Sumaya Kazi
Sumaya Kazi | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 17, 1982 Hollywood, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Businesswoman, entrepreneur |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Known for | Founder and CEO of Sumazi; founder of The CulturalConnect |
Sumaya Kazi (Bengali: সুমাইয়া কাজী, born July 17, 1982) is a prominent American businesswoman. At the age of 23, she launched her inaugural venture, The CulturalConnect. Subsequently, she established and led as CEO the San Francisco-based Sumazi, a social intelligence platform utilized by brands, celebrities, and corporations. Prior to these endeavors, Kazi held an early role in social media management at the Fortune 500 company Sun Microsystems before its acquisition by Oracle.
Early life
Born in Hollywood, California, in 1982, Kazi was raised in Moreno Valley. Remarkably, she began college-level coursework at Riverside Community College when she was just 11 years old, advancing in mathematics while enrolled at Landmark Middle School.
During her time at Canyon Springs High School, she earned the title "Most Likely to Succeed." At 16, she won the Miss Inland Empire pageant and ranked among the top five finalists in the California Distinguished Young Women contest, which awarded her a scholarship for college.
Kazi completed her undergraduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley in 2004 with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies in Business. While attending university, she contributed to the University Human Rights Centers under Professor Eric Stover and secured first place in the Haas School of Business Cisco & Deloitte E-Business case competition, a pivotal achievement that helped launch her career in technology.
Career
Upon graduation, Kazi joined Sun Microsystems as a senior social media manager within the Global Communications division. As one of the pioneering social media managers at a Fortune 500 firm, she created initiatives aimed at engaging emerging media outlets, analysts, and influencer networks.
At 23 years old and while still at Sun Microsystems, Kazi founded The CulturalConnect—an online media enterprise focused on young professionals and reshaping success narratives across various ethnic diasporas. This company encompassed five distinct publications: The DesiConnect, The MidEastConnect, The AsiaConnect, The AfricanaConnect, and The LatinConnect.
In April 2011, she launched Sumazi, a social intelligence platform designed to serve brands, celebrities, and large organizations. Sumazi earned recognition as a finalist in the TechCrunch Disrupt Startup Battlefield and received the Omidyar Network award for "Startup Most Likely to Change the World."
Awards, press and honors
- 2006: Named among America's Best Young Entrepreneurs Under 25 by BusinessWeek Magazine
- 2007: Featured on CNN's list of Young People Who Rock
- 2007: Subject of a cover story in Brass Magazine
- 2007: Recognized as a Dynamic Super Connector by Silicon Valley Business Journal
- 2008: Honored as a Bay Area Trailblazer and Community Leader by ABC7 KGO-TV
- 2009: Included among UTNE Reader's Top 50 Visionaries Who Are Changing Your World
- 2011: Listed in GenJuice's Top 100 Most Desirable Mentors
- 2012: Identified as one of 10 San Francisco Entrepreneurs to Watch by YFS Magazine
- 2012: Featured by Forbes as Female Founders to Watch from UC Berkeley
- 2012: Named among Most Influential Executives on the Web by Reuters
- 2014: Ranked within British Bangladeshi Power & Inspiration 100 as one of the Top 10 Inspirational Bangladeshis Globally
Public speaking
Kazi frequently participates as a speaker and panelist at technology conferences and academic forums. Her presentations cover subjects such as entrepreneurship, non-profit initiatives, intrapreneurship, social entrepreneurship, issues facing young professionals, social media trends, diversity, and technology advancements. She has delivered talks at numerous venues including the World Islamic Economic Forum in Malaysia; Marketing 2.0 Conference in France; BlogWorld Expo in Las Vegas; National Society of Collegiate Scholars Conference in Florida; Google Girl Geek Dinners Panel in Mountain View; and Congresswoman Jackie Speier’s Job Hunter’s Conference in San Mateo. Moreover, Kazi has appeared at multiple TEDx events such as TEDxYouth at Facebook, TEDxBayArea at LinkedIn, and TEDxWomen.
Personal life
Since 2015, Kazi has embraced an Intermittent Fasting regimen, sharing her method and detailing her journey of shedding more than 55 pounds through a widely-read instructional guide. Her achievements with intermittent fasting have received attention from Quartz Magazine, the HVMN podcast, and Inc Magazine.
In addition to her health pursuits, Kazi is a skilled Salsa and Bachata dancer. She performed with the San Francisco-based RicaSalsa dance company, which secured first place in the Amateur division at the United States Salsa Open Championships.