"Taking off the masks was perhaps the hardest decision I've ever had to make. Not everyone understands. It's seen as shameful. It's seen as something one ought to keep hidden from the public eye. You don't even tell your wife about this. She won't understand. We've been conditioned from a young age to keep this kind of thing to ourselves should it ever afflict us. We live in a culture of shame. We're all about smoke and mirrors here. Our daily life is one of masks. The mask you wear in front of your parents. The mask you wear in front of your wife. The mask you wear in front of your coworkers. The mask you wear in front of your kids. I got tired of wearing my mask. I stand before you a man uncovered. I have nothing to hide. I have no shame in my revelation. Public humiliation isn't something that bothers me. It was the worst and best experience of my life. At age 50, I stand before you, unemployed, borderline broke, recently fired and more excited about my life than I'd ever been. , El Fakharany held many positions in multiple regional and multinational corporations managing billion dollar investments in Egypt and the middle east for example: - Managing director and vice president of governmental relations at Careem - Regional director for Google Egypt and middle east - Held many positions in IBM Middle East & Africa , 3COM middle east, Oracle , and more. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx