Founder of BlaBlaCar & Dift
2 October 2025, at Maison Michodière, Paris
Some projects stem from a need, others from an intuition. And sometimes, from a simple journey or even a simple slogan.
As he was trying to reach his family in Vendée for the Christmas holidays, Frédéric Mazzella found that every train was fully booked. He ended up making the trip by car with his sister, thinking: “Why isn’t there a platform to share a ride?” This question would spark the creation of BlaBlaCar, a company that would go on to revolutionize mobility across Europe and around the world. By fostering mutual aid between citizens, BlaBlaCar embodies a new way of doing business: useful, human, and sustainable. Today, it connects over 100 million users from Brazil to India.
“When I grow up, I want to be alive!” – It was this slogan, carried by the younger generation during a climate march, that inspired Frédéric to imagine a new form of generosity: Dift. A true intergenerational bridge of solidarity between businesses, individuals, and nonprofits, Dift turns any gift into an opportunity to contribute to the greater good, through donations to impactful social and environmental projects. The name “Dift” merges the words Don and Gift. In under three years, Dift has already facilitated the redistribution of more than €20 million to 300 nonprofits, supported by over 350 committed companies, including a dozen from the CAC 40.
Co-president of France Digitale, active investor, host of Les Pionniers on BFM Business and jury member on Who Wants to Be My Partner? on M6, Frédéric upholds a core belief: innovation only has value if it serves the common good and promotes sharing.
At this LeadHers lunch, we were delighted to welcome Frédéric Mazzella, a leading figure of responsible innovation. A graduate of ENS, Stanford, and INSEAD, he brings together intellectual rigor, scientific discipline, and entrepreneurial intuition.
Our guests joined us to discover his journey, his vision, and the commitments that inspire him to do business differently.