Karim Dure is an Evanston native, father of two, business consultant, educator, coach, and entrepreneur. He brings a deep passion for teaching and mentoring in both academic and athletic settings, helping others grow through education, guidance, and hands-on experience.
Karim began his professional journey practicing law before pivoting to focus on entrepreneurship, business consulting, teaching, and coaching. As a consultant, he has supported a wide range of companies in identifying new growth opportunities, expanding their customer base, securing financing, and forming strategic partnerships to drive sustainable success. He specializes in developing and executing marketing and strategic plans that help clients navigate transitional and challenging periods—times when growth is critical for survival. His work often includes identifying new markets, crafting business plans, and creating marketing materials and presentations to attract and retain clientele.
Karim served for two years at Sunshine Enterprises, first as a program manager and later as the head of the Evanston hub. In this role, he taught the organization’s entrepreneurship curriculum, led student recruitment and outreach, and provided coaching support to graduates of the 12-week cohort. Karim’s work at Sunshine Enterprises was dedicated to empowering underserved communities through entrepreneurship and business development.
Karim currently serves as a Program Director in the Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at the Chicago Urban League. In this role, Karim works with entrepreneurs of color that are striving to build sustainable and profitable businesses. Karim teaches, mentors, counsels and supports entrepreneurs of color who are at various stages of growth in their business endeavors.
In addition to his consulting and program leadership work, Karim has taught Business Law at Oakton Community College and Entrepreneurship at Malcolm X College. In the classroom, he challenges students to think critically, connect theory to practice, and apply academic concepts to real-world experiences.
Karim holds a JD from Chicago-Kent College of Law, an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, and a Certificate in International and Comparative Law from King’s College London. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and also studied at the Sorbonne in Paris, France.
His work focuses on structuring sound real estate opportunities that align long-term value creation with responsible execution. Justin has overseen hundreds of digital real estate transactions across Indiana and Illinois and has advised on lien strategy, title risk mitigation, redevelopment planning, and corridor-level investment analysis.
Through his leadership in real estate innovation, Justin integrates data-informed decision-making, operational discipline, and strategic foresight to support family offices, developers, and Black-owned businesses pursuing sustainable growth. His approach emphasizes clarity of structure, risk management, and executable strategy — ensuring that projects are positioned for both impact and performance.
