Salma Qarnain

Co-Founder of Black Man Films

A Pakistani-American Co-Founder of Black Man Films, Salma is a rare multi-hyphenate bridging aerospace engineering, technology, entertainment, and academia. She built and launched satellites for NASA and DARPA, managed a $250M budget at AOL, ran a leading MBA admissions firm in NYC, and holds degrees from Stanford (Henry O'Fuchs Prize for Mechanical Design), MIT (Dean's Fellow), and Harvard Business School—where a case study was written about her. She is completing her PhD in Human Resources & Organizational Behavior at IE Business School.

As a producer, her films have earned 150+ festival selections and 60+ awards, including being a finalist in the HBO Max short film competition, being shortlisted for the NAACP Image Awards, and winning the Audience Choice Award at ESSENCE Fest. Her short film SILENT PARTNER was a 2023 Oscar contender, and she is currently in final post-production for the feature version Susan Heyward (THE BOYS) and Jeff Perry (SCANDAL). At Synetic Theater, she produced 20 shows earning 30 Helen Hayes nominations and 9 awards—personally winning two as an actor.

As an actor, she has performed across film, TV, and theater. In 2023, she starred in Broadway's LIFE OF PI (3 Tony Awards)—likely the only Harvard Business School graduate to perform on Broadway.