Leaders: Shereef

Life Experience:

Shereef was born and raised in Cairo, Egypt, in an upper-middle class Coptic family. He majored in Computer Science, and minored in Theatre and went on to serve a mandatory year in the Egyptian army. For the next 2 years, Shereef co-founded and ran CareerMidEast.com, an online recruitment company, that operated in 13 countries in the middle east.

In 2001 he moved to the US where he managed a test team for Windows and Office at Microsoft in Seattle, WA. His experience includes a ton of amateur and professional theatre, training in Non-Violent Communication, being a mediator for the King County Dispute Resolution Center. He has studied Gestalt Therapy at the Esalen institute, and is currently enrolled in a year-long counseling training program.

If you really knew me:

I feel very proud, and still -slightly- in disbelief about all my accomplishments.

I have a younger brother who inspires me and whom I love dearly.

My father is a simple man, kind, generous, and loving. He walks humbly with God everyday, and knows how to love well. He is my hero.

My family means the world to me.

I spent most of my life growing up without friends.

In 2005, I met the love of my life. Jolana. I never imagined I could be this happy. My heart and mind are constantly blown by this woman. I feel closer to God when I look in her eyes.

I sit regularly in the Vipassana tradition.

I've made it a priority in my life to serve god by continually opening myself to love and service. I firmly believe that to be on this path, I need to start with myself, and to surround myself with a community of truth seekers. Nothing excites me more than the prospect of work in which I grow every day as I hold a space for truth to unfold. Challenge Day is this work for me.

I do not always succeed on this path, but my commitment to it is unwavering.

I really like Oreos. Really.