Growing up in Upstate New York, Olivia (“Liv”) Bowser was passionate about the outdoors and physical fitness. After graduating from the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University, she worked in a variety of marketing positions, including brand manager, digital marketing consultant, and email marketing manager.
Liv also became a Certified Meditation and Mindfulness Teacher and a RYS 200 Yoga Teacher, and has led mindfulness classes for SHAPE and HEALTH Magazines and been featured in magazines such as Forbes, Business Insider, and The Cut.
While Liv enjoyed a great deal about her working life, she had always wanted to create something of her own. In early 2019, Liv was meeting with a group of friends who began discussing how they all shared common struggles with stress, loneliness, anxiety and depression. Liv realized that many people are dedicated to maintaining their physical health, but often neglect their mental and emotional needs. She thought that a program that would address all of these needs together would allow people to take care of their whole self, rather than just addressing one aspect at a time.
Over the next year, Liv worked on creating a business plan for Liberate, consulting with psychologists and meditation experts to make sure her idea would be comprehensive and address physical, emotional and mental needs effectively. In April of 2021 a funding campaign was held through IFundWomen, with just over $11,000 raised.
Liberate was officially launched in 2020 and is founded on the belief that health is multidimensional. Classes include a flow of movement, reflection journaling, conversation, and meditation to empower participants. Classes are currently held primarily on Zoom, although in person classes will be offered in Los Angeles as Covid-19 restrictions allow. Classes are provided for individuals or for groups of employees as a corporate benefit, enabling workers to reduce stress in the workplace. A one-time class for a special occasion such as a birthday is also available. Five session “Mini Courses” are also available on subjects such as resilience, gratitude, and journaling. Both live and on demand courses are available.
