Karen Jane Salutan-Krukover champions Filipino stories across borders

There are certain persons whose chosen paths seem to be inspired and guided by an inner promise to create laudable meaningful projects. Karen Jane Salutan-Krukover is one of them. Presently based in New York, she leads the EdukSine Studios and EdukSine USA. She tirelessly carries the spirit of the Philippines into every corner of her endeavors, using cinema to uplift independent creators, teach communities and preserve the narratives which hold our identity together.

Her beginnings were modest. Supported by the Blessed Arnould Study Assistance Program (BASAP) scholarship, she graduated with a De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde BSBA in Business Management degree. This enabled her to pursue a future once considered unreachable.

Coming from a family who could not afford an education, receiving the BASAP scholarship gave me dignity, respect and opportunity. It allowed me to break the cycle of poverty within my family and gave me the confidence to dream bigger not just for myself, but for others.” This sense of responsibility to expand opportunities for others would become a recurring theme in her life.

Soon after graduation, she joined the world of film, not fully aware of how deeply it would shape her objectives. Her time at the UP Film Institute became a turning point. Surrounded by passionate filmmakers who poured years of dedication into their craft, she witnessed a recurring heartbreak: passion project films shown only very briefly, unreasonably caught in the whirlwind of the unforgiving pattern of “first-day, last-day” screenings — meaning, the debut show would also be its final day in the cinemas.

Many remarkable works disappeared before audiences even had the chance to view them. That stinging reality firmly stayed with her. Instead of seeing herself behind a camera, she began to understand that she could make a greater impact elsewhere. “I set aside my dream of becoming a filmmaker, and instead chose to be the bridge that connects filmmakers to audiences and their stories. That is why I created EdukSine — not for myself, but for the many dreamers who needed someone to fight alongside them.”

EdukSine started with a simple yet determined ambition: to bring Filipino films to the communities that needed them most. Over the years, the platform transformed into an avenue where independent cinema reaches schools, government offices, remote barangays, and eventually the global Filipino diaspora through online, hybrid and in-person block screenings.

The company also integrates Filipino Sign Language in selected films, a concrete expression of her belief that cinema should welcome every viewer.

The vision steadily gained recognition. EdukSine earned grants from the Department of Science and Technology (DoST), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Startup QC. It brought home honors such as Technology Company of the Year at the Asia CEO Awards 2023, Outstanding Brand Development Gold and Innovation in Design Silver at the KMC Startup Awards 2023, Innovation in Marketing Bronze in 2024 and 1st Runner Up for Community Engagement and Partnerships at UN Women Philippines 2024. Karen herself was named an Inspiring Filipina Entrepreneur 2025 by Go Negosyo.

In 2024, she expanded the mission further by launching EdukSine USA with the assistance of the DTI’s Malikhaing Pinoy Program. It allowed the platform to reach Filipino communities abroad, particularly those longing for stories from home. EdukSine has also grown into a film studio, producing and directing its first original documentary, Mambabatok: Lubo and Tulgao, a project that reflected her continued respect for heritage and culture.

Just this October, she was named among the 100 Most Influential Filipinos in the World by The Outstanding Filipino Awards (TOFA) in Las Vegas. For the ceremony, she chose a monarch butterfly Filipiniana by Renren Barcera of Sibalom, Antique, a gesture full of personal symbolism and quiet emotion.

Let’s hear more on her thoughts on her projects:

On challenges

“The challenges were many and deeply personal. In 2021, when I founded EdukSine, I welcomed friends I trusted like family into the board of directors. But eventually, they betrayed me by building a competing company and applying for the same grants. It was heartbreaking not just because of the betrayal itself. In the startup community, I saw how some people normalized betrayal, as if it were just ‘part of the game.’”

On significance of the award

“This award is truly special to me because it is my very first recognition in the United States since moving to New York in 2023. As a new immigrant, I faced the pain of leaving behind my beloved family, my comfort zone and my country. I experienced culture shock, loneliness and the uncertainty of starting all over again. Receiving this affirms the struggles were not in vain. It is a reminder that dreams can take root even in foreign soil.”

On TOFA gown

“The monarch butterfly represents: my immigration journey. It flew thousands of miles, went through storms, and yet found its way home. That’s me. I’ve learned to focus on what I can control, to live in the present moment, and to find beauty in every stage of my life. Now, with the miracle growing inside me, I’m reminded that every ending can lead to a new and beautiful beginning.”

On language integration

“EdukSine integrates Filipino sign language in films because cinema should never exclude anyone. Film is a universal language and every Filipino — hearing or deaf, rich or poor, in the city or in far-flung provinces — deserves access to it. My time at Benilde made me believe in inclusive storytelling and that belief has become a cornerstone of EdukSine.”

On advice to aspiring innovators

“I want to tell every Filipino trailblazer this: pain is not permanent. I know because I have walked through betrayal, grief, anxiety and depression. I was betrayed by people I trusted like family, I lost both of my parents and I faced the loneliness of being in a foreign country. Yet here I am healed, stronger and carrying life within me. Keep your eyes on the mission, and never lose hope. Live in the present, protect your peace and build a future with love. Because if I can rise from betrayal and grief to hope and renewal, then so can you.”