Helmy Abouleish, CEO of SEKEM Group in Egypt, has been selected as one of the Top 50 finalists for Africa’s Business Heroes 2024. This prestigious competition recognizes and supports innovative entrepreneurs across Africa who are creating positive social impact. This comes as a powerful testament to Helmy Abouleish‘s lifelong commitment to tackling global challenges such as climate change, food security, and water scarcity through sustainable business practices.
As a pioneer in sustainable development, he has led SEKEM to promote ecology, economy, societal and cultural life since taking over as CEO from his father Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish, who founded the initiative in 1977. Under his leadership, SEKEM has become a global model for organic and biodynamic agriculture, producing and marketing organic foodstuffs, textiles and herbal medicine while operating educational facilities in Egypt and internationally. SEKEM has been transforming the lives of people in Egypt for over 47 years through biodynamic agriculture, social initiatives, and economic development.
Recently, SEKEM alongside the Egyptian Biodynamic Association (EBDA) were announced as joint recipients of the 2024 Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity. The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation recognized the organizations’ efforts in advocating organic and biodynamic agriculture and enabling local farmers in Egypt to transition to regenerative biodynamic practices through their 40,000 farmers initiative.
As a member of international organizations like Demeter International, World Future Council, World Economic Forum and more, Helmy Abouleish has been a leading voice in promoting fair trade, responsible consumption and social entrepreneurship worldwide.