A Conversation with Sumaya K. Owens
We first met Sumaya Owens through Health Tech Nerds, and within minutes of talking with her, we understood why so many health leaders feel instantly at ease in her presence. Sumaya is the co-founder of Present Moment Media, a fractional CMO agency working with digital health and social impact organizations—but what makes her approach different isn't just her marketing expertise, it's how she weaves trauma-informed leadership and ethical technology into everything she does. Recently, Present Moment Media sponsored a Bonne Fire Happy Hour, creating the kind of authentic connection space that Atlanta's health innovation community needs more of. We sat down with Sumaya to talk about building businesses differently—with calm, clarity, and a commitment to amplifying voices that often go unheard.
What inspired you to start Present Moment Media?
During my previous career in corporate healthcare management, it was challenging to find work/life balance. I became a consultant in 2017 and launched my own practice working from home to spend more time with my daughter, take better care of myself, and recover from the years of burnout I had experienced working in corporate culture. When we launched the agency in 2021, my co-founder Nicolette and I had a shared vision: uplift the voices of changemakers across the globe.
For those who may not be familiar, what does Present Moment Media do, and what makes your approach distinct?
We're a fractional CMO agency that drives growth for digital health, public health, and social impact leaders through ethical, data-informed strategy. In addition to Fractional CMO & consulting services, we offer web design, branding, SEO, UX/UI, and digital advertising, to name a few. We also offer MarTech & AI consulting, vibe coding, automations, and integrations. What makes us distinct is our commitment to ethical technology, trauma-informed leadership, and diversity, equity, and inclusion in media.
You've spoken about the importance of trauma-informed leadership. How do you bring those principles into your work, and what impact does that have on the organizations and individuals you support?
As a trauma-informed yoga teacher, my intention is to incorporate elements of embodiment and somatic practices into my leadership roles. This means showing up with calm, compassion, and clarity, creating space for leaders to make decisions that honor both their values and their humanity. Clients tell me my calming presence helps them think more clearly about what they truly need for their business and vision.
You recently sponsored a Bonne Fire Happy Hour that brought together health innovators, entrepreneurs, and changemakers. What do you hope people take away from spaces you help create?
I hope people feel seen, heard, connected, and inspired. These spaces are about authentic human connection and building a community of purpose-driven leaders who support each other. When we create opportunities for changemakers to gather, we're not just networking… We're building the kind of meaningful relationships that inspire real impact and innovation.
Can you share a story of a time when your work helped someone move from feeling unseen or uncertain to feeling confident in sharing their story or mission?
One of my healthcare consulting clients was a woman of color working in pelvic health who was struggling with long-term imposter syndrome. She felt uncertain of herself, and uncertain of how to move forward in her work and career. But I was inspired by how brilliant and talented she was, and I knew we could accomplish great things together. During our consulting sessions, we discussed topics such as brand strategy, partnerships, and podcasts, to name a few. We created an updated media kit and updated her website to better reflect the value of what she offers. It was only a matter of time and she went viral on Planned Parenthood’s social media because of her partnership with them. She is now launching her own app in 2026.
Atlanta is becoming a vibrant hub for health innovation and entrepreneurship. Where do you see opportunities for storytelling and media to amplify that momentum—and what excites you most about the next chapter for Present Moment Media as part of that growth?
What excites me most is supporting the next generation of health leaders who are building solutions rooted in equity, inclusion, and access, and using our platform to amplify voices that have historically been left out of the conversation. I would be happy to chat with anyone in the Atlanta health innovation community and learn more about how our partnership between Present Moment Media and Bonne Fire ATL can support you and the work you do. If you have any ideas or suggestions for events, webinars, courses, or anything else, please feel warmly welcome to reach out to me anytime!
