Charlie Youakim.

Charlie Youakim leads Sezzle, the publicly traded buy-now-pay-later company that has become one of the rare profitable BNPL operators.

Sezzle allows consumers to split purchases into four interest-free installment payments, competing with Klarna, Afterpay, and Affirm in a category that has reshaped U.S. consumer credit. Under Youakim's leadership, Sezzle navigated a particularly difficult transition: from a Nasdaq-listed growth story through the 2022-2024 market correction into a profitable, disciplined financial services company. Few BNPL companies achieved that trajectory - most peers have continued posting significant losses while Sezzle has consistently delivered positive unit economics. Youakim was named the 2025 EY Entrepreneur of the Year National Financial Services and FinTech Award winner. The company has continued growing its merchant network, user base, and financial partnerships while maintaining profitability, a combination that sets it apart structurally from the rest of the installment-payment category. His disciplined operational approach through public-market volatility has become a widely cited case study for founder-CEOs navigating growth-stage to profitability transitions.