With a great passion for life and an open mind, Ismail Kassem learned to embrace diversity at an early age. His passion and intrigue to learn more was ignited by his travels and personal experiences with people from all walks of life. Empathy is a quality that cultivated his life, creating emotional as well as intellectual insights into people’s individual experiences and realities.
A wild untamed soul and a curious mind, Ismail opened his arms to all there is to know and learn about life. Upon graduation from university, he traveled the world and waited on tables for two years. He learned that people are not different in essence, ” we are all humans at the end of the day; we aspire towards the same things; our dreams may be different; our paths may be different, but our core is just the same”.
An entrepreneur; and now an author, Ismail hopes to create a ‘human-empowerment platform’ that can reach out to all of the Arab world, to challenge and change old stereotypes, enhance human tolerance; and contribute to the human experience and potential by mobilizing both the mental awareness and knowledge on one hand; and empathy on the other. “Empathy is rooted in humility and understanding. Although we may at times reach out to help; we may not have enough courage to display it”.
Ismail believes that leadership is about being able to see the world through the other person’s eyes; and about having the ability to relate to and connect with people to inspire and empower their lives.
“Remembering our humanity is the starting point for creating a community and initiating change. We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them”.
“Only when we challenge ourselves to walk in the shoes of someone else’s pain, can we truly seek human reality. By showing empathy towards others, not only do we empower them, but we can help them discover their own strength and potential. I can’t think of a more creative approach to problem-solving”, he concludes.
An MBA holder, Ismail is an AUC graduate with a degree in Political Science; and Psychology. He is also a certified practitioner in NLP, Time Line Therapy, Hypnosis; and is also a Reiki Healer.
Born and raised in Cairo, Ismail’s parents were the window to his values and outlook to the world. A mother’s unconditional love and support gave him the confidence to pursue his dreams; while his father down-to-earth upbringing and exposure to the business world all the way from the bottom of the ladder, enriched his experiences and taught him to appreciate the value of human potential and hard work.
