My Morning Routine: Karen Weick, co-founder and president of the Egyptian-Swiss Business Circle

Karen Weick, co-founder and president of the Egyptian-Swiss Business Circle: Each week, My Morning Routine looks at how a successful member of the community starts their day — and then throws in a couple of random business questions just for fun. Speaking to us this week is Karen Weick (LinkedIn), co-founder and president of the Egyptian-Swiss Business Circle and executive board member of SwissCham Egypt.

The best way to introduce myself is through what we all share — a love for Egypt. I was born in Switzerland and arrived in Egypt 25 years ago with my husband and two children when he joined Vodafone. We were just a typical expat family, but those first six months were tough. I left my career, sold my shares in a Zurich-based company, and stepped into motherhood in a country I had never been to before. We had six weeks to pack up and move, and I’ll never forget landing in Cairo late at night. My husband, who had arrived earlier, took the kids and sent me to Omar Effendi to set up our home — so there I was, at midnight, trying to process my new reality. It took time, but now Cairo is home. My husband works in Switzerland, my kids are spread across the world, but if they want to see me, they have to come home — back to Egypt. They may look European, but trust me, their DNA is very Egyptian.

I’ve been deeply involved in the Swiss Egyptian Chamber of Commerce, working to strengthen business ties between Egypt and Switzerland. To expand on this mission, I founded the Egyptian-Swiss Business Circle (ESBC) at the start of this year. I believe in building substance before promotion, which is why we're launching Innovate Together: Business Opportunities Between Egypt and Switzerland, our first ESBC event. It’s more than just a webinar, it’s the start of a new bridge between the two countries. With strong backing from both embassies, our goal is clear — practical, result-driven discussions, not vague, abstract talks.

This event is about startups, innovation, and investment — with a focus on real, actionable connections. Attendees will gain direct access to Swiss investors who can help them scale beyond Egypt. We’re bringing in key decision-makers, including the heads of investment from the French-speaking region and Zurich. The response has already exceeded expectations — we aimed for 30 participants and now have nearly 100, evenly split between Egypt and Switzerland. But real success lies in what comes next: securing investments, making agreements, and building a lasting bridge between the two markets. This is just the beginning.

The ESBC grew out of my work in Egypt over the years. I’ve done business development for startups, represented Swiss citizens in Egypt, and served on the Swiss Egyptian Chamber of Commerce (SwissCham) board for five years. When I joined just before Covid, I had to rethink everything. Instead of being just another chamber of commerce, we wanted to embody Switzerland itself: small, precise, and highly effective.

Egypt and Switzerland share a surprising economic similarity — both rely on family-owned SMEs alongside major corporations. To foster real trade and investment ties, we needed a strong Swiss network. That’s where ESBC comes in, acting as a bridge for businesses on both sides. Building it hasn’t been easy, but we’ve had immense support from the Egyptian embassy in Switzerland and the Egyptian commercial office in Geneva. Our Innovate Together event is just the start. Later this month, we’ll hold a soft launch at the Egyptian embassy in Bern. We’re moving fast but with purpose — this isn’t about warm air, but real impact.

Connecting Egyptian businesses in Switzerland isn’t easy. The country has French-, German-, and Italian-speaking regions, and people tend to stay within their networks. We’re working to bridge these divides by bringing different regions together under one strong business network. But it takes effort — we have to seek out each member individually. If anyone reading this knows an Egyptian in Switzerland or is one themselves, we’d love to have them join us.

Switzerland and Egypt recently marked 90 years of diplomatic and economic ties. Switzerland has played a significant role in Egypt’s economy since the early 20th century, from sending architects to shaping the textile industry. Even today, major Swiss companies like ABB, Nestlé, Lafarge, and Novartis have a strong presence in Egypt. But investment is a two-way street — Egypt has a lot to offer, and that’s why we’re organizing this event. I truly believe Egypt is like an undiscovered jewel, full of potential, but Swiss investors tend to be risk-averse. Our goal is to change that narrative, to show them the real Egypt beyond what international headlines might suggest.

When you mentioned morning routines, I panicked — I don’t have one. Routine is the opposite of who I am. No two days look the same, and I like it that way. That said, I do wake up early for the quiet — it’s my time to think, focus, and prepare for the day. Reading EnterpriseAM is a constant, usually with coffee in hand. In the perfect version of my morning, I’m barefoot on the grass, touching the earth, sipping coffee in one hand, and reading EnterpriseAM in the other. I take care of my animals and myself, and when it comes to work, I’m disciplined. If I have a meeting, I’m there — no excuses.

Every morning, I wake up with the goal of meeting someone new. If my schedule is filled with people I already know, I get bored. And I don’t want to be bored — life is too short for that. For over 25 years, I’ve made sure every day brings fresh connections, new faces, and different perspectives. It doesn’t have to be VIPs or high-profile people — just anyone with a story to share. The older you get, the faster time moves, and the more you realize you have to live fully — before it’s too late.

I’m driven by opportunities rather than long-term plans. At my age, it’s less about mapping out the future and more about embracing what comes. But once I commit, I’m all in — I always say, “I’m like a virus — once you get me, you never get rid of me.” Right now, I’m focused on growing the ESBC in a solid, meaningful way, seeing where the momentum takes us. Personally, I want to keep building my life here, continue my charity work, meet new people, and stay open to whatever comes next. That’s what keeps things exciting.

I don’t really think about work-life balance — I just live. My work and personal life are completely blended because I love what I do. I never stop at a certain hour or separate business from my personal life — it’s all one. Now that my children are grown, my days flow seamlessly, and I have even more time to do what I enjoy. If I meet someone through work, they become part of my life, not just a contact. If I hated what I do, this approach would be exhausting, but because I love it, it feels natural.

I unwind with pilates, gardening, and painting — though painting feels more like a second job than a hobby. I studied art in Florence and come from an artistic family — my father was one of the architects of the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and my mother was an art teacher at the Louvre. With roots like that, art inevitably found its way back to me. I continue honing my skills with a professor from the Fine Arts University in Zamalek.

I also organize Printemps des Artistes, a pop-up exhibition I’ve run in Egypt for ten years. Founded by French-speaking women from Morocco, Belgium, Switzerland, and France, the name means “Spring of Artists.” This year, on 15 May, we’ll showcase 70–80 Egyptian artists and around 500 artworks. Artists receive full payment, and 20% of sales go to charity — this year, supporting homeless children and young women in Cairo. It’s my way of giving back to Egypt, a country that has given me so much. It’s not exactly relaxing — it’s a lot of work — but it’s incredibly fulfilling.

The best advice I ever got was from my father — stay simple, stay detached, and keep life as lean as possible. Don’t get weighed down by useless information, objects, or goals. Be clear about who you are and what you want. When I was younger, I thought it was boring, but now I see how true it is. It’s not a flashy quote from Steve Jobs, but it’s wisdom I hope to pass on to my kids — whether or not they’re ready to listen.