance our industrialization in Hauts-de-France, as well as having nearly 90 women working on the BEHAV project in Morocco over the next 24 months. It’s a busy schedule but achievable, and we are delighted to count on all our French and Moroccan partners in this venture! »