Yael Kochman is an experienced entrepreneur, marketer, company builder and open innovation expert, with a great passion for startups and technology. With 15 years of experience in venture building and business development, Yael Co-Founded Re:Tech – Isreal’s first of its kind community and innovation hub helping retailers and CPG’s with open innovation, powered by a community of 500+ startups and tech companies developing cutting edge solutions to disrupt retail. In addition to her work at Re:Tech, Yael joined buywith, the leading video commerce platform, in 2023 to lead the company’s marketing and business expansion efforts, where she heads a team of talented marketing professionals across Israel and the US.
Yael was selected as a Top Retail Expert by RETHINK Retail in 2024, and is currently a member of RETHINK Retail’s prestigious advisory council. She was also selected as one of NRF Voices by the National Retail Federation for 2025, as one of 40 under 40 by TheMarker, Israel’s leading business publication, as one of the top 100 Retail Tech Leaders by Retail Week and as one of 59 Influential Women Marketers by HubSpot. Yael is also the Co-Founder of Re:Tech Disrupt – Israel’s first conference on retail innovation and technology. As a speaker, Yael is often invited to industry events, such as; ShopTalk, The Lead, Tech by Retail Week, and many others. She is volunteering as a mentor is several accelerators and academia programs as well as on the retail tech committee of the Israeli Export Institute.
Recently, in an exclusive interview with CXO Outlook Magazine, Yael shared her professional trajectory, the inspiration behind establishing Re:Tech, insights on diversity and inclusion, future plans, pearls of wisdom, and much more. The following excerpts are taken from the interview.
Hi Yael. Please tell us about your background and areas of interest.
As a kid I wanted to be a fashion designer. Growing up my passions have shifted, and I became aware of other areas of interest. I was lucky to work as a student in sales and marketing roles and was very quickly promoted to sales management and training positions. This taught me that I like working with people leading teams and managing different projects. At the age of 25 I was appointed as a COO in a small company managing many different projects and a team of 50 sales agents project managers and it was the best opportunity for me to grow as a leader. Yet my passion for fashion stayed in the background and when I was 28 years old I started a fashion technology startup with a partner. While that venture did not grow as expected it led me to start a community for fashion and retail tech startups which later evolved into the Re:Tech innovation hub which was the first retail innovation hub in Israel.
You are an CMO at buywith – Can you please tell us about this organization and your role in it?
buywith is a video commerce platform working with brands and retailers to transform their e-commerce into a dynamic and engaging video experience. We work with the world’s leading retailers and brands and help them create engaging video commerce experiences at scale. As the CMO I am in charge of the brand strategy and any marketing related activities as well as strategic partnerships and business development.
What do you love the most about your current role?
What I love most about my current role is how dynamic it is. Working in a vibrant tech startup enables me to touch on many different aspects of the business and manage a dynamic schedule where every day is very different than the previous day. I get to work with amazing clients with a very talented team, and to be part of a truly innovative solution that is making a real impact on the retail industry. Video commerce is the future of retail shopping, and buywith is a unique solution that enables brands and retailers to collaborate to bring an engaging experience to consumers.
Can you tell us about Re:Tech? What is its mission and vision?
Re:Tech started as a community for retail technology startups. Today it is a global community and innovation hub with a vibrant network of senior retail executives from all over the world as well as the top retail technologies and innovators. We run industry events around AI in retail, the future of customer experience, innovation in logistics and supply chain, and many other topics that are at the core of the industry.
How do you approach the ever-changing landscape of digital marketing and emerging technologies such as AI?
Based in Israel, I am lucky to be at the heart of one of the world’s top technology AI hubs. As I’ve been active in the ecosystem for many years, I am lucky to have a wide network of connections with VC’s, hubs, accelerators, innovation labs and sister communities and I’m often being introduced and referred to the latest early stage technologies. This is how I get to know those breaking technologies from their early inception. On top of that I am also a regular speaker at industry events such as ShopTalk, Re:Tech Disrupt, and others which helps me keep up with the latest trends and innovations in the industry.
What are your thoughts on gender equality and inclusion? Do you think there is a gender bias in your industry?
Today even as more women are getting into the tech industry and founding their own companies still only 2% of VC funding is invested in women led startups. In the retail industry, which is more accessible and loved by women, I do see a relatively higher number of women founders, which is a bit encouraging, yet this number is still much lower than men founders and they are still finding it more difficult to raise funds which ultimately affects their success potential.
Is there a particular person you are grateful for who helped get you to where you are?
I have many people to be thankful for – starting with my first CEO who saw my potential and promoted ne to be his COO at the age of 25. He was the one who taught me all about P&Ls, ROI and in general how a business is operated. I’m also very grateful to my partners over the years – on both my first startup and at Re:Tech – a good partner is everything, and I couldn’t have gotten to where I am today without their support. I had many mentors and friends over the years who have offered me their advice and support. And finally, my partner in life, whose support, patience, guidance and partnership helped me push beyond my boundaries and continue exploring new challenges and opportunities.
What does the term “authentic leadership” mean to you?
I have always led by example. I don’t think people like to do what they are told and and they especially don’t like to be told what to do by a leader who does not follow his own guidance. I developed my leadership skills when I was serving in the army as a 19 year old young officer in the IDF logistic force. I had to command soldiers who were older than me, more experienced than me, and there was no way they would listen to me just because I told them to do something. No one taught me how to lead these soldiers but my internal instinct let me to lead by example, to always be the first in the field and to treat my soldiers as equals. This is how together, as a team, we were able to conquer challenges in one of the toughest environments. It was only natural for me to take these learnings and implement them throughout the rest of my career.
What are some of your passions outside of work? What do you like to do in your time off?
Outside of work I enjoy traveling and spending time with my family my husband our three beautiful kids and are expanded families.
What is your biggest goal? Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now?
In five years from now I still see myself pioneering and leading retail innovation collaborating with the with the world’s biggest retailers and brands to drive innovation and make a true impact on the industry.
What advice would you give to somebody who is considering entering your field?
The retail industry is one of the most challenging ones do you to low margins, complex processes and traditional legacy platforms. It is therefore one of the hardest industries to penetrate and to implement innovation. Yet if this is the industry that you’re passionate about make sure to find mentors to teach you about the industry and help you find sweet spots where you can make a difference.