Founders

Our Story In 2026, Dakar Martin, an American entrepreneur living in Morocco, and Rasheed,   

a Moroccan master weaver from Marrakech, founded their business with a shared vision: to build a cooperative that supports local artisans while bringing authentic Moroccan craftsmanship to a wider international audience. Their journey began years earlier in 2024 while both worked with a company called “Cooperative Les Nomads.” During his time there, Dakar quickly learned the tourism and artisan market in Morocco and understood why Morocco had become one of the leading tourist destinations in North Africa. He also recognized an opportunity that many businesses had overlooked — although Moroccan handmade products were admired by tourists visiting the country, they had very little exposure in global e-commerce markets. Dakar began developing new marketing ideas focused on expanding Moroccan products beyond traditional tourism. He realized that while travel videos about Morocco attracted millions of viewers online, most audiences only discovered Moroccan culture if they were already searching for North African destinations. His vision was to reach broader audiences through YouTube and social media by creating content across multiple topics and interests, introducing Moroccan craftsmanship to people who may never have discovered it otherwise. In early 2025, Dakar left Cooperative Les Nomads after concerns about the company’s direction and investment decisions. He relocated to Ouarzazate to begin planning a new future. Months later, in August 2025, Rasheed also decided to leave the company after spending nearly 10 years weaving rugs and blankets for the business while receiving little compensation for his craftsmanship. A native of Marrakech, Rasheed had spent years traveling long distances in search of reliable work for his weaving skills. Wanting more control over his future and greater respect for the value of artisan work, he joined Dakar to build something of their own. Together, they traveled to Merzouga

with very limited resources, sharing a small room that served as both their living space and workshop. Much of their savings went toward purchasing weaving materials and equipment needed to begin their cooperative from the ground up. Today, Rasheed hand-weaves the blankets, rugs, and textiles, while Dakar manages the online business, marketing, and international outreach. Their mission is not only to build a sustainable business for themselves, but also to support women-led artisan cooperatives and preserve the tradition of Moroccan craftsmanship through fair opportunities and economic development. Their story is built on resilience, partnership, and a belief that authentic handmade work deserves to be valued both in Morocco and around the world.