WHO WE ARE
Black Women Explore was established in 2021 as a space for Black, Brown, Indigenous, Asian women and femme-identifying folks of color to connect and heal in nature. Since its founding, the recreation group has hosted over 80 BWE-specific events and supported several dozen community activities in the Northeast Ohio area. We have an online membership of nearly 300 women and femme-identifying folks with over 50 “active” members.
We have several robust metro park systems and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park right outside our doors. Because of this, our core activity is hiking, but we often organize other types of recreational opportunities when the weather permits. These include, kayaking, yoga, skiing, canoeing, archery, and more. Because we are a small team, we often partner with other organizations to make events more accessible.
Kimberly Young, Co-Founder
Kimberly Young is a community connector, advocate, servant leader and recovering socialite. She enjoys all things self care, nature and wellness! A self proclaimed “city chick,” Kimberly has grown to love connecting with nature.
Bronlynn Thurman, Co-Founder
Bronlynn Thurman is an outdoors enthusiast self-described wanderer. During the day, she works in the philanthropic sector focusing on arts, culture, and social ties. Her hobbies include reading, collecting books (those are separate!), outdoor cycling, traveling, and painting. She has a goal to visit all of the U.S. National Parks and travel to six of the seven continents (3 more to go!).
Alisa Moore, BWE Ambassader
An Akron native, Alisa is a travel enthusiast whose adventurous spirit leads her to explore locally and abroad. In her free time, she enjoys fashion, connecting with nature, volunteering, spending time with family and friends, and traveling! She's been to 10 countries and has many more to go. Alisa believes we all are blessed with gifts that have been uniquely placed in us, and it is our job to ensure that we share our gifts with others.
