Entrepreneurship as a Form of Resistance: A Conversation with Ahmed Zahran of KarmSolar

In this episode of A Legacy of Purpose: Conversations with Dina H. Sherif, we sit down with Ahmed Zahran, CEO of KarmSolar and 2024 Foundry Fellow at the Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship at MIT. What started as a company born out of frustration and necessity has now become one of Egypt’s leading solar energy firms, transforming the way power is generated and distributed in the region.Ahmed shares his journey from working in corporate energy to being forced out of a job—an event that led to the creation of KarmSolar. We explore the power of entrepreneurship as resistance, the role of adaptive leadership, and why building for the long-term often means letting go of ego and immediate success.We also discuss the future of renewable energy in Egypt, why leadership is about championing others, and what it takes to sustain a mission-driven company against all odds.**This Episode was originally filmed in November 2024**Host: Dina SherifProduced by Sherif ShafieFor Media Inquiries:Sherif ShafieSloan School of ManagementMassachusetts Institute of Technology292 Main St, E38, 5th Floor, Cambridge, MA 02142