With over two decades of entrepreneurial experience, Salma Karina Hayat has founded and led five successful ventures across diverse industries, including ecommerce, lead generation for direct marketing and healthcare, wellness app development, and multifamily unit construction. Currently, she serves as the Transformation, Change, and Innovation Advisor at Kudos Technologies, where she specializes in creating tailored software solutions that help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) reduce operational inefficiencies. By streamlining and automating sales, operations, and marketing processes, she fosters business growth with a conscious and holistic approach.
Salma Karina Hayat’s achievements have earned her numerous accolades, including the WXN Canada’s Most Powerful Women Award, recognition on CHATELAINE PROFIT W100’s list of Canada’s Top Female Entrepreneurs, and being named an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Pacific Finalist. In 2022, she was honored among the Government of Canada’s Women of Impact trailblazers, highlighting her transformative contributions across various sectors.
Salma Karina Hayat journey reflects her unwavering commitment to creating positive change. From her early days teaching literacy in Guatemala to co-founding Canada’s first Muslim Food Bank and launching the “100 Meals a Week Initiative,” which evolved into the Muslim Care Center, her work demonstrates a deep dedication to humanitarian efforts. Her advocacy extends to areas such as family reunification, mental health, interfaith dialogue, and homelessness relief. As a former Chairwoman of the BCMA Vancouver chapter, she has championed community safety and unity, and her support for Syrian refugee families underscores her global humanitarian outreach. Karina is also a strong advocate for education and mentorship, exemplified by her establishment of scholarships for underprivileged students. Looking ahead, her vision includes authoring impactful books, and establishing an orphanage and a homeless shelter, reinforcing her lifelong dedication to social impact and community development.