The Great Exhale™, A Soft Space for Black Women, Launches Today, On Juneteenth

Founded by activists Lisa Hurley and Liz Leiba, The Great Exhale is a virtual community that centers Black women, who are so often left forgotten in the margins of life.

JERSEY CITY, N.J., June 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Great Exhale™, a private membership community created for Black women by Black women, opens its virtual doors today. Designed to be a soft space where Black women can nurture themselves and each other, The Great Exhale (TGE) was founded by Lisa Hurley and Liz Leiba, noted activists in the DEI and Social Justice arenas.

Through their advocacy work, the friends and business partners uncovered a theme which mirrored their own lived experiences: Although many organizations encourage their employees to "show up as their authentic selves," that is often not possible for Black women. They are frequently forced to code switch, mask, and otherwise dim their light. Being constantly on guard against microaggressions, retaliation, or simply being "the only," can prove exhausting to the body and spirit. Leiba and Hurley saw a need for a community where Black women could relax, lay their burdens down–and exhale.

"Black women keep fighting for seats at tables where we are not welcome. So, we decided to build our own," states Liz Leiba, Co-Founder of The Great Exhale. "Our mission is to provide a nurturing space for Black women around the globe to embark on a journey of self-discovery, self-empowerment, and self-love, while surrounded by a community of sisters to encourage them."

"We decided to establish the community as a private one in order to protect our members as much as possible," explain Leiba and Hurley. "Most Black women are trolled, targeted, and harassed in public online spaces. By making The Great Exhale a private community, our goal is to minimize harm so that our members can feel at ease."

The Co-Founders made a strategic decision to launch TGE on Juneteenth. They are reclaiming the holiday as a day of liberation for Black women to rest, divest, and de-stress.

"The themes of liberation, agency, and celebration are embedded into the meaning of Juneteenth. This is why we decided to launch The Great Exhale on such a culturally resonant holiday. Our goal is that TGE will be an oasis for Black women. Our vision is that it will be a soft soothing sanctuary where Black women feel seen, valued, loved, relaxed, and most importantly–free," notes Lisa Hurley, Co-Founder of The Great Exhale.

To celebrate the launch, the Co-Founders are hosting a LinkedIn Live virtual event today, Monday June 19th, at 12:00 noon EST.

About The Great Exhale™ Movement

Founded by Lisa Hurley and Liz Leiba, The Great Exhale™ is a private membership community built exclusively to center Black women. It is a soft space designed for Black women around the globe to collectively relax, lay their burdens down—and exhale.

The Great Exhale facilitates this by creating a virtual forum for Black women to:

• Be in community with a supportive sisterhood
• Divest from the tyranny of overwork
• Be free from having to constantly code switch
• Be as excellent or as average as they choose
• Openly share lived experiences and have them validated by folks who understand…
• Enjoy a softer, friendlier, more fulfilling life

Members will benefit from community support, empowering content & events, exclusive learning journeys, authentic connections with like-minded women, and more. Membership starts at $40/month.

Find The Great Exhale Online:

Website: www.thegreatexhale.com

LinkedIn: The Great Exhale

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheGreatExhale

Linktree: linktr.ee/thegreatexhale

To learn more, follow Lisa and Liz on social media.

Contact: Latrice Torres

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE The Great Exhale™