A leading authority on leadership development and organizational performance management, Karima brings more than 25 years of comprehensive, blue chip experience in law, business, and academia to every client engagement. A shrewd advisor to distinguished organizations from DC to Dubai, her expert insights help clients to successfully navigate today’s ever-changing and competitive global business environment. Karima is the author of the internationally acclaimed and 2019 NAACP Image Award nominated leadership guidebook, ‘Poised For Excellence: Fundamental Principles of Effective Leadership in the Boardroom and Beyond ‘ (Palgrave Macmillan), which launched at the United States Military Academy at West Point. As an extension of her work, she speaks regularly both nationally and internationally in her areas of expertise and serves in an advisory capacity on select corporate boards.
Prior to founding WordSmithRapport, Karima worked exclusively with corporate litigation-based firms where she focused on governance, compliance, commercial transactions, complex and foreign litigation. Introduced to the world of complex litigation while clerking for the late Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr., she learned to manage voluminous caseloads and developed an affinity for resolving high- stakes disputes. For the past 12 years she has served as a trusted advisor to the Lawyer Assistance Committee for the Lawyer Assistance Program of the District of Columbia Bar, a confidential program that aids lawyers, judges, and law students who experience problems interfering with their personal lives or their ability to serve as counsel or officers of the court.
Bilingual, Karima speaks both English and Spanish fluently and has effectively leveraged this skillset to facilitate
foreign and domestic litigation, academic instruction and clinical research for the University of California Davis Medical Center and the California School of Professional Psychology.
During her tenure as an Associate Professor of Political Science and Pre-law Studies at Savannah State University, Karima developed core curriculum and lectured on constitutional and criminal law, legal research and writing, global issues and American government. Additionally, she served as an adjudicator on the Judicial Council for Academic Affairs and assisted university counsel in resolving complex issues related to FERPA, Title VII and the ADA.
A native of California, Karima launched her academic career at the University of California Davis, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Following graduation, she was awarded an Academic Fellowship at Cornell University, where she joined faculty in researching, evaluating and presenting fundamental issues on multicultural education. Upon returning from Ithaca, she accepted a position with the legislative and regulatory firm, State Net | California Journal, where she cut her teeth in the field of professional development and liaised with members of Congress, Congressional staff, and executives in the public and private sectors. She earned her Juris Doctor in New England at the Roger Williams University School of Law in Bristol, RI and clerked for the Honorable Jacob Hagopian, United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island.
Karima is an esteemed member of the Cornell University global faculty. As an Executive Development and Corporate Programs Instructor facilitating the University’s award-winning global platform (eCornell), she positions today’s ambitious business leaders and enterprising organizations for excellence worldwide. As President of the Global Advisory Board for the Women’s Global Leadership Initiative, she works with the executive committee to advance the global leadership vision of its founder and has served on a subset of global advisory councils for Egypt, India, France and Russia. Karima sits on the Board of Directors for The Franklin Foundation for Innovation and is the Chairwoman of its Corporate Governance Committee, where she works with fellow board members to monitor and advise on the policies, practices and decisions of the corporation, its agents and stakeholders.
A highly sought-after wordsmith and subject matter expert, her clever commentary is featured in Flat World Navigation: Collaboration and Networking in the Global Digital Economy (Kogan Page) and Entrepreneurship: The Practice and Mindset
(2nd Edition, Sage Publishing), and is cited regularly by industry bloggers, leading corporations and major media outlets alike. A former member of the Forbes Coaches Council, her literary contributions and expert Q&As are showcased throughout the Forbes business platform. Currently, Karima serves on the Editorial Board for the Augustus F. Hawkins Foundation, and is a regular contributor to Entrepreneur, Success and Black Enterprise magazines, where she provides expert insights on professional development topics across industries.
Having earned the professional credentials of Sommelier, Court of Master Sommeliers and Advanced Certification (Merit)Wine and Spirit Education Trust(WSET), Karima is one of an increasing number of women to join the ranks of wine professionals around the globe. Her practical experience includes Wine Educator, Paradise Springs Winery; Wine Consultant/Lecturer, BlancNoire and over a decade of investment cellaring. A previous contributor to ‘Drinking Made Easy’ (curated by Food Network and Travel Channel star, Zane Lamprey), Karima provided regular expertise on food and wine pairings, viticulture, oenology and current affairs for nearly four years. As an industry professional, she continues to indulge all things food and wine at every opportunity.
