Build Boldly: Overcome Obstacles With Intentionality | Relentless Pursuit Of Winning Podcast

Karim Abouelnaga, founder of education company Practice, shares his journey of starting the organization and the growth it has experienced over the past 15 years. He emphasizes the importance of having a clear purpose and mission and being open to evolving and shifting as an entrepreneur. Karim also discusses the role of faith in his work and how it helps him navigate challenges and stay focused on serving others.

Summary

In this conversation, Karim Abouelnaga discusses the importance of wisdom and pattern recognition in entrepreneurship, the value of continuous learning and personal growth, and the need for representation and diverse perspectives in solving societal problems. He also talks about his books and the process of removing limiting labels and replacing them with empowering ones.

Takeaways

Starting with a clear purpose and mission is essential for any organization.
Entrepreneurs need to be resilient and expect adversity, but also have faith that things will work out.
Being resourceful and having a background of overcoming challenges can give entrepreneurs an advantage.
Faith can play a significant role in an entrepreneur’s journey, providing guidance, strength, and a sense of purpose.
As an organization grows, it’s important to be open to evolving and shifting to better serve the mission.
Perspective and understanding change over time, and what may seem simple in hindsight was a result of years of learning and experience. The difference between novice entrepreneurs and successful entrepreneurs lies in their wisdom and pattern recognition, not just their ideas.
Continuous learning and personal growth are essential for entrepreneurs to adapt and make better decisions.
Representation and diverse perspectives are crucial in solving societal problems, as people with different experiences can bring unique insights and solutions.
Removing limiting labels and replacing them with empowering ones is a process that can lead to personal and professional growth.

Chapters

00:00: Introduction and Background
02:52: Starting with Purpose
06:05: Resilience and Faith
10:01: The Advantage of Overcoming Challenges
13:57: The Role of Faith in Entrepreneurship
17:57: Evolving and Shifting as an Organization
22:59: The Changing Perspective of an Entrepreneur
26:25: Continuous Learning and Personal Growth
28:20: Representation and Diverse Perspectives
36:36: Solving Societal Problems
40:55: Removing Limiting Labels and Embracing Empowering Ones

Karim Abouelnaga is a vanguard and catalyst for change in urban education. He was raised by a single mother on government aid and went through some of NYC’s most struggling public schools, however, he was fortunate to have a series of nonprofits and mentors who changed his life trajectory. He received over a quarter million dollars in scholarships to make his education possible. Karim founded PRACTICE in his Cornell dorm room at 18 and has dedicated his career to equitably leveling the playing field for low-income children and closing the opportunity gap.

He is a TED Fellow, Echoing Green Fellow, and the author of two books: Breaking Through from Rough to Ready and The Purpose-Driven Social Entrepreneur. At 23, Karim was named to Forbes’ 30 under 30 list in Education, and at 24 was named to Magic Johnson’s 32 under 32 list. His TED Talk was named one of the 9 Most Inspiring Talks of 2017, and his Forbes day-in-the-life feature is one of Forbes’ most viewed videos of all time garnering 4.5 million views. To help others accelerate their learning and continue learning on purpose, Karim publishes a free weekly newsletter titled The Learning Loop. He earned a Bachelor’s in Hotel Administration from Cornell University and a Master’s in Education Policy from Columbia University.