Can technology transform food waste into impact at scale?
In this episode of Impact Talk, host Nadine Zidani sits down with Maxim Harzen and Menna Shahin, co-founders of Ejaby, a next-generation supply chain e-commerce platform reinventing how surplus and slow-moving inventory reaches consumers and businesses.

From tackling food waste and supply-chain inefficiencies to building a startup as a couple, Maxim and Menna share the real story behind Ejaby — including their journey across Egypt, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, the role of technology and AI in their model, and how profitability and environmental impact can grow hand in hand.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn About:
• How Ejaby addresses food waste by intervening early in the supply chain
• Why supply-chain e-commerce is a new and critical category
• The transition from B2C to B2B — and what triggered the shift
• How technology and AI enable scale without warehouses or fleets
• Lessons learned from launching in Egypt before expanding to the UAE and KSA
• Why revenue growth and environmental impact don’t have to be trade-offs
• What it’s really like to build and run a startup as a couple

About Our Guests:
Maxim Harzen is the CEO and Co-Founder of Ejaby, bringing deep experience in commercial strategy and supply chains across Europe, Asia, and the GCC.
Menna Shahin is the COO and Co-Founder of Ejaby, an award-winning tech and sustainability entrepreneur with a background in AI and a strong commitment to social and environmental impact.

Can climate tech unlock Africa’s trillion-dollar opportunity?
In this episode of Impact Talk, host Nadine Zidani sits down with Maxime Bayen — Operating Partner at Catalyst Fund, an early-stage venture capital fund — to explore how VC can drive climate adaptation, resilience, and innovation across Africa.
From venture building and pre-seed investing to empowering founders tackling climate challenges, Maxime shares a data-driven perspective on the evolving African startup landscape — and the power of patient, blended, and inclusive capital to fuel lasting impact.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn About:
-Why climate adaptation and resilience are Africa’s biggest opportunities
-How Catalyst Fund evolved from an accelerator to a leading VC fund
-The challenges early-stage founders face — and how to overcome them
-What investors should know before entering the climate tech space
-The story behind Africa: The Big Deal and key funding trends across the continent
-The gender gap in VC funding and how Catalyst Fund is driving change

About Our Guest:
Maxime Bayen is the Operating Partner at Catalyst Fund, where he leads portfolio support and value creation for over 20 startups across Africa. With years of experience in venture capital, startup building, and data insights through Africa: The Big Deal, Maxime is shaping the future of early-stage climate innovation on the continent.

• What does it really take to build a business with impact?
  After 28 conversations with founders, investors, and changemakers on Impact Talk, I’m sharing the 10 most important lessons I’ve learned about impact entrepreneurship, lessons every founder should know.
  🔗 Sponsor acknowledgment:This episode is brought to you by the World Green Economy Summit (WGES) — one of the world’s leading forums on the green economy, advancing the future of sustainable development.
  📅 The next edition takes place in Dubai on 1–2 October 2025.
  👉 Register here to join the summit.
  
  In this special solo episode, I cover:
  Why storytelling beats pitching.
  The power of measuring your impact.
  How to build networks that open doors.
  Why profit is not a dirty word.
  When VC money helps — and when it doesn’t.
  Why awareness comes before adoption.
  The importance of building a community.
  Pivoting until it works.
  Finding your support system.
  And learning to be misunderstood (and still move forward).
  
  These are lessons drawn from real conversations with founders across MENA, and from my own journey as the founder of MENA Impact, a certified B Corp dedicated to building the regional impact ecosystem.

Whether you’re a startup founder, an entrepreneur, or simply someone curious about the future of sustainable business, this episode will give you insights you can apply on your own journey.

👉 Founders: join the MENA Impact Community to connect with peers, partners, and investors building the ecosystem for impact.