Meet NYC Global Shaper Karim Abouelnaga, CEO and Founder of Practice Makes Perfect (PMP)
Beyond the Bio: Karim Abouelnaga
Q: What are you working on?
Karim Abouelnaga: I run an organization called Practice Makes Perfect (PMP) that I started when I was 18. PMP works with K-8 schools to provide them with high quality academic summer programming. The organization is a full-service summer school provider. We basically make summer school cool, fun, and beneficial so that it is seen as a good investment instead of a waste of time.
Q: What’s your passion?
KA: I am passionate about equality. I believe all children should have the same opportunity to succeed. At that core of that is having the opportunity to attain a world class education. Today, as structured, our public education system does not work equally for all children. Kids growing up in economically disadvantaged households face significant obstacles and have greater barriers that they have to overcome to attain a quality education. If receiving a high quality education is still the biggest driver of socioeconomic mobility, but we don’t give all children the same opportunity at attaining that education, then we are missing out as a society on so much intellectual capital.
Q: What does being a part of the Global Shapers Community mean to you?
KA: It is a responsibility and a blessing. I’m a part of a community that cares about our city and cares about each other. The thing we need most when we are undertaking large scale change are supporting communities. I feel a sense of belonging, commitment, and responsibility for the other members and the impact they will have on our world.
Q: What kind of impact do you want to make on the world?
KA: I’ve committed my life to making sure that our public education system works for everyone — not just those who are at the top of the socioeconomic ladder.
Q: What’s the toughest challenge you are facing right now?
KA: I’m building and scaling a company. We’re also providing a service that hasn’t been provided before. As a result, there is so much room for creativity, yet so little room for error.
Q: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
KA: I never received this directly, but Zig Ziglar’s platitude: “your attitude determines your altitude.”
Q: For what in your life do you feel most grateful?
KA: My family, my closest friends who are like brothers to me, and the incredible people who work tirelessly at PMP who are helping us get one step closer to a public education system that works for all children.
Have other questions for Karim? Ask him on Twitter @KarimAbouelnaga
About the Author: Karim Abouelnaga is the Founder and CEO of Practice Makes Perfect, an evidence-based, full-service summer school provider for K-8 schools. Karim experienced the struggle to succeed in under-resourced urban public schools; lucky enough to benefit from nonprofits that provided him with great mentors, he received over $300,000 in scholarships to make his college education possible and is now working to make the college education experience he received possible for other economically disadvantaged children. To date, Practice Makes Perfect has worked with over 850 students in New York City and DC and has plans for expanding to other neighborhoods across the United States. Karim is a regular contributor for Entrepreneur, is a Global Shaper, an Echoing Green Fellow and was named to Forbes’ 30 under 30 in Education. He graduated from Cornell University with a degree in Hotel Administration.