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SoulCycle — part-fitness class, part-cult — has long inspired spandex-clad attendees to chant affirmations over pumping music in a candlelit room.
Now, per Inc., founders Julie Rice and Elizabeth Cutler want to hone in on the high of that post-sweat camaraderie with their new venture, Peoplehood.
Centered around their newly coined concept of “relational fitness,” Peoplehood will:
- Hold 60-minute sessions called “gathers,” led by instructors, AKA “guides.”
- Offer a group conversation in which participants both speak and listen.
Attendees will learn to practice active listening: Verbal responses aren’t allowed in class, just physical gestures like a hand over the heart or finger snaps.
The business is currently in beta, opening online in January followed by in-person classes in New York City (and, if all goes well, countrywide).
What’s this all about?
We’re facing a loneliness epidemic exacerbated by covid and our digitized lifestyles. Plus, the decline of organized religion has left a void of communal gathering places.
Loneliness can have serious health implications, so startups are creating cures:
- Apps for friendships, like Bumble BFF, Hey! Vina, Yubo, and Meetup.
- Places for in-person gathering, such as Groundfloor and Chief.
- Online audio communities, like Clubhouse and Humans Anonymous.
Once it heals you, Peoplehood is building products to fix your relationship (Couplehood) and your workplace (Peoplehood @Work) next. *Snaps.*
