With over two decades of entrepreneurial leadership, Salma Karina Hayat has founded and successfully led five ventures across diverse industries, including e-commerce, lead generation for direct marketing and healthcare, wellness app development, and multifamily unit construction. Currently serving as the Transformation, Change, and Innovation Advisor at Kudos Technologies, Karina specializes in helping SMEs reduce business inefficiencies by designing customized software solutions that streamline and automate sales, operations, and marketing with a conscious, holistic approach.
Karina’s exceptional accomplishments have earned her numerous accolades, including the WXN Canada’s Most Powerful Women Award, CHATELAINE PROFIT W100 Canada’s Top Female Entrepreneurs, and recognition as a Pacific Finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. In 2022, she was honored as one of the Government of Canada’s Women of Impact trailblazers, celebrating her pioneering contributions across various fields.
Her dedication to social impact has been a constant throughout her life, from teaching literacy in Guatemala to co-founding Canada’s first Muslim Food Bank and initiating the transformative “100 Meals a Week Initiative,” which grew into the Muslim Care Centre. Her advocacy spans family reunification, mental health, interfaith dialogue, and homelessness alleviation. As the former Chairwoman of BCMA Vancouver, Karina championed community unity, safety, and support for Syrian refugee families.
A firm believer in the power of education and mentorship, Karina has established scholarships for underprivileged students and aspires to write books and build an orphanage and a homeless shelter in the future. Her life and career are a testament to her unwavering commitment to driving meaningful change, fostering innovation, and uplifting communities worldwide.