She went from supporting the Department of State to revolutionizing beauty access—and she’s teaching the next generation to dream even bigger

When Ebony Jowharah Karim walks into a room, she doesn’t just bring one expertise—she brings three distinct worlds that rarely intersect. Federal consulting. Beauty technology. STEM education. And somehow, this multi-passionate entrepreneur has woven them together into a blueprint for building businesses that solve real problems while creating pathways for others.

Long before “women in tech” became a trending hashtag, Karim launched Embarkus Solutions in 2013, a boutique IT consulting firm that provides program management and federal contracting expertise to agencies like the U.S. Department of State and Homeland Security. But she didn’t stop there. Recognizing a gap in the market—and in her own life—she created The Beauty Genie, a beauty-tech venture bringing textured haircare products to underserved communities through smart vending machines.

Her journey offers a masterclass in translating skills across industries, pivoting with purpose, and refusing to shrink your vision to fit someone else’s expectations.

The Problem Solver Who Saw What Others Missed

For two decades, Karim solved complex problems for federal clients. But as a consumer, she lived with a frustration that no government contract could fix: the challenge of accessing beauty and haircare products designed for her hair type and texture.

“I always knew that a need existed. And I am a problem solver. That’s what I’ve been doing for my federal clients for the last two decades,” Karim explains. “It was just one of those things where [I thought] what can I come up with that will solve the problem as it pertains to accessibility and convenience.”

The answer came from an unexpected place. During market research, she discovered that Asia had been using smart vending technology for years, while the United States lagged far behind in innovation. Why not bring intelligent vending to beauty retail, specifically for products serving women of color?

The Beauty Genie was born from that insight. Today, the company operates vending machines on three college campuses and in various retail spaces, with plans to expand into the B2B sector. The expansion into the B2B sector goes beyond convenience; it’s about helping small emerging beauty brands increase their consumer footprint without the massive capital required for big-box retail placement.

“Most brands who start out don’t have the capital or funding right away to get placement in big box retails,” Karim notes. “Vending is another great option for them to get their product out.”

Building Credibility as a Black Woman in Federal Contracting

Launching a federal consulting firm in 2013 meant entering a space where Black women entrepreneurs were rarely seen, and even more rarely taken seriously. The challenges were real, but so was Karim’s strategy for overcoming them.

“Black women as a whole, indifferent to a particular industry, we have always had to go above and beyond. We’ve always had to work harder, show up more, and work longer hours,” she says with the kind of matter-of-fact honesty that comes from lived experience.

Her approach centered on three key principles: becoming a lifelong student, seeking mentorship intentionally, and cultivating relationships before she needed them. While working at various consulting firms early in her career, she identified allies who could guide her path. When it came time to venture out on her own, those relationships became her foundation.

“I always reached back and said, ‘Hey, this is what I’m thinking about doing. How do you think I should go about it?'” Karim recalls. “And I used those relationships that I had been cultivating when it was time for me to jump.”

The response wasn’t always encouraging. She faced plenty of rejections. But rather than viewing “no” as a restriction, she let it fuel her into action. “I’m used to rejection. That has never been a deterrent for me. It probably motivates me more.”

This resilience has served her well across all her ventures. With The Beauty Genie, she’s learned to focus on customers who immediately understand the value proposition, primarily women of color who’ve experienced the same accessibility challenges, rather than trying to convince skeptics.

“Some people get it, and some people don’t. And the ones that don’t, that’s okay. They’re not my target demographic. I just focus on the ones that get it,” she says.

The Multi-Passionate Entrepreneur’s Framework

Managing three distinct businesses—Embarkus Solutions, The Beauty Genie, and Embarkus Wellness—requires more than time management. It demands a clear framework for evaluating which ideas deserve pursuit and which should remain concepts.

For Karim, the litmus test is simple but powerful: passion and purpose.

“For me, it’s passion driven and I have to feel like it’s purpose driven as well,” she explains. Her background in biochemistry from her undergraduate studies has proven surprisingly relevant, allowing her to bridge STEM expertise with technology and community impact.

“I’ve been able to tie all of those three pieces together. It’s really become full circle. But how I determine what projects I go after is it definitely has to be purpose driven.”

This approach has led to some unexpected synergies. Her STEM education work, for instance, directly supports her other ventures by introducing young women of color to non-traditional career paths in science and technology. She shows students who are passionate about beauty that they could become cosmetic chemists, opening doors they never knew existed.

“It’s great to be a nail tech. Or if you want to go to cosmetology school and get licensed, what if you actually understood the science behind that?” she asks her students. “You can become a cosmetic chemist and that just opens up so many other doors and possibilities.”

Demystifying Federal Contracting for Small Business Owners

Recognizing that many entrepreneurs find government contracting intimidating, Karim authored the eBook “So You Want to be a Federal Contractor,” breaking down the process into digestible steps. She’s now updating it to reflect current realities, including navigating the changing DEI landscape in federal procurement.

The biggest misconception she encounters? Small business owners either don’t know where to start or try to be in too many spaces at once.

“I see a lot of minority-owned small businesses trying to offer too many services without determining what their niche area is,” Karim observes. “You can’t sell hardware and then also have janitorial services. They’re trying to be in too many swim lanes because they just want to win something.”

Her first step for federal contracting hopefuls is clear: determine your niche area. Government agencies procure virtually everything, from barbering services to mental health and wellness, but scattered service offerings raise red flags during market research.

Next, she directs entrepreneurs to the U.S. Small Business Administration for free resources, emphasizing that the federal government is still purchasing despite political shifts. “It’s determining what those needs are,” she explains. “There are certain services where there’s always a need. It’s just determining what those are.”

Her updated eBook, available for pre-sale November 3rd on Barnes & Noble’s website, includes strategies for marketing services creatively and partnering with other small businesses to pursue opportunities that might not fit perfectly into one company’s niche.

Pivoting Through Uncertainty

Success hasn’t insulated Karim from the challenges every small business owner faces. Some of her federal clients have been directly impacted by current administration changes, forcing her to think creatively about revenue streams.

“I always have to stay in my creative space. What other ways can I offer my services?” she reflects. Teaching has become one answer. She’s developing a STEM curriculum for Chicago’s public school system while maintaining her consulting work and beauty-tech ventures.

“I think that one skill that entrepreneurs have to be very well versed in is definitely how to pivot,” she says—a lesson she’s learned repeatedly throughout her journey.

This adaptability extends to how she engages with the next generation. Rather than viewing traditional college as the only path, she celebrates the expanded options available to young people today, certification programs, entrepreneurship, and non-traditional career paths that didn’t exist when she was starting out.

“Before it was ‘you go to college, you get your degree, so you can get a good job.’ There were really no other options,” she notes. “Now there’re certification programs. There’re so many other options for young people who don’t see a traditional college path for them.”

Teaching Others to Ask for What They Need

Despite her achievements—Forbes features, recognition in Times Square as one of Foureva Media’s Most Influential Entrepreneurs of 2024, and three thriving businesses—Karim describes herself as a work in progress, particularly when it comes to asking for help.

“I’m a big proponent [of] the universe always gives you what you need. And oftentimes we don’t ask for what we need. We’re not taught to ask. And we’re afraid to ask,” she admits. “How are we going to receive the help if people don’t know what we need?”

Her advice to other women entrepreneurs building something bigger than themselves? Dream bigger than you think possible.

“Any and everything is possible and there is no idea that’s too big. I think oftentimes we don’t think big enough,” she tells her students and mentees. “Whatever dream that you have in your head, it’s not big enough. I want you to think of the most impossible dream that you could think of, and that’s what we need to aim for.”

The Legacy in Motion

As National Women’s Small Business Month provides a moment to celebrate entrepreneurs like Karim, her story offers more than inspiration; it provides a practical roadmap for women entrepreneurs in federal contracting, beauty tech innovation, and beyond.

She’s proven that skills from one industry can translate to another when you’re solving real problems. That rejection isn’t a stop sign but a redirect. That building credibility as a Black woman in tech or government contracting requires strategic relationship-building and unwavering confidence in your expertise. And perhaps most importantly, that success doesn’t mean choosing one passion; it means finding ways to weave them together.

For the next generation of young women of color she mentors, Karim represents possibility itself. A mother of four who manages multiple businesses, teaches STEM, and continues pushing into new territories, all while making sure others know they belong in every space they dare to enter.

The beauty of Karim’s approach isn’t just in the businesses she’s built, but in the doors she’s opening for others. Through her eBook, she’s demystifying federal contracting. Through The Beauty Genie, she’s creating opportunities for emerging beauty brands while solving accessibility issues for consumers. Through her STEM education work, she’s showing students that science careers can align with their passions.

As she looks toward the next decade, Karim’s legacy is already taking shape, not as a singular achievement, but as a multiplying force that empowers others to build, create, and dream without limits.

Because as she’s proven time and again: when you’re working in your purpose, the dream doesn’t just stay alive; it finds a way to grow in directions you never imagined.