A Tractor, a Piano, and a Vision: The Story of SEKEM | with Helmy Abouleish, CEO of SEKEM | S5E3

It started with a dream, a tractor, and a piano—in the middle of the Egyptian desert.

Nearly fifty years later, SEKEM stands as one of the most compelling examples of how inner development can reshape entire systems.

We speak with Helmy Abouleish, CEO of SEKEM and steward of a vision first brought to life by his father and carried forward through decades of shared leadership.

What began as a bold experiment to green the desert has grown into a thriving, values-based movement that:

• Employs over 2,000 people

• Supports more than 40,000 farmers

• Regenerates ecosystems through biodynamic farming

• Provides education, healthcare, and cultural programs

• Devotes 10% of working time for all staff to personal development—including arts, reflection, and values-based learning

• Helps shape national sustainability policies

  
  

SEKEM has received numerous international awards, including the Right Livelihood Award (often called the Alternative Nobel Prize) and is an active member of the Conscious Food System Alliance (CoFSA) convened by UNDP.

We explore with Helmy:

• How inner development enables long-term systems thinking

• The principles of the Economy of Love

• Why creativity and love are essential leadership qualities

  
  

Whether you're a funder, changemaker, or policy leader, this story is a powerful reminder: even the most ambitious visions can take root—with the right inner and outer foundations.

Season 5 is part of the lead-up to the 2025 Inner Development Goals Summit in Stockholm, where the Inner Green Deal will curate a full-day track on this theme.

If you are interested to join the Inner Development Goals Summit, we have a special discount code to offer: “MeSummit2025" gives our listeners a 15% discount on in-person and 50% discount on digital tickets. For more information on the Summit, go to: https://innerdevelopmentgoals.org/events/summit2025/. We thank the Robert Ho Foundation for their support.

About the Inner Green Deal

The  Inner Green Deal a mission-driven non-profit supporting changemakers in cultivating the inner capacities needed for meaningful action in the face of today’s interconnected climate, ecological and social crises.

Our podcast is hosted and produced by Tamsin Walker. Executive producer is IGD co-founder Jeroen Janss. For more information, visit us oninnergreendeal.com or write to info@innergreendeal.com.  If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing to our podcast or leaving a review. Thank you!

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