SoHookd wasn’t born overnight or from a single formative moment. It’s the product of a range of experiences that have shaped how I think about wellness, human behavior, and connection. I’m a self-proclaimed wellness nerd, and my curiosity about what fuels and restores our bodies began early. I loved how sports made me feel as a kid—not just physically, but mentally and emotionally.
Wellness became my anchor, and over time, I saw that its benefits extend far beyond the field. I may not have had the language for it yet, but even as an adolescent I was already starting to see wellness as a lifestyle.
Finding inspiration across industries: Financial services, hospitality, and consumer wellness brands
I spent my early career in financial services. I built models based on the assumption that people make rational investment decisions, but I quickly learned that most people act on emotion. That realization led me to the hospitality industry, where I saw firsthand how thoughtfully designed experiences and incentives can shape behavior, drive action, and elevate quality of life.
Around the same time, I became increasingly fascinated by the rise of consumer wellness. The most compelling brands weren’t just selling products; they were creating experiences that got people hooked. They were building lifestyles and communities, tapping into identity and belonging in meaningful ways.
But despite this momentum, wellness was often treated like a privilege. Doctors encouraged preventative care, but the landscape was fragmented and the products were expensive, making it difficult for people to discover and access wellness tools.
Bridging gaps in the wellness space: The SoHookd approach
I saw an opportunity within the corporate wellness space to connect the things that were working across other industries. In partnership with health plans, employers have huge reach, and I believed that by working through them, we could transform a fragmented ecosystem into an experience that makes wellness more accessible, engaging, and sustainable.
At the time, many organizations were investing in well-being, but often in ways that didn’t reflect how people actually behave. I kept hearing the same thing: even with incentives, employees weren’t meaningfully engaged.
SoHookd’s first offering was incentives. I knew from hospitality that they could play a meaningful role in engagement. By connecting people to products and services that support their well-being (often ones they would not have discovered on their own) we could spark interest more naturally.
From there, SoHookd grew into something bigger. First we became a platform with multiple complementary offerings. Then we became a true partner in the wellness ecosystem, breaking down the barriers that too often keep organizations from delivering wellness programs that feel relevant and attainable.
Because at the end of the day, wellness is not just about offering more programs. It’s about unlocking what inspires and drives people, meeting organizations and their employees where they are, and empowering everyone to reach their full potential.
