About us | CareerLoop

The idea

A training centre built around Karima and the wider community.

Karima Foundation's own words are "Serving High Wycombe through faith, education and community." CareerLoop brings those areas together in a practical way: supporting children through education and tutoring, helping young people and adults develop professional career skills and providing practical trade training for people who learn best by doing.

This isn't a short term project. We want to build something that stays for decades and becomes part of the community around Karima, while serving everyone.

Co-founder

Haroon's story

Trades, retail installation across the UK and Europe and a business of his own, built over two decades.

Growing up, I didn't have much career guidance. I wanted to become a mechanic and work with my hands, but I was pushed towards the traditional route of university and a professional career.

I struggled with my A Levels, started a foundation degree in computing and dropped out after six months. I then paid to study Level 2 Plumbing and Heating at Amersham & Wycombe College, but couldn't find an apprenticeship and spent months being used largely as a labourer.

Then, by pure chance, I met a multi-trader working at my neighbour's house and shadowed him for around a year. He couldn't afford to keep me on, but the skills he taught me changed the direction of my life.

By the will of Allah, that one opportunity led me into retail installation for blue chip and luxury brands across the UK and Europe, and eventually to starting my own business around two decades ago.

One skill can open the door to another. You don't always know where the first opportunity will eventually take you.

I want my own children to surpass what I've achieved, but I don't want that opportunity to stop with my family. As the proverb goes, "It takes a village to raise a child." We want Karima to become part of that village.

Co-founder

Umayr's story

Tutoring at 17, then startups, technology and building businesses, all through people who gave him access.

At around 17, studying for my A Levels during COVID, I couldn't find a normal part-time job. So I advertised tutoring locally, found my own students and reinvested what I earned into learning websites, digital marketing, branding and sales.

University connected me with a mentor, a startup founder who introduced me to entrepreneurship and led to an opportunity at the AI startup FounderCrush. Since then I've completed a placement in a global luxury brand's IT Finance team, progressed to Founding Operator at FounderCrush and helped build other startups. Today I work fractionally with multiple companies as a startup operator, and run my own ventures alongside it.

I'm 22, and much of that came because somebody gave me access. CareerLoop is the chance to pass that on at a much bigger scale.

If they succeed, we want them to come back and help the next person do the same.

Why we're doing it together

Different experience. One shared aim.

We met through a mutual friend and realised our experience was very different but complementary. Haroon brought decades of practical, installation, trade and business experience. Umayr brought technology, digital, startup and modern business experience. We started working together and eventually building ventures together.

Neither of us got here through one skill, one qualification or one fixed route. We learned from other people, picked up new skills, made mistakes, changed direction and created opportunities ourselves.

We want to make that simpler for everyone else. The person who comes through the centre might become an electrician, administrator, software professional, installation engineer, plumber or business owner. We don't need to decide their future for them. We want to give them the skills, exposure, guidance and opportunity to discover what they're capable of.

Our partnership

Part of Karima, not simply based at Karima.

Proudly in partnership with Karima Foundation

CareerLoop is its own organisation, proudly working in partnership with Karima Foundation. Karima's work already includes youth clubs, Scouts, sport, wellbeing and employability support, education, community activity and prayer space, and that wider community is a big part of what makes this partnership valuable.

Someone might first meet Karima through sport, through prayer or because their child attends school there. Someone else might first walk through the doors because they want to learn a trade. What matters is that there's always somewhere to go next.

Karima to CareerLoop

If somebody involved with Karima sees a young person struggling academically, an adult who needs to retrain or someone who would benefit from a practical career route, there's somewhere to refer them.

CareerLoop to Karima

Where it's appropriate, people coming through the centre can be introduced to Karima's wider services, activities and community.

Not starting from zero

Karima already works with children, parents, young people, volunteers and families across High Wycombe, giving the centre a natural starting network built on trust.

Launching in High Wycombe

Want to learn, teach or hire?

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Two different journeys. The same lesson.