Featuring: Sarah Sharif
By: Natalie Ruiz
Tags: Female Founders, Leaders, Hackathons, Women In Business, Women In Tech

Natalie Ruiz: Tell us about your work.

Sarah Sharif: I’m currently the Founder of Experimental Civics, an innovation institute, and consultancy, where we propel our clients further as innovators. We run think tanks, hackathons, internal innovation committees, workshops, and host our own global programs as well.

Natalie Ruiz: What do you love about it?

Sarah Sharif: The most profound reward is working with clients who are dedicated to pushing their boundaries and learning alongside them. The magical impact of connecting people and bringing them together to unleash their creativity and imagination is always what I take home in the evenings.

Photo provided by Sarah Sharif

Natalie Ruiz: What makes you great at what you do?

Sarah Sharif: I enjoy creating spaces of comfort, play, and creativity. I take wild ideas swimming around in my head, ground them on paper, and loop in the right people to build with. I’m always surprised how well-received and in-demand these spaces are and how much we all need to remind ourselves to take time to innovate.

Natalie Ruiz: What is the most challenging part of your job?

Sarah Sharif: Balancing work, play, and personal pursuits. My career has never defined me; it’s another means to an end to do good in the world before I pass on. I figure I have another 60+ years, give or take, left to redesign and build with people the type of world we should all want to live in and communities we want to be part of. However, finding a balance is hard. I have a slew of personal pursuits like summiting Mount Kilimanjaro to publishing my poetry book, which has to take front and center eventually.

Natalie Ruiz: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Sarah Sharif: Lara Croft.

I wanted to travel the world, explore hidden treasures, own my home, play with gadgets, and save the world. I had chemistry kits, astronomy kits, archeology kits, art supplies, to owning giant tubs of lego. I was always creating, playing, and learning. To be honest, nothing has changed; if anything, I’m more like Lara than I have ever been.

Image provided by Sarah Sharif

Natalie Ruiz: Who is one of your heroes, and why?

Sarah Sharif: Björk Guðmundsdóttir.

She is so powerful, moving, and unapologetically herself. I find that vulnerability incredibly inspiring, and I have always wanted to channel that level of artistic confidence for myself. The ability to shine in your purest essence and not care what others think is what I’m striving for.

Photo provided by Sarah Sharif

Natalie Ruiz: What is one of your superpowers?

Sarah Sharif: Getting sh*t done. I operate in a do-it-once-do-it-right-automate-greatness mode with every personal or professional endeavor. Being an entrepreneur polishes and molds you into being self-sufficient and building reuse + recycle into everything you produce for ease later on.

Natalie Ruiz: What is one of your favorite books?

Sarah Sharif: Algorithms to Live by Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths. A very insightful read into how we make decisions, how we download the universe we’re living in, and how to make the “right” decisions.

“some of the biggest challenges faced by computers and human minds alike: how to manage finite space, finite time, limited attention, unknown unknowns, incomplete information, and an unforeseeable future; how to do so with grace and confidence; and how to do so in a community with others who are all simultaneously trying to do the same.”

Photo by Richa Sharma on Unsplash

Natalie Ruiz: What professional advice would you give to someone?

Sarah Sharif: I know it’s hard to “just be yourself.” When we want to make an impression or launch a new career path, don’t forget to bring your unique flavor to the conversation. No one else has the magic you were born with; let that soak in for a second.

Natalie Ruiz: What advice would you give your younger self?

Sarah Sharif: Recognize you don’t know what you’re capable of and no one else knows either, so dream big and go for it. Surround yourself with those you want to see you win and achieve your goals.

Natalie Ruiz: I believe there is power in sharing our big dreams and audacious goals. What are some big dreams of yours and will you share with us?

Sarah Sharif: Impact 1 million lives in some positive fashion before I’m 35. I have roughly 5 years left. Publish a collection of poetry by age 45. Design my own wardrobe; I have 10 outfits waiting to be sewn together.