Meet Christine Board and Ariel Ward

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christine Board and Ariel Ward.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Christine and Ariel. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Exhale was birthed from a desire to curate spaces for other black womxn. One of the exhale. Co-founders were inspired by Mahogany L. Browne’s poem “Black Girl Magic” and decided to host her first Black Girl Magic brunch in her apartment to honor the black womxn in her life. What began out of a communal desire for such spaces, grew into what is now the formally established exhale.collective. The spaces we curate & hold are inspired by our personal journeys, the current climate for black women in America, and conversations with our community. Our passion to curate spaces for black womxn to celebrate and hold one another in uninhibited joy only continues to grow.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Black women embody multitudes. Getting the opportunity to curate exhale. Collective – to grow and develop in community, to honor the voices and stories of black womxn and girls, and to expand has been incredible. We are a small but mighty team. When it comes to managing, running, and sustaining a small organization, class is always in session. We have grown in more ways than we ever could have imagined.

We did not initially see exhale. collective as a business, but through it, we have become well acquainted with elements of financial planning, marketing, social engagement, and partnership. We have navigated some of the challenges of sustainability, scaling and growing. Fortunately, we have had the opportunity to be a part of a beautiful community of creative entrepreneurs in the Bay Area who we have been able to collaborate with and learn from in the process.

We’d love to hear more about your organization.
At its heart, exhale. Collective seeks to empower black womxn and girls in community and healing through creative wellness. We are dedicated to creating spaces where black womxn and girls can breathe easy in an environment where they alone are enough. Our mission is to create spaces where black womxn and girls are emboldened to release, be nourished, inspired, and united in community. Such release and restoration enable us not only to heal and revive but also build collective power as black womxn. Only when you exhale fully can you achieve an optimal absorption of oxygen, our lifeblood.

We are healers, dreamers, and creators, among other things, making room for black women and girls to exist in their truest form, whomever they are. One of our inaugural events is a Black Girl Magic Brunch, which we hold every year in the spring. There, we gather and celebrate the joy that is black womxnhood. We also hold a monthly open mic series, SpeakEasy, which is an artist showcase and open mic night honoring the voices of black womxn. While our event is typically open to all to attend, we intentionally hold the mic for black womxn. Through our open mic, we hope to provide a platform that inspires black womxn and girls to sound off, to elevate their truths, and define their narratives. Speak, easy is a place to be bold, free, and heard. In the words of Mahogany L. Browne, “ain’t no room for a Black woman’s voice to be policed.”

What were you like growing up?
For us, it would be our community. From the black women who hold us and encourage us in this work to those that come to our events. They show up and support us, help us learn and grow. They are there we when we get it wrong and get it right – we do this for them, for black women and girls everywhere.

Contact Info:

• Website: exhalecollective.org
• Email: info@exhalecollective.org
• Instagram: @exhalecollective

Image Credit:
Amanda Sade (founders photograph) Dorean Raye Photography (all other photos)

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