Barbara L. Smith
Barbara L. Smith
Founder, Chief Executive Officer | Luminous-Resilient LLC
Since launching her company in 2025, Barbara L. Smith has excelled as the founder and chief executive officer of Luminous-Resilient LLC, through which she coaches and empowers single mothers in their own business endeavors. A Leadership and Financial Wellness Coach, Certified Mental Health First Aide, and author, she wields unique expertise to help single-mother business professionals—including those raising children with special needs—to “reclaim their financial voice” and find emotional and restorative support. A proud mother herself who has faced significant financial hardships, Ms. Smith credits her son for inspiring her to start a new journey after 20 years in the corporate world, across numerous law firms, and commit to uplifting others to overcome their obstacles.
Prior to starting her company, Ms. Smith was active as a client services coordinator at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP and worked in marketing events for the firm Cooley LLP from 2022 to 2025. In this role, she was responsible for managing events from start to finish, including handling logistics and hosting internal and external, high-profile events. One of the last gatherings she coordinated was for Chelsea Clinton in October 2024, which was focused on mental health.
Outside of her primary professional roles, Ms. Smith has been a staunch donor to such organizations as the Purple Heart Foundation and the American Red Cross. She also independently published a book in 2025, “From Urban to Suburban: A Financial Glow-up Guide for Single Mothers’ Empowerment to Success,” which explores her own personal journey and outlines practical strategies to overcome debt, take control of spending habits, and overall secure one’s financial future.
Throughout most of her working life, Ms. Smith lived paycheck to paycheck, was inundated with credit card debt, faced eviction, and ultimately filed for bankruptcy. These challenging experiences gradually changed her perspective, leading her to focus on being financially responsible and eventually becoming a homeowner, which she considers her biggest accomplishment, and an entrepreneur. Having achieved homeownership, something she never thought would be possible, she strives to grow her company into a movement that equips women with the tools, confidence, and support needed to rewrite their financial legacies—and to significantly impact the lives of other women by empowering single mothers and fostering their success across generations.
Press Release
Barbara L. Smith Displays Expertise in Financial Coaching
Barbara L. Smith serves as the founder and chief executive officer of Luminous Resilient LLC
SOMERSET, NJ, June 27, 2025 — Barbara L. Smith has been included in Marquis Who’s Who. As in all Marquis Who’s Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Ms. Smith, the founder and chief executive officer of Luminous Resilient LLC, has embarked on a transformative journey to empower single-mother business professionals. Her company, established in 2025, is dedicated to helping these women overcome financial challenges and achieve lasting prosperity. Her personal experiences with financial hardship have fueled her passion for coaching and inspiring others, making her an expert in guiding single mothers toward financial independence.
Before founding Luminous Resilient, Ms. Smith spent over two decades in the corporate world, working for various law firms. Her most recent role was in marketing events from 2022 to 2025, during which time she managed events from inception to completion, including logistics and hosting high-profile internal and external events. One notable event she coordinated was for Chelsea Clinton in October 2024, which focused on mental health and was highly successful. Prior to this position, she served as a receptionist from 2017 until 2022.
Earlier in her career, Ms. Smith was a client services coordinator between 2015 and 2017. In this role, she was responsible for event planning, reception duties and administrative work. In addition to her professional achievements, she is a member of Black Leaders Worldwide and the Worldwide Women’s Association — affiliations that illustrate her commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion within her community and industry.
Further enhancing Ms. Smith’s professional excellence are the numerous certifications she has obtained that have contributed to her success. These include Mental Health First Aid from the National Association of Mental Wellbeing, earned in 2024, and several LinkedIn certifications focused on diversity, inclusion, leadership and communication.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Ms. Smith’s dedication to civic engagement is evident through her donations to organizations like the Purple Heart Foundation and the American Red Cross. A proud mother, she credits her son for inspiring her commitment to uplifting single mothers. In 2025, she independently published “From Urban to Suburban: A Financial Glow-up Guide for Single Mothers’ Empowerment to Success,” offering insight and strategy rooted in her lived experience.
Having achieved homeownership herself, Ms. Smith now looks ahead with a clear vision: to grow Luminous Resilient into a movement that equips women with the tools, confidence, and support needed to rewrite their financial legacies —and to significantly impact the lives of other women by empowering single mothers and fostering their success across generations.
