Karima Zaki

CHA;Founder CEO of ZenZone by Sanctuate!

Karima Zaki knew she wanted to be an American well before she and her family immigrated to the United States.

Earning a bachelor’s in International Political Science and a masters in German Language Arts, she seemed headed to law school until she got bitten by the hotel bug late in her college career.

Zaki started with Hyatt Hotels as a management trainee in an industry that at the time had no women at the General Manager Level. Determined to break that glass ceiling, Zaki worked for a decade to finally reach a GM appointment. Going on to be promoted to positions such as Area Vice President, running the 2000 room Hilton San Francisco, negotiating the largest union contract with Unite H.E.R.E and being charged with the full responsibility to oversee the construction and development of the Hilton San Diego Bayfront are a few ways that Zaki made her mark in the industry.

Karima Zaki knew she wanted to be an American well before she and her family immigrated to the United States.

Earning a bachelor’s in International Political Science and a masters in German Language Arts, she seemed headed to law school until she got bitten by the hotel bug late in her college career.

Zaki started with Hyatt Hotels as a management trainee in an industry that at the time had no women at the General Manager Level. Determined to break that glass ceiling, Zaki worked for a decade to finally reach a GM appointment. Going on to be promoted to positions such as Area Vice President, running the 2000 room Hilton San Francisco, negotiating the largest union contract with Unite H.E.R.E and being charged with the full responsibility to oversee the construction and development of the Hilton San Diego Bayfront are a few ways that Zaki made her mark in the industry.

Wanting to serve the grander purpose of the San Diego region, the city she now calls home, Zaki also held key positions within industry related organization. She was chairman of the Hotel/Motel Association, The Convention and Visitor Bureau, the Site Selection Committee for the Mayors Task Force on Ballpark planning, amongst a host of other affiliations.

Embracing the broader scope of the Hospitality Industry, Zaki became Founding Principal Strategist of ABOVE thirty thousand feet, a consulting firm that helped struggling hotels survive the economic storm that threatened the industry for years after 2008.

In June of 2011, Zaki had a prolific experience at a trade show in Las Vegas which prompted her to become the founder of sanctuate! a Tech-Spa, a cutting edge and award-winning spa concept that re-imagined, re-invented and re-designed the Modern Wellness Experience. Zaki serves as CEO, working on expanding this concept on a national and eventually global level.

Adding another facet to her career, Zaki founded FatKat Realty Investment Group and is now also active in commercial and residential redevelopment.

Zaki resides in San Diego amongst her family and closest friends but considers her daughter Raven to be the most rewarding aspect of her life, past, present and future.