Our Story

Soma Vida, a Wellness Coworking Community, was established in 2008 in Austin, Texas, to serve the needs of health and wellness entrepreneurs, non-profits and small businesses. Soma Vida is the first coworking community of it's kind, in the world, intentionally designed using principles of trauma-informed design, environmental psychology and interpersonal neurobiology to support the whole person, mind and body, while also providing workspace, education and belonging for founders and entrepreneurs. It is also the first coworking space in the state of Texas, founded by Laura Shook Guzman LMFT, Somatic Psychotherapist and Trauma Specialist, and the first coworking space to open it's doors in Austin, Texas, making it one of the longest running coworking businesses in the world. As of June 2020, Soma Vida has closed it’s physical coworking location, yet the work and intention for supporting embodied systemic change and community remains present and strong.

The mission of Soma Vida, since it’s inception, has been to lower the barriers to access many entrepreneurs encounter, especially women and minorities, who often lack access to funding, mentorship, and business education. Services in the physical location included low-cost venue rentals and membership subscriptions with access to flexible office space, art gallery, studio and venue rentals, communal workspaces, educational programming, yoga and wellness classes and social events.

Since 2008, Soma Vida served thousands of Austin entrepreneurs and organizations, ranging from solo practitioners to small teams, and contributed over $200,000 of in-kind donations to local non-profits, faith based organizations and early stage founders.

The next phase of this mission will be carried out through the work of Laura’s most recent endeavor and current focus, Women Who Cowork, a global membership platform for femme-identified coworking founders and operators. Laura and her Co-Founder, Iris Kavanagh are both passionate about closing the gender gap in business ownership, specifically in the coworking sector, therefore, Women Who Cowork was created in 2016 to provide women with the support, resources and mentorship they need to successfully own, operate and grow their coworking business.

Laura’s strong belief in the coworking movement as a vehicle for social change fuels her continued contributions as a coworking consultant and thought-leader. With 12 years experience as a coworking space founder/operator combined with 22 years as a mental health professional and trauma specialist, Laura is committed to the continued pursuit of embodied community and collective action for a more connected, compassionate world.

@SomaVida remains active across social media platforms, so please continue to tag us so that we may amplify your voice and the collective work of light workers & healers across the globe. #KeepAustinConnected

Our Founder

Soma Vida was founded in 2008 by Laura Shook Guzman as the first ever health and wellness focused coworking space in Austin, TX. For 12 years the space served hundreds of founders of local wellness businesses from massage therapists to psychologists and yoga instructors. By integrating somatic psychology, interpersonal neurobiology, and work place wellness with the coworking model, Laura offers new work solutions for creating trauma-informed workplace solutions and supporting personal and collective health and well-being.

Named one of Austin’s best workplaces by the RAD Office Tour 2017 , Soma Vida was highlighted for it’s wellness-forward and human centric design. And, more recently, Soma Vida was awarded "Best Wellness Program" at the 2019 Global Coworking Unconference Conference in Denver, Colorado. Laura also provides somatic psychotherapy for leaders and entrepreneurs as well as wellness consulting for personal and professional spaces. And, in 2016, Laura launched Women Who Cowork, to increase the visibility of women-led and women-owned coworking businesses.

Founder Programming

In 2018 Soma Vida partnered with The Un.Inc to provide founder-focused education to the first women's cohort in the space. In 2019 the partnership grew into a full campus concept, bringing Laura's concept of founder-first and work-live balance to life in a new way. The Un.Inc's unique 3-month cohort program is available for individuals and teams alike and is currently available as a “digital campus.”

The coworking space served as a community hub for thousands of collectives and founders in the wellness and creative fields, from 2008 to 2020. It offered a uniquely curated mix of programming for founders, including yoga, meditation, mentorship and education. It was the home base for dozens of creative entertainment events each year from local musicians, artists and immersive art performances. The food truck court was curated with vegan food from various local food truck owners.

A Sanctuary of Community

Soma Vida was a support system and inspirational coworking community that aspired to create a unique and specific sanctuary for the community we served. Our intention was to create a sustainable environment that allowed ALL people to find balance in their efforts. Our founder, Laura Shook Guzman, continues this mission in her current work with Conscious Ambition and Women Who Cowork, offering mental health support as a psychotherapist and offering wellness and coworking consulting as a leader in these fields.

Our Part in the #FutureofWork

As proud participants in the global movement of coworking, we collaborated to shift the paradigm of how we work. It was a true honor to support a new generation of entrepreneurs, healers, creative thinkers and people who are transforming the world and we look forward to continuing the work with new ways of creating community and well-being.

More than ever, we need newly imagined infrastructures to support a world, in need of rebalancing, healing and transforming. Our mental and physical health will need to be top of mind in our approach to business as well as for those we serve. - Laura Shook Guzman, LMFT / Founder of Soma Vida

Soma Vida has been creating innovative solutions for 12 years and our founder, Laura Shook Guzman, will continue to provide leadership and support for the next wave of entrepreneurs and creative change makers. If you need support in your efforts to redefine the way we work, please get in touch.