Founder, The Great Exhale™ | Award-Winning Activist | Entrepreneur & Speaker | Top 10 LinkedIn Creator in Inclusion & Diversity | Judge, The Anthem Awards | Forbes Featured | #ActuallyAutistic | INFJ | 🇧🇧🇯🇲🇹🇹🇺🇸

Lisa Hurley is a five-time Anthem Award-winning author, activist, podcaster, second-generation Reiki Master, and rest advocate. Her work centers Black women, and converges at the nexus of self care, community care, joy, and rest. Through her writing, speaking, and community-building, Lisa champions soft living for Black women. 

Hurley is the author of Space To Exhale, a transformational book created to help people beat burnout, embrace rest, and curate a soft life. Part memoir, part manifesto, part meditation guide, Space To Exhale is a self-help book that inspires readers to practice the pause and take time to exhale.

As a champion of rest for Black women, Lisa is the founder of The Great Exhale, a global virtual community dedicated to sisterhood, serenity, and soft living. TGE offers curated rituals, inspiring affirmations, and healing conversations for those ready to say no to hustle culture and yes to a life of ease. It is a healing hub where Black women can relax, lay their burdens down—and exhale.

An Executive Member IADAS, Lisa is also a board member of Yuvoice, and a Juror for the Anthem Awards. A respected figure, she has been honored as one of the Top 20 Entrepreneurs to follow on LinkedIn, voted as one of LinkedIn’s Top 50 Black Creators, and recognized as one of the Top 10 Anti-Discrimination Activists in the world. In addition, Lisa has been honored by Hush Loudly as an Introvert to Watch, and as one of pocstock's Future of Black America Top 50 Leaders. As a result of her activism, her thought leadership has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, Adweek, and more. 

With a passion for speaking out that belies her natural introversion, Lisa is a prolific podcaster. In addition to being the Host and Executive producer of Space To Exhale: The Podcast, a five star-rated show that focuses on self care for Black women, she is also the Co-Founder & Co-Host of The Introvert Sisters Podcast, and a former Co-Host of The Tea on Tap podcast. 

With a strong belief in good vibes, Lisa is known for her inspiring affirmations on TikTok. In her free time, she enjoys bonding with her family, reading a good book, and expressing her creativity through fashion.

Of Caribbean heritage (Barbados, Trinidad, and Jamaica), Lisa is a world traveler with an understandable preference for warmer climes. Her love languages are sunshine, laughter, and naps.

Ready to exhale?
📚 Learn more, and order Space To Exhale: www.spacetoexhalebook.com
🎙️ Listen to Space To Exhale: The Podcast: bit.ly/STEPodcastOnSpotify
🔗 Stay connected: https://linktr.ee/lisahurley

Lisa Hurley

Girl Coalition of Indiana

Director of Evaluation and Learning 

Educational and Community Strategies

Co-Founder/Owner

Remote and in-person diversity, equity, and inclusion workshops provide an immersive, engaging learning experience for participants.

Training + Professional Development

Professional Speaker, Keynote

Organizational Analysis. Culture Audit. Climate Survey. DEI Strategic Planning.

Consulting

Community Action Partnership

Key Focus:
•Partnered cross functionally to facilitate annual strategic planning and program evaluation processes to inform short-term and long-term solutions supporting organizational goals
•Advanced adult learning theory to organize and facilitate training and programming 
•Practiced operational rigor with the task of comprehensively managing federal grants, creation and implementation of program budget, onboarding and retaining staff, advisory council, and 300 volunteers
•Engaged across the organization, in local communities and advocated to establish strong relationships to support: in-kind donations, program awareness / planning, physician referral sources and to recruit volunteers
•Traveled locally and regionally to represent organizations via committee, board memberships/public speaking engagements, and training opportunities. 
•Assumed accountability and responsibility for monitoring and measuring federal grant requirements, program KPIs/metrics/outcomes, program evaluation and managing budget of nearly $600,000
•Continuously sought out resources such as new funding streams and collected data via field research/studies
•Actively participated on organization's Strategic Planning Committee, Policy and Procedure Manual Development, Conduct Multi-County Community Need and Resource Assessment, Coordinated United Way Employee Campaign and other Special Events and Outreach efforts
Key Results:
•Increased in-kind contributions from $18,000 to over $100,000 (455 percent increase) within 6 months
•Wrote and received over $3,000,000 in federal and local grants
•Expanded waitlist for services from less than 100 eligible individuals to over 500
•Led United Way company campaign; increased employee charitable contributions from $6000 to nearly $31,000 by simply making giving fun and inclusive for employees
•Conducted needs assessments and leveraged resources into rural areas to meet the needs of vulnerable individuals

Director of Senior Programs 

I believe that real change happens when communities have a voice in shaping their own solutions. That’s what drives me as a nonprofit leader, strategist, and evaluator—to create equitable opportunities and ensure that impact isn’t just measured but truly felt where it matters most.

As the Director of Evaluation & Learning at Girl Co, I help turn data into action. My work isn’t just about numbers—it’s about understanding the lived experiences of girls in out-of-school spaces and making sure their voices inform the programs, policies, and innovations designed for them.

Over the years, I’ve worked across nonprofits, education, and social innovation, leading efforts in DEI, leadership development, and strategic growth. Whether it’s through research, evaluation, or big-picture thinking, my goal is always the same: to help organizations expand their reach, deepen their impact, and create lasting change for the communities they serve.

Would love to connect, especially if you're passionate about equity, social impact, or nonprofit leadership!

taplio

The Battle

Lisa Hurley

Tamisha Sales, PhD

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