What I Did Next Karima El Hakim
Nov 11, 2025
Karima El Hakim, Country Director at Plug & Play Egypt and a vibrant advocate for animal welfare, shares her inspiring journey from a Francophone upbringing in Cairo to a dynamic career in technology and investment. She discusses navigating personal losses and how they reshaped her priorities. Karima also delves into her work with ecosystem building in Africa and her passion for teaching fitness at BURN. With candid insights on mental health, career pivots, and her quirky personal brand, she offers a refreshing perspective on balancing life's challenges.
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French Schooling Shaped Early Drive
- Karima grew up in a Francophone household and read a lot of classic French children's books as a child.
- Her parents involved her in family decisions and rewarded reading, shaping her drive and curiosity.
Home Can Restore Professional Drive
- Karima realized living in France reduced her sense of drive due to bureaucracy and limited entrepreneurial outlets.
- Returning to Egypt restored confidence by reconnecting her network and appetite for risk.
Multiple Losses Changed Social Priorities
- In 2018 Karima lost a close colleague, her grandmother, and her aunt within a short period of time.
- The losses changed her social priorities and led her to skip events where she couldn't feel genuinely festive.