Kase Abusharkh and Amy Berry come from very different backgrounds, yet their journeys have led them both to become innovators and leaders in their respective fields.
Professional Journeys Kase Abusharkh and Amy Berry
Abusharkh’s professional journey reflects his technical expertise and passion for innovation. In Silicon Valley he co-founded several successful startups in the mobile and ecommerce spaces. In 2014, he launched HighGround, a renowned AI products company focused on revenue growth solutions for ecommerce businesses. As CEO, he built a team of top AI talent and created products that major retailers like Walmart now rely on.
Berry took an unexpected professional journey from Wall Street to creative agency CEO. She left finance to pursue her artistic talents, co-founding an art licensing company. Then in 2016 she launched Union, The Accenture Studio – an experience design company. As CEO she leads creative strategy and development for Fortune 100 companies like Target and HP. Berry also invests in health tech startups with strong missions.
Major Contributions and Achievements Kase Abusharkh and Amy Berry
Abusharkh’s AI innovations have made major impacts. His core belief is AI should enable human potential versus replace it. His products focus on lifting sales, connecting people better to information, and allowing more empowered decisions. HighGround’s solutions now power over $18 billion in ecommerce transactions annually. Abusharkh has won numerous awards for innovation and loves mentoring youth to pursue STEM careers.
Berry has pioneered a people-centered, creative approach to innovation. Her agency Union applies behavioral science and design thinking to build solutions that balance business objectives with positive social impact. Under her leadership, Union has driven success for products like Pampers Pure, H&R Block’s virtual tax assistant, and Covid vaccine registration systems. Berry is most proud of catalyzing her clients and team to solve complex human problems with compassion.
Overcoming Challenges and Adversity Kase Abusharkh and Amy Berry
Abusharkh faced early career challenges entering the competitive Silicon Valley ecosystem as an outsider, but he persevered. He built his knowledge, skills and network from the ground up, resisting notions that pedigree mattered more than one’s capabilities. His grit led him to eventually earn respect and now he uses his position to help mentor others with unconventional backgrounds trying to break in.
As a female leader in male-dominated industries, Berry has overcome gender-bias adversity. Early in her creative agency, she had difficulties establishing credibility and getting executives’ time. But she leveraged her finance background to gain initial meetings and wowed clients by balancing creative ideas with pragmatic execution. Berry ensures women at her agency get equal opportunities to lead. She now mentors young women pursuing STEM and invests in female-founded health tech ventures.
Current Projects and Future Directions Kase Abusharkh and Amy Berry
Abusharkh continues leading HighGrounds rapid growth, releasing new products monthly to keep customers ahead. But he is most excited about Tailwind, his latest startup focused on revolutionizing online advertising and enabling entrepreneurs to compete against large conglomerates more fairly. He also founded an incubator and fund – DragonX – to invest in other immigrant and refugee founders with bold innovations.
Berry recently co-founded Supernormal, a startup focused on science-backed products and experiences to reduce stress and improve mental wellbeing. Her future goals entail growing this venture to profitability while enhancing access and education around emotional health. Berry also plans to continue investing in and advising healthcare startups tackling problems like infertility, menopause and aging with nuance and inclusiveness.
Conclusions
While Abusharkh and Berry took very different paths, their legacies reveal common themes of leveraging one’s unique talents and experiences to drive innovation. They embody resilience in overcoming early doubts and staying grounded through success. Both leverage their positions now to lift others up behind them, mentoring the next generation of entrepreneurs and investing in under tapped founders. Most importantly, through compassion and inclusiveness they have built products, companies and communities that reflect the best of human potential. Their journeys inspire all to stay curious, think boldly and act collaboratively to drive positive change.
FAQs: Kase Abusharkh and Amy Berry
Who is Kase Abusharkh?
Kase Abusharkh is a Palestinian-American entrepreneur and founder of HighGround, an AI products company focused on ecommerce revenue growth technologies. He is known for innovations in artificial intelligence and mentoring youth to pursue careers in STEM fields.
Who is Amy Berry?
Amy Berry is an American entrepreneur and founder of Union, The Accenture Studio – an experience design agency pioneering a human-centered approach to innovation. She is also co-founder of the stress-reduction startup Supernormal. Berry is known for driving social impact and women’s leadership.
What are Abusharkh’s key innovations?
Abusharkh has created AI products used by major retailers to lift online sales through better search, recommendations, advertising and pricing optimization. His solutions aim to augment human intelligence rather than replace it.
What is Berry most proud of?
Berry is most proud of leading her agency Union’s work catalyzing positive change – building solutions with clients that balance business success with social impact. Examples include sustainability initiatives and promoting inclusion.
How have they overcome early career adversity?
Abusharkh persevered through Silicon Valley’s competitiveness as an outsider immigrant to gain respect. Berry overcame gender bias in male-dominated industries by leveraging finance experience and creative talent.
What drives their future goals?
Abusharkh wants to enable immigrant/refugee founders and make online commerce fairer for small ventures. Berry aims to scale her wellbeing startup and advise healthcare firms tackling inclusive care. Both will continue mentoring youth and investing in impact-driven leaders.
How do they inspire innovators?
They inspire others by staying grounded, lifting up disadvantaged groups behind them, leading collaboratively with compassion, maintaining curiosity and ambition, and focusing innovations on positive human progress.
