Karen Ruimy
Karen Ruimy is a Moroccan-born performer, writer and philanthropist. A former banker at Finacor in Paris, she changed careers at age 30 to become a spiritual author. Her 2013 album "Come With Me" was produced by Martin Glover and co-written with Justin Adams. In 2010 Ruimy set up the GREAT (Gender Rights Equality Action Trust) Initiative with broadcaster Mariella Frostrup and human rights lawyer Jason McCue. Early life. Ruimy was born in Casablanca. Her family moved to Paris when Karen was seven. She earned an MBA at the Grand École ESSEC in Paris. During her studies , she learned flamenco dance with Adrian y Blanca from Seville. Career as an author. Ruimy wrote "The Angel’s Metamorphosis", which was published in France in 2000 and in an English-language version in 2010 in the UK by Quartet Books. She featured on Elizabeth Kinder's Magna Intuitum in 2013. Ruimy is a contributor to the UK's "Psychologies Magazine", for which she has conducted a series interviews, including with Eva Longoria. She is also part of their expert LifeLab series. Ruimy is a regular contributor to "The Huffington Post" and "Harper’s Bazaar"s online Arts Channel. Career as  a dancer. Ruimy became a professional flamenco dancer at the age of 38. She has produced dance shows called Flamen'ka, Flamen’ka Nueva, Cabaret Flamen'ka, Sangre (directed and choreographed by Redha Benterifour; opened at the Riverside Studios), El Camino (co-produced and co-written by Martin Glover; performed at the World Sufi Spirit Festival in Jodphur, India), ZIK'R (also created with Martin Glover; performed at Sufi Sutra Festival in India), the Marrakech Biennale, Sadler's Wells Lilian Baylis, Union Chapel and La Linea Festival at Leicester Square Theatre. Career as a musician and singer. Ruimy has released the following albums: "Essence  de Femme", and "Come With Me", which was recorded at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios with Justin Adams. The album was co-written with Adams and produced by Martin Glover. A version of "Shake it Up" featured on the Telegraph Live Music Sessions. Art. In November 2013 Ruimy co-founded the Marrakech Museum of Photography and Visual Arts (MMPVA). Activism. In 2015 Ruimy signed an open letter by the ONE Campaign to Angela Merkel and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, urging them to focus on women as they serve as the head of the G7 in Germany and the AU in  South Africa respectively, which will start to set the priorities in development funding before a main UN summit in September 2015 that will establish new development goals for the generation. Fashion. Founded by Karen Ruimy in 2016, Kalmar is a London-based resort wear brand, with a focus on ready-to-wear, selling a range of luxury kaftans in silk, which have become a signature for the brand. Built on the values of wellbeing and self-care, everything Kalmar creates is designed to empower the woman who wears it.