Director of Building Innovations at Sidewalk Labs, an Alphabet company that reimagines cities to improve urban infrastructure.

Part of the Alphabet group (parent company to Google) Sidewalk Labs not only imagines the digital-enabled communities of the future, but recently won the bid to deliver one by revamping the 325ha waterfront site adjoining the city of Toronto in Canada, now known as Sidewalk Toronto. New construction methods to make housing and retail space more adaptable and affordable are central to the Sidewalk vision.

At Sidewalk, Karim uses modern construction methods to tackle big issues such as cost of living, transport and carbon emissions. With a focus on intelligent design and sustainable materials, Karim is passionate about creating urban communities that are vibrant, accessible and affordable.

Karim has spent his career in the design and construction world, amassing almost three decades of experience across project management and engineering. Before joining Sidewalk Labs, Karim led the global hotel innovation and design team at Marriott. Here, he launched the company’s first collaborative design space, The Underground, led the LEED Volume Build program for hotels, and launched Marriott’s global modular construction initiative.

Prior to joining Marriott, Karim managed Parsons Corporation’s South American engineering practice in Lima, Peru. He also worked in Bechtel’s power and water resource group in the United States, and served in the Peace Corps as the Western Regional Engineer for The Honduran Ministry of Health.