Karen Dosanjh: Award-Winning Marketing Executive. Author. Film Producer. Historian. Mentor.
“It’s simply not enough to do well for yourself and for your family. It’s incumbent upon us to share our time and talents in ways that create opportunities for others to rise too.” - Karen Dosanjh
INDUSTRY RECOGNITION
Named BC Business Women of the Year 2023
Karen was named a 'Women of the Year in the Entrepreneurial Leader' category by BC Business Magazine, Western Canada’s largest and most influential business magazine. There are 7 categories, and one woman is selected to grace the cover for her professional accomplishments and contributions and Karen was selected based on her extraordinary 30-year career contributions in British Columbia. Karen is the first woman of Punjabi descent to grace the magazine’s cover. Karen says, “Today, I am thinking about all the South Asian girls & boys who will see representation like this on the cover, and envision themselves breaking new ground in industries of the future too.”
COMMUNITY RECOGNITION
Honoured with the Darpan Extraordinary Achievement Award in 2023
Karen earned the Darpan Extraordinary Achievement Award in the category of Heritage Defender for 2023. This award recognizes her years of volunteer service in bringing the history and experiences of the first South Asian settlers in Canada to light for the benefit of youth through my book, film & speaking engagements here and around the world. A pioneer in the South Asian media market, Darpan shines the light on South Asian role models and achievers who have made significant contributions to Canadian Society and authentically reflect #SouthAsianExcellence and their heritage in remarkable ways.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCEBlazing New Trails in Business & Tech
Karen is a groundbreaker in the Marketing, Public Relations & Communications industry in Canada. Throughout her remarkable 30-year career, she has overcome both gender and cultural barriers to reach new heights in the business & technology space. She is a force to be reckoned with in Canada’s tech marketing sector and was instrumental in the launch of three successful start-ups throughout her esteemed career. A disruptor, Karen has brought a true spirit of innovation to every position she has held over the past three decades. From Canada to the US, to Germany, Austria and Italy, Karen has left her mark on the International business front.
In March 2023, Karen was named a finalist for the Surrey Board of Trade’s Women in Business Awards in the “Corporate Leader” category.
MENTORSHIP
Helping Other Women in Business, Tech and the Community Rise Too
On a personal note, helping others rise along with her is part of Karen’s DNA and she pays it forward through mentorship by helping create space for women in all spaces. In 2017, she established the first-ever GE Women’s Network in BC to help women break into careers in the business and tech industry. In 2023, she helped organize the 22nd Annual Shakti Awards which honours excellence for women in the South Asian community. (The Shakti Society and the Shakti Awards are founded by Sonia Andhi.)
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Preserving South Asian History for the Benefit of Future Generations
Karen has volunteered her time and talents to Author a book and Co-Produce a documentary that gives voice to the first settler migration experience of South Asians in Canada. Karen served as the Curator, Author & Editor of Untold Stories: The South Asian Pioneer Experience in BC in 2020. Due to the global interest of her book, Karen partnered with SikhLens and Chapman University in the US, to co-produce a documentary film titled Hidden Histories: The Sikh Migration Path to Canada which premiered in the US in 2022 and India, UK and Canada this year.
About Untold Stories (Digital Copy Available Only)
Produced during the global pandemic, Untold Stories brings to life the forgotten voices of the first wave of South Asians who migrated from Punjab, India to Canada in the early 1900s. Untold Stories has made waves across countries such as Canada, US, UK, Australia, and India. This historic project earned the recognition of the Hon. Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, the Hon. Minister of International Development, Harjit Sajjan, and the Hon. Premier of British Columbia, John Horgan. Untold Stories is now being taught as part of Surrey School curriculum thanks to the dedicated efforts of Karen and exceptional LA Matheson School teachers like Gurpreet Kaur Bains & Annie Ohana.
In the Media
Check out Karen’s Feature in Fresh Magazine
She is a featured Co-Author of Pursuit 365 (2022 Edition) which showcases inspirational stories by 365 remarkable Canadian women who constantly pursue excellence by leading by example at work and in their local communities. Read the article in Fresh Magazine where Karen shares her greatest influence and what inspires her every day.
Interview with Connect FM Canada - August 2020
Author Karen Dosanjh talks about her book on the first Sikhs in Canada on The Evening Round-up Show with Yasmin Gandham, on Connect FM 91.5. The book, Untold Stories: The South Asian Pioneer Experience in BC focuses on the struggles and challenges faced by the first Sikhs that migrated to Canada at the turn of the century.
Interview with Global TV - Nov. 2020
Karen Dosanjh details stories of B.C.'s South Asian immigrants. She undertook an ambitious project. Not only documenting the stories of her ancestors -- but those of 30 other South Asian B.C. families. Karen Dosanjh shares the inspiration behind her book & what drove this critical project.
RECOGNITION
Awards & Other Acheivements
Karen has received high recognition from the Prime Minister of Canada and the former Minister of National Defence in Canada for her longstanding commitment to community contribution. Learn more about the recognition she has earned for extraordinary professional achievements and community service efforts.