Maya Pomroy
2024 Rising Star Award Winner
Class of 2022
Maya Buryakovsky Pomroy is an influential executive, entrepreneur, and award-winning host and journalist with 20+ years of experience. As founder of The Public Lead, Maya is dedicated to highlighting stories impacting business, public policy, and nonprofit organizations. She is the host of Rice Business' podcast, Owl Have You Know, and a highly sought-after speaker and board member, speaking on multiple topics, including thought leadership, entrepreneurship, strategic planning, and business transformation.
Maya’s entrepreneurial passion was ignited following the birth of her first child, leading her to launch an educational toy and bookstore, Brilliant Sky Toys and Books, in Austin, Texas. She grew the business in revenue exponentially within the first three years of operations, then brokered and executed its sale.
Before taking the leap into entrepreneurship, she served as an award-winning news anchor, reporter and executive producer for television news in Austin, Waco and Bryan/College Station.
She earned a BBA from The McCombs School of Business, a bachelor of journalism from The University of Texas, and a master’s degree in public policy from the LBJ School of Public Affairs. She is a Rice Business Class of 2022 Executive MBA and remains heavily involved with education and policy initiatives. Maya serves on the boards of Children@Risk, Children’s Museum of Houston, Main Street Theater, and the newest chapter of Impact 100, and she’s a founding member of Generation Serve Houston. She recently accepted the role of board chair for The Center of New American Children for Children@Risk. Maya and her oldest daughter hold board positions in the National Charity League’s Bayou City chapter, engaging and serving multiple philanthropies in the greater Houston area.
A refugee from the former Soviet Union, Maya is passionate about immigration policy reform, specifically regarding children. She and her husband, Matt, are parents to two daughters, Emma and Madelyn, along with their pups, Iris and Pearl.