Ikdem Ben Mbarek profile

Hello! I am Ikdem Ben Mbarek

I build systems that scale from idea to production.

Last position: Co-Founder & CTO at Waaw,

Contact me on WhatsApp

Full-stack engineer and technical leader with 6+ years shipping production systems — from fintech platforms handling multi-currency payments to marketplaces integrating social, delivery, and payment APIs. I recruit and mentor teams, design system architecture, and own delivery from requirements through CI/CD, monitoring, and release.

Work Experience

Waaw logo

Co-Founder & CTO

Waaw

Jun 2024 – Present·Tunis, Tunisia · Remote

Self-employed

Co-founded Africa's first collaboration-based marketplace, leading the product from idea to a fully working system with mobile apps on the App Store and Play Store.

  • Recruited and onboarded developers; ran requirement analysis, ticketing, and PR reviews
  • Integrated third-party APIs: TikTok, Meta, Phyllo, delivery partners, and payment providers (Konnect, Flouci)
  • Built CI/CD with GitHub Actions, containerized services with Docker, and load balancing with nginx
TypeScriptReactNext.jsTailwindReact NativeNode.js
Encora Inc. logo

Senior Software Engineer

Encora Inc.

Nov 2024 – Sep 2025·Bogotá, Colombia · Remote

Full-time

Staffed on Notable's health-tech flow studio, working in a cross-cultural team to maintain and evolve a microservices codebase.

  • Upgraded frontend applications from MUI v5 to MUI v7 and standardized the design system
  • Introduced cursor pagination across multiple pages for better table performance
  • Implemented features in a microservices architecture using Python and Node.js
TypeScriptReactMUIPythonNode.jsPostgreSQL
Konnect Networks logo

Technical Lead

Konnect Networks

Jun 2021 – Apr 2024·Tunis, Tunisia

Full-time

Led technical operations for one of the fastest-growing fintech startups in Tunisia, driving a full system redesign and v2/v3 releases.

  • Recruited, onboarded, and mentored the development team; re-architected the system for multi-currency support
  • Shipped custom fees, commissions, donations, KYC/KYB, fraud detection, recurring payments, and invoicing
  • Migrated stacks to TypeScript, Next.js, Remix, and React Native; added CI/CD and automated testing on every PR
TypeScriptReactAngularIonicRemixTailwind
SMU – South Mediterranean University logo

Professor

SMU – South Mediterranean University

Sep 2021 – Aug 2022·Tunis, Tunisia

Part-time

Delivered web and mobile development courses for computer science engineering students.

  • Taught React, React Native, Redux, Node, Express, databases, Git, and deployment
  • Prepared lectures, exercises, exams, and supervised student projects
ReactReact NativeNode.jsTeaching
ReBootKamp (RBK) Tunisia logo

Technical Mentor · Cohort Lead

ReBootKamp (RBK) Tunisia

Oct 2020 – Jun 2021·Tunis, Tunisia

Full-time

Led a team of instructors mentoring students through a 5-month full-stack JavaScript bootcamp.

  • Delivered curriculum from Hack Reactor and Galvanize (JS, React, Node, Angular, Vue, REST, databases)
  • Ran live-code sessions, weekly assessments, GitHub code reviews, and 1-on-1 support
  • Improved problem-solving through daily algorithms and whiteboarding
JavaScriptReactAngularVueNode.jsMongoDB
Talan logo

Software Engineer Intern

Talan

Feb 2019 – Sep 2019·Tunis, Tunisia

Internship

Internship building blockchain solutions and Angular frontends for enterprise consulting engagements.

  • Developed Angular applications integrated with blockchain backends and smart contracts
  • Contributed to distributed ledger prototypes and on-chain/off-chain data flows
  • Worked with consultants on technical design, implementation, and client delivery
AngularBlockchainSolidityTypeScriptJavaScriptNode.js

I'm open to senior engineering and tech lead roles where I can drive product delivery, mentor teams, and build reliable systems at scale.

Skills

Languages

JavaScriptTypeScriptPythonGoJavaPHPSolidity

Frontend

ReactNext.jsRemixReact NativeExpoAngularTailwindTanStack

Backend

Node.jsExpressNestJSKoaStrapiLaravelSpringGraphQL

Data

PostgreSQLMongoDBMySQLRedisTypeORMMongooseSequelize

DevOps & Cloud

AWSDockerKubernetesGitHub ActionsHerokuDigitalOceannginxPrometheusGrafanaGCP

Practices

TDDJestpytestCI/CDMicroservicesAgileCode ReviewSystem Design

Featured Projects

Waaw logo

Featured Project

Waaw

Collaboration-based marketplace connecting influencers and brands across Africa — from system design to mobile app store releases.

  • End-to-end marketplace with social integrations, payments, delivery, and wallet management
  • Production infrastructure: Docker, Redis, nginx, Prometheus/Grafana, GitHub Actions CI/CD
TypeScriptNext.jsReact NativeTailwindPostgreSQLRedisDockerAWS
Konnect Networks logo

Featured Project

Konnect Networks

Multi-currency fintech platform powering payments, KYC/KYB, and white-label solutions across North and West Africa.

  • System v2/v3 redesign with automated operations, fraud detection, and recurring payments
  • Migrated React class components to modern hooks; moved the web app from React.js to Remix with TypeScript
  • Migrated the mobile app from Ionic to React Native
  • E-commerce plugins for WordPress, PrestaShop, and WHMCS
  • KaiOS app wallet for Ivory Coast Post
RemixReactReact NativeIonicTailwindNode.jsMongoDBAWSStrapi
Visit Salakta logo

Project

Visit Salakta

Visitor guide for Salakta, Tunisia — monuments, partner businesses, stays, and bookable experiences, with iOS and Android apps.

  • Public site, admin dashboard, and NestJS API for destinations, partners, events, and promotions
  • Expo / React Native apps on iOS and Android with deep links to visitsalakta.com
  • Multilingual visitor experience (EN / FR / ES) on web and mobile
TypeScriptNext.jsNestJSReact NativeExpoPostgreSQLNx
Tez Promo logo

Project

Tez Promo

Local promotions platform for Fusagasugá — discounts, partners, events, and places to visit, with web, PWA, and mobile apps.

  • QR-based offers so visitors can browse deals without installing an app
  • Admin, public client, and NestJS API for partners, categories, events, and destinations
  • Expo / React Native apps plus PWA install tracking for Android and iOS
TypeScriptNext.jsNestJSReact NativeExpoPostgreSQLNx
Aventoura logo

Project

Aventoura

GetYourGuide-style experiences marketplace for Tunisia — operators list activities and travelers discover, book, and manage trips on web and mobile.

  • Marketplace for bookable experiences, operators, and traveler bookings — not just a trip builder
  • iOS and Android apps alongside the public site and admin dashboard
  • Reservation flows, catalog of activities, and OpenAI travel-guide chatbot; containerized with Docker
DockerNxNestJSNext.jsReactReact Native
Qoussai Photography logo

Project

Qoussai Photography

Editorial one-page portfolio for photographer Qoussai — weddings, sport, concerts, nature, and product, with EN/FR switching.

  • Minimal black-and-white gallery with category tabs, auto-scrolling strips, and a fullscreen lightbox
  • Bilingual EN/FR site with contact and booking CTAs
Next.jsTypeScriptTailwindReact
Nesma Car Rental logo

Project

Nesma Car Rental

Fleet and rental operations platform for managing vehicles, bookings, timelines, and invoicing across agencies.

  • Fleet management with vehicle tracking, availability, and agency oversight
  • Booking management with reservation timelines from request through return
  • Invoice generation and billing workflows for rentals and agencies
DockerNxNestJSNext.jsReact

Education & Certifications

Education

  • Computer Science Engineering

    University of Tunis el Manar

    Sep 2016 – Jun 2019·Tunis, Tunisia

  • Technology & Physics

    Pre-Engineering Institute of Monastir

    Sep 2014 – Jun 2016·Monastir, Tunisia

Languages

Arabic· NativeEnglish· FluentFrench· FluentSpanish· Professional

Certifications

  • Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD)

    The Linux Foundation·2026

  • Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate (KCNA)

    The Linux Foundation·2025

  • AWS AI Practitioner

    AWS·2024

  • Microsoft Azure Fundamentals

    Microsoft·2024

  • AWS Cloud Practitioner

    AWS·2024

Contact