Barbara Poma, owner of Pulse Nightclub, was raised in Coral Springs, Florida where she attended J.P.Taravella High School. She graduated in 1990 from the University of Central Florida with a BA in English Literature and a minor in Secondary Education and she was member of the Pi Beta Phi Sorority.

Ms. Poma worked as an educator in the Orange County Public School system for three years teaching Creative Writing, Speech, Language Arts, Debate and Drama.

In 1995 she married entrepreneur Rosario Poma, with whom she has two children and a stepdaughter. Joining her restauranteur husband, Ms. Poma has built and operated several businesses, most significantly Pulse Nightclub which was established in 2004 as a tribute to her brother John who passed away from HIV/AIDs.

Pulse Nightclub is embraced by the global LGBTQ community for the club’s culture of love and providing a venue where gays, lesbians and their families could be themselves. In the course of operating Pulse Nightclub, Ms. Poma has become a respected human and civil rights advocate.  

On Sunday, June 12, Pulse Nightclub became the scene of the nation’s worst mass shooting in modern American history. As club owner, Ms. Poma, like the rest of the world, was rocked into a new and unimaginable reality that carried immeasurable loss and hardship. Since the loss of her business, she has shifted her focus on preserving the memory of those who lost their lives, survivors and their loved ones.

She now serves as Founder and Executive Director of OnePulse Foundation, Inc. which has been established to oversee a community initiative to create a permanent memorial to Pulse and those who perished.

A brave, curious and compassionate thinker and doer she is an advocate on women, women in the military and Latinas. She has testified on diversity and inclusion before the Department of Defense Military Leadership Diversity Commission sponsored by the Black Congressional Caucus, testified before members of the Hispanic Congressional Caucus on Latinas, leadership and business. Is credited for coaching women in politics including the first Asian American woman to become the President of the Jacksonville City Council and the first Asian American woman elected official of a major city in Florida.

         She is one of the founders of the Power Women of the National Speakers Association (a group of over 700 global female thought leaders, experts and authorities dedicated to increasing women leaders and experts on stage).
       A former Bronx gang member she is a true American success story. She created an award-winning Latino Youth Serving Family Support Center serving high risk gang members.
Her books include “Sometimes You Need to Kick Your Own Butt “ which was named one of the top ten books for women in Human Resources by Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). “Bragging Rights Transform Your Team in 21 Days”, “Lead and Think BIG”, “50 Success Secrets in Business and Life of Feisty, Fearless, Focused, Fun Female Leaders. Her book “For All Our Daughters: How Mentoring Helps Young Women and Girls Master the Art of Growing Up” is used globally by women’s and girl’s organizations to develop young female leaders.