We were lucky to catch up with Karimah Hudda recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Karimah, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
I believe we are all born to purpose. We only need to look deep within who we are to remember it. It is easiest to remember this purpose when we look back into our inter-generational identity, our unique connection to humanity, and our grounding in nature. I call this our Regenerative Resonance: remembering our resonance across ‘me, us, nature’ helps our purpose come to light.
My purpose is to defeat inequality.
This purpose has intuitively guided my life, from what I cared most about during my early childhood in small-town India, to my studies, to the career path I had (changing systems that perpetuated world problems such as inequality, modern slavery, nature destruction and climate change). While these may seem like disparate challenges, they are interconnected. We are one humanity, one planet, and we will thrive when all people and nature thrive, in this generation and in all future generations. Doing the work on my own Regenerative Resonance helped me simplify and clarify my purpose. My Regenerative Resonance helps me remain intentional and aligned in all aspects of my life, leadership, and livelihood.
Through my mission-driven company illumine.earth I now help leaders who want to make a positive impact go back to their Regenerative Resonance, because I truly believe that leaders in Regenerative Resonance will accelerate a world in which all people and nature thrive.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am the Founder and Chief Catalyst of illumine.earth, a leadership, strategy, and systems change company. Our purpose is to accelerate a world where all nature and people thrive. We work with leaders, businesses, and solutionists, to advance regenerative leadership and systems change towards this vision.
I founded my company illumine.earth to support leaders who are deeply aware and committed to solving the world’s existential challenges, whether they are environmental, economic, social, cultural, or intersecting. I help create powerful shifts for such leaders to be bigger, bolder, faster in driving positive impact.
I work with leaders at three levels at pivotal moments when leaders need to massively step up their impact:
1. One-to-one with leaders,
2. With teams inside companies and organizations
3. With leaders across multiple organizations who act as a collective to solve common, systemic challenges.
I am a woman of color and global citizen, who has lived and worked in over 40 countries. My unique perspective and mission stem from my experience across global diversity, from my beginnings in small-town India, to working Fairtrade farmers, factory workers, corporate leaders, industry organizations, and policymakers worldwide.
In a world where we have far too much complexity, I use very simple methods to realign people at all three levels to their Regenerative Resonance (who they are, their purpose, and its connection to humanity and nature). Through this process, leaders also integrate changes to live a more regenerative lifestyle in their personal and professional lives. When their Regenerative Resonance is rekindled and nurtured, leaders indeed, become bigger, bolder, faster in their positive actions.
Witnessing the moment of unlock and acceleration within leaders and teams is the most exciting part of what I do.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I believe I am incredibly lucky.
How does a woman of color and immigrant originally from a 15,000 person town in India get to go to 44 countries and counting, meet people from vastly different walks of life (from former guerrilla warriors in remote mountains to world leaders at formal galas), and do work that impacts many people (I was responsible for a million beneficiaries in my first major role during my 20s)? I have also met people in the most extreme circumstances who have done far more. I have always treated life as an adventure, and what an adventure it has been.
So first, I would say – never let where you come from or who others say you are, be a limiting factor. Make everything your superpower – your heritage, your chosen identity, your adversities and joys.
Second, make space for joy. If I could tell my younger self one thing, it would be: take more vacations, spend that extra day visiting local sites on your business trip. Taking time to enjoy the moment, to have an adventure, will help you regenerate. It will help you grow, whether it’s that hike in fresh air, or the art museum that will spark your creativity.
Third, start today. Whatever it is you wanted to do that makes something better – for yourself, for you family, for humanity and nature don’t wait. Whatever your inner light is telling you to do, listen to it and act. The world needs your light now, more than ever.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
The moment is calling on all leaders to rise to their biggest, boldest, brightest ability to make a positive impact.
If you are a leader who wants to make a positive impact on people, planet or both, or if you are a leader who is already working on such impact and wants to significantly increase your impact, I would love to support you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://illumine.earth
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karimahhudda/
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
