Human Bravely is a woman and queer owned company specializing in courageous human development.
about the mission
In a world full of things that dehumanize us, we can teach you how to rehumanize – your life, your organization, your culture, your leadership, your team, your relationships, and even your experience of dying.
Human Bravely is founded and run by laura brewer. The name is simply what she does: Human (as a verb). Bravely. And it’s what she helps other people do, too.
about the values
liberation | compassion | courage
Human Bravely, Inc. conducts most of its work on the unceded Monacan land of Charlottesville, Virginia. We pay real rent / land acknowledgement every month to the Monacan Indian Nation. We are also committed to reparations and redistribute a subset of profit from specific programs and/or overall annual revenue to organizations, funds, teachers, and/or mutual aid directly for and led by Black people.
About Human-ing (Bravely)
We’re conditioned to turn away from the things that most connect us – from the things that make us most human.
To human bravely is to intentionally choose to act from the things that foster a sense of shared humanity and connection (like vulnerability, curiosity, wholeness, compassion, openness, etc.) rather than from the things that damage it (like shame, control, superiority, separation, perfectionism, defensiveness, urgency, dominant culture, etc.).
It is a brave and radical choice to practice being more human rather than less. We will help guide you on that path, and transform your life – and the world around you – as we go.
About Laura
Welcome
I’m a coach, educator, doula, and 6th generation Virginian who’s spent the past two decades helping people make change and get free, from the inside-out.
Official Bio
laura brewer is the voice of radical heart and authenticity. She is a coach, death doula, and educator who helps people courage –– in their life, in their leadership, and in their death –– as a practice of justice and radical humanity. She brings an anti-shame based approach to the deep inner work of disentangling our way of BEing from the status quo culture, the systems of oppression that fuel it, and to the insecurities, fears, and wounds that keep us all stuck there at times.
She has spoken about wholeness, anti-racism, leadership, and the inner work of liberation and justice on virtual and literal stages alike, from Harvard University to Fortune 500 tech and media conglomerates. A former public school teacher, adjunct professor, and Vice President, laura has two decades of experience in education, leadership development, and coaching human capacity. She holds certifications/credentials/degrees in end-of-life care, coaching, and secondary education, and she has trained with and under some of the most respected coaches and racial justice leaders in the country.
laura is also the host of the 5-star podcast How To Make Love™ –– a revolutionary discussion with amazing guests on what it takes to build our courage, love, and justice muscles. She lives in Charlottesville, Virginia –– on unceded Monacan land & territory –– where she was born and raised as a 4th generation Charlottesvillian and 6th generation Virginian.
“laura brewer is up to something that we all need to learn about and be a part of.”
-Elena Aguilar, author
“An inspiring revolutionary of these times, a brave social changer, a heart opener who talks about the most confronting issues.”
– Cristina Palma, international leader
Laura’s Story
1982
Born in Charlottesville, Virginia. Youngest of three by a long shot slash I was a surprise. And still am.
1985
Realize my obsession with food. (Look at that wild look in my eyes. It’s still there when I see a bowl of bucatini.)
1986
Realize my obsession with fish(ing). These days it’s native brook trout in the Virginia mountains and catch and release only, but no matter.
1987
Begin my firm commitment to camo as a fashion statement (and a way of life, where I grew up).
2000
Head to college in my hometown at the beautiful University of Virginia. Also in 2000, I come out as queer, but it was spurred by first being publicly outed in a demoralizing way by a religious group of folks I loved and trusted. When I look back, it’s possible my mission of rehumanizing and humaning bravely began here.
2004
Leave Charlottesville for the first time in my life and move to D.C., where I begin my professional career as a junior high school literacy teacher. And I fall deeply in love with DC.
2007
Receive my M.A. in secondary education and eventually begin to teach as an adjunct professor at American University.
2008
Meet the love of my life, Max the three legged cat.
2012
Take a giant risk on love, leave my beloved D.C., and move to Los Angeles.
2013
Chickens enter my life & take over my backyard for the next 7 years.
2014
After 13 years together, Angie and I get hitched on an orange grove/rose garden and made orange-aid for guests from the fruit on the orchard.
2015
Testing the waters of a side-hustle, I begin coaching 1:1 clients outside of my full-time job and graduate from a coaching program with my formal credentials. This is a picture on the night of my coaching graduation.
2007 – 2016
Work at Teach For America for nearly a decade running new teacher education, large-scale summer school supervision, and eventually coaching executive directors and their teams. All of my work involved coaching, and I fell more in love with the medium. My sense of impeccable fashion continued and I was renown, especially, for this stylish look.
2016
Lose my job at Teach For America PLUS decide to officially launch my first coaching company, Mean Well. Speak Well. Do Well., Inc PLUS see Dolly Parton in concert for the first time PLUS come out as polyamorous. It was a big year.
2017
Start key noting and leading workshops and talks around the country.
2018
On September 4th, my podcast launches! I also launch the first cohort of How To Hold Whiteness Responsibly and launch my first group coaching program, The Cadre.
2019
After nearly 20 years in each others’ lives, Angie and I separate with heavy hearts. I move back to the east coast and begin to reinvent myself. There is tremendous loss and grief. It was in that depth of loss and grief that I decide to enroll in my formal training as an end of life doula.
2020
As we all know, this year is shit. I add tie-dye to my camo-fashion-savvy attire. I also listen deeply to feedback received from mentors and shift How to Hold Whiteness Responsibly from profit-to-reparations to revenue-to-reparations.
2021
After 20 years, I move back to my hometown of Charlottesville, Virginia to rumble with “home.”
2022
Found and launch the mission of Human Bravely!
Human Bravely Manifesto
I’ve coached leaders at some pretty cool places:
