Name: Karunya Sampath | Company: Payoda Technology Inc | Designation: CEO | Location: New York, USA
Being a woman in the technology field and helming her own firm as CEO in New York is no mean feat—and this is exactly what Karunya Sampath has achieved. After working for several years across IT, product, and service sectors in India, she moved to the United States to pursue her dream of entrepreneurship. In 2005, she co-founded Payoda Technology Inc. in New York with Anand Purushothaman to help businesses leverage the full potential of technology. With her deep expertise in operations, product strategy, and leadership, Karunya has since led Payoda’s growth into a global innovation-driven firm serving industries like healthcare, cybersecurity, and insurance.
Karunya Sampath
Early Days
For someone who always had a keen interest in technology, she did her master’s degree in computer software engineering from PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore that paved the foundation for her career ahead. “I have previously worked in IT, products, and services sector. My specialization in operations management, organisational development, sales management, product management, and business strategy helped me to take up all the challenges that entrepreneurship threw at me and managed them with ease,” she tells Global Indian. And this is what helps her as the founder and CEO of Payoda Technology Inc, and while serving on the boards of HealthViewX, Elyments, and AppViewX Inc., where she gets to use her experience to make the best out of the opportunities that are presented.
Career Trajectory
Over the years, Sampath has helmed a number of critical roles and responsibilities in the company, shaping its culture, growing the leadership and strengthening the bottom line. Quiz her on how she decided to give up cushy corporate roles to be an entrepreneur she says, “It was a feeling of liberation when I left my job and began working on the early stages of Payoda. It came naturally to me as I was excited to create something, to take chances, and to be more accountable for the results. As members of the computer community in the United States, the team witnessed how software was transforming the world and wanted to be a part of that revolution. And with this motto I jumped from a corporate job to the ever evolving yet highly satisfying field of entrepreneurship.”
Karunya Sampath
Key Insights:
- Leads Payoda Technology Inc. as CEO, balancing a demanding leadership role with personal well-being.
- Manages her time between work and family, showing that discipline and structure can make space for both.
- Practices meditation for over 15 years, which helps her stay centered and focused amid the pressures of running a company.
- Former sportsperson and mother of two, she brings the same energy and commitment from her personal life into her work.
- Spirituality plays a key role in helping her maintain perspective, resilience, and calm in the fast-paced tech world.
- Believes that constant learning and adapting—both professionally and personally—are essential for growth.
Growth Chart
Payoda, Inc. was started in 2005 in New York City as an innovation-focused firm. For the next 12 years, the team bootstrapped the company, developing solutions in healthcare, insurance, social media, network infrastructure, and cyber security. “We also had a services sector that worked with a mix of startups and Fortune 500 companies, allowing us to use our software engineering experience and inventive culture. Working with clients from all around the world, establishing best practices across functions, creating a winning culture, and making Payoda a fantastic place to work has been an incredible learning experience. I believe it was the ideal decision to embark on the entrepreneurial adventure. It has been a difficult, up-and-down affair, but it has also been extremely rewarding and satisfying,” she says.
Karunya Sampath
Woman on Top
Sampath admits that being a female entrepreneur in the technology sector is an empowering path that is full of potential for innovation and success. “While problems such as gender bias and underrepresentation continue, my experience has provided me with unique views and resilience, allowing me to promote good change and contribute to India’s thriving IT community,” she says. As technology evolves every day, the only way one can keep pace with it is through innovation and creative solutions. Every day brings new opportunities for learning, and it is imperative to adapt to market demands as and when you face them. Her advice for startups to be successful is simple. “Businesses must foster an innovative culture that empowers employees to upskill and learn new technology. Businesses can scale vertically and horizontally as their experience with various technologies grows. Finally, research, monitor, and enhance your business solutions with the client in mind. So, if you are heading a startup, you and your team must be attuned, and ready to adapt to the changes that technology brings in,” she avers.
Building Blocks
Over the course of her career Sampath has learnt some great lessons through the years. “The most important one is to begin with what excites you. One must be enthusiastic about the product or service that they are about to present to the world. Once that is sorted, the next step in any new venture is to develop a good business plan and do market research to determine opportunities, competitors, and revenue. Be frugal, aptly curious, and make networking a priority. Before going out for a full-fledged launch, road test your service and solicit active feedback. It is also critical to understand when to take risks and when to stay safe. The key here will be to monitor your finances and work smartly, as one can set up a business with limited resources and invest the profits as you grow,” she says.
Looking Ahead
Her current focus is on Payoda and she wants to propel it to new heights and develop potential. “In our industry, we must continue to improve our skills. Learning and development through internal opportunities is one of the techniques we believe will offer value to the company. Thus, we are constantly learning and adapting to what the present has to offer which can give us a grip on what the future will unfold,” she says. In her free time when she is not at work, Sampath is a spiritually inclined individual who has been practicing meditation for more than 15 years. A sportsperson in her young days and a mother of two, she hopes to become a deeper spiritual seeker and practitioner.
- Follow Karunya Sampath on LinkedIn