Karim Abdel-Ghaffar Plaza

Karim Abdel-Ghaffar Plaza is a seasoned investment professional with extensive experience in founding and advising dynamic companies. As the Founding Partner of Westerly Winds since May 2019, Karim has focused on supporting entrepreneurs in building innovative businesses. In addition to this role, Karim serves on the boards of multiple organizations, including LeaseLock, CoFi, Frameplay, and Elvie, and was previously involved with Fishbrain and Carbon Clean. Karim's investment and advisory expertise has also been leveraged at Hiro Capital and DSP Mutual Fund. Prior to these ventures, Karim held significant positions at BlackRock, including Founding Member and Investment Director of BlackRock Family Office Partners. Karim holds a Master of Letters with distinction in Finance & Management and a Master of Arts in Economics & Management from the University of St Andrews, complemented by a year abroad at UC Santa Barbara.