Trusted by leaders from:
Being a leader is hard.
It’s also an incredible opportunity for growth.
Not just in knowledge or skills, but rather in capacity to:
Stay grounded in
the midst of chaos
Lead yourself and others
Hold uncertainty without needing to solve it
Navigate relational tension without losing your center
Not just your knowledge, but the relational, emotional, somatic, psychological and spiritual facets that shape who you are and how you move through the world.
We work with what's in front of you.
And we work on what’s underneath.
The outcome isn’t just better leadership. It’s a different way of being in your life, in your work, and in the world you’re helping shape.
When all of you is online, integrated, and available, the way you lead changes. And the way you live changes.
This work develops all parts of you.
Integrated
Leader
Intellectual
Psychological
Somatic
Emotional
Relational
At a certain level it becomes:
Less about the right answer
Less about logic
Less about doing it all
More about the tradeoffs
More about relationships
More about staying resourced
Spiritual
Your job as a leader is to solve the problems others can't
Begin here
I offer curated experiences and personalized guidance to help you expand your capacity to navigate the challenges of being a leader in today's world.
Regular confidential meetings to work with your immediate challenges, explore what’s underneath, and guide you toward developing the inner resources to face all that life presents.
1:1 Coaching
Join our annual 5-day immersive for Founders, VCs and Executives ready to engage with deep inner work.
In-person transformational experiences
Signature leadership development programs
- Custom in-house leadership programs
- Executive Offsite facilitation
- Team coaching interventions
- Keynotes and panels
Next retreat 9-14th Sep 2025, Portugal
Annie REardon,
Ceo and co-founder | ludo
forbes 30 under 30
I worked with her during the most challenging part of scaling my business. She helped me solve some critical gaps in my business, ultimately getting me on track to hit my company revenue goals and get Forbes 30 under 30.
Vanya truly was a confidant, cheerleader, problem solver, and intuitively led coach.
Martin Bispels
CEO | Upper Park Disc Golf
From help in setting intentions and finding focus, elevating my meditation practice, providing insight and perspective on new business strategies, and providing a (gentle) kick in the ass when needed, Vanya delivers!
Vanya is the Swiss Army knife of coaches...
Abishek Jha
ceo & co-founder | elucidata
Being a first time founder is an immensely rewarding but lonely job. You need tons of support to survive and thrive...At times it is just listening, and other times it is challenging my thought process. A lot of times it is helping me with tactical things.
She is always available with her repertoire of tools to help.
tom chadwick,
Ceo | endurant energy
She is never afraid to tell you what she thinks you can do better and what are clearly weaknesses, BUT you never feel she is judging you or that you're not an amazing person that can just unlock more of the best parts of yourself.
Vanya is high energy and has a huge amount of different areas she can work on.
Abishek Jha
ceo & co-founder | elucidata
Being a first time founder is an immensely rewarding but lonely job. You need tons of support to survive and thrive... At times it is just listening, and other times it is challenging my thought process. A lot of times it is helping me with tactical things.
She is always available with her repertoire of tools to help.
Patrick O'Leary
CEO and Co-founder | Boostr
Improving my own personal development, as well as helping us design and implement our people strategies, as well as planning and facilitating leadership offsites.
Vanya has been a great coach for me
Brad Bogolea
CEO and Co-founder | Simbe Robotics
Vanya helps ensure founders and management leaders within a business have the proper tools, processes, and self-awareness to keep up with the various challenges and opportunities that a high-growth start-up brings.
Vanya has been an invaluable partner and trusted advisor
Martin Bispels
CEO | Upper Park Disc Golf
From help in setting intentions and finding focus, elevating my meditation practice, providing insight and perspective on new business strategies, and providing a (gentle) kick in the ass when needed, Vanya delivers!
Vanya is the Swiss Army knife of coaches...
Morgan Denis
Chief of Staff | Simbe Robotics
By keeping a constant pulse of progress and providing targeted support wherever needed. The manager trainings Vanya led have helped us nurture and grow our management team and processes.
She helped us create a sustained impact across our organization...
Jeff Bonaldi
Founder and CEO | The Explorer's Passage
to the point where you feel you almost have a partner who is there going to battle with you each and every day. I found my time with Vanya to be extremely helpful in growing as a leader and opening up new marketing channels.
She makes you feel extremely supported
Patrick O'Leary
CEO and Co-founder | Boostr
improving my own personal development, as well as helping us design and implement our people strategies, as well as planning and facilitating leadership offsites.
Vanya has been a great coach,
Brad Bogolea
CEO and Co-founder | Simbe Robotics
She helps ensure founders and management leaders within the business have the proper tools, processes, and self-awareness to keep up with the various challenges and opportunities that a high-growth start-up brings.
Vanya has been an invaluable partner and trusted advisor
Morgan Denis
Chief of Staff | Simbe Robotics
by keeping a constant pulse of progress and providing targeted support wherever needed. The manager trainings Vanya led have helped us nurture and grow our management team and processes.
She helped us create a sustained impact
Jeff Bonaldi
Founder and CEO | The Explorer's Passage
To the point where you feel you almost have a partner who is there going to battle with you every day. I found my time with Vanya to be extremely helpful in growing as a leader and opening up new marketing channels.
She makes you feel extremely supported
Barney Swan
Founder and CEO | Climate Force
Whether co-hosting an Arctic expedition, managing culture at an AI startup, or in 1-1 coaching—her ability to redirect and focus in hard times is remarkable. She offers clear strategies, thrives on collaboration, and always delivers. I couldn’t recommend her more highly.
Vanya has time and time again impressed me.
Jason Su
Co-founder and CTO | Whiterabbit.ai
She helped me solve some critical gaps in my company, ultimately getting me on track to hit my revenue goals and get Forbes 30 under 30. Vanya excels at understanding the makeup of a team and finding the moves and plays that will succeed for them.
I worked with her during the most challenging part of scaling my business.
Martin Bispels
CEO | Upper Park Disc Golf
From help in setting intentions and finding focus, elevating my meditation practice, providing insight and perspective on new business strategies, and providing a (gentle) kick in the ass when needed, Vanya delivers!
Vanya is the Swiss Army knife of coaches...
tom chadwick,
Ceo | endurant energy
She is never afraid to tell you what she thinks you can do better and what are clearly weaknesses, BUT you never feel she is judging you or that you're not an amazing person that can just unlock more of the best parts of yourself.
Vanya is high energy and has a huge amount of different areas she can work on.
Annie REardon,
Ceo and co-founder | ludo
forbes 30 under 30
I worked with her during the most challenging part of scaling my business. She helped me solve some critical gaps in my business, ultimately getting me on track to hit my company revenue goals.
Vanya truly was a confidant, cheerleader, problem solver, and intuitively led coach.
Jason Su
Co-founder and CTO | Whiterabbit.ai
She helped me navigate critical conversations with my board and team—defining outcome, strategy, and even specific impactful verbiage. Like a veteran coach, she understands the makeup of a team and finds the plays that will succeed.
Vanya has been immensely beneficial to my growth as a first-time founder.
Annie REardon,
Ceo and co-founder | ludo
forbes 30 under 30
I worked with her during the most challenging part of scaling my business. She helped me solve some critical gaps in my business, ultimately getting me on track to hit my company revenue goals and get Forbes 30 under 30.
Vanya truly was a confidant, cheerleader, problem solver, and intuitively led coach.
MARTIN BISPELS
CEO | Upper Park Disc Golf
From help in setting intentions and finding focus, elevating my meditation practice, providing insight and perspective on new business strategies, and providing a (gentle) kick in the ass when needed, Vanya delivers!
Vanya is the Swiss Army knife of coaches…
ABISHEK JHA
CEO & Co-founder | Elucidata
Being a first-time founder is an immensely rewarding but lonely job. At times it's just listening, other times it's challenging my thought process. A lot of times it's helping me with tactical things.
She is always available with her repertoire of tools to help.
PATRICK O’LEARY
CEO & Co-founder | Boostr
Improving my own personal development, as well as helping us design and implement our people strategies, and planning and facilitating leadership offsites.
Vanya has been a great coach,
BRAD BOGOLEA
CEO & Co-founder | Simbe Robotics
She helps ensure founders and leaders have the right tools, processes, and awareness to meet the challenges of a high-growth startup.
Vanya has been an invaluable partner and trusted advisor
MORGAN DENIS
Chief of Staff | Simbe Robotics
By keeping a pulse of progress and providing targeted support. The manager trainings Vanya led helped us nurture and grow our management team and processes.
She helped us create a sustained impact across our organization…
JEFF BONALDI
Founder & CEO | The Explorer’s Passage
To the point where you feel you almost have a partner going to battle with you every day. Working with Vanya helped me grow as a leader and open up new marketing channels.
She makes you feel extremely supported
JASON SU
Co-founder & CTO | Whiterabbit.ai
She helped me navigate critical conversations with my board and team—defining outcome, strategy, and even specific impactful verbiage. Like a veteran coach, she understands the makeup of a team and finds the plays that will succeed.
Vanya has been immensely beneficial to my growth as a first-time founder.
Tom Chadwick
Ceo | endurant energy
She is never afraid to tell you what she thinks you can do better and what are clearly weaknesses, BUT you never feel she is judging you or that you're not an amazing person that can just unlock more of the best parts of yourself.
Vanya is high energy and has a huge amount of different areas she can work on.
I believe that leadership is not what you do, It's who you are.
While most coaching focuses on performance and tactics, the work we do goes deeper. We look at the relational, psychological, and systemic aspects of leadership to expand your potential.
I work with leaders from Seed to Series D, as well as partners at top VC firms. My grounded practice combines leadership development , psychology, and therapy-informed methodologies, enhanced by living and studying in the Thai Buddhist tradition, teaching breathwork, and working with plant medicine.
Hi, I'm Vanya Sofia,
03
I’ve spent the last decade helping founders and executives navigate the complexity of leadership and company-building.
Certified by:
I write about integrated leadership, therapeutic modalities, relational dynamics & life as it unfolds
in service of a more profound and deeper connection to self.
Read the Unfolding
"The Unfolding is about seeing our individual path of growth as a natural process of revealing what’s already within. It is a path back to the core, honoring the interconnectedness of experiences, where lessons are revealed when ready, and growth is non-linear."
"Most of us have experienced having our trust broken. For many, it happens as early as in utero or early childhood, when still open-hearted, vulnerable, and naive. This original trust is our primal state of being (as my therapist taught me), also called First Naiveté."
"For me, rebuilding trust is a parallel process. It’s about consciously nurturing both your capacity to stay open and your willingness to risk your heart AND deepening your belief in life’s intelligent design— in a higher power that is fundamentally good."
The Unfolding
Second Naivité Pt. 1
Second Naivité Pt. 2
"Allowing my eyes to stay closed for just another moment, I was waking up from a powerful meditation that had taken me to a place I had never been before. I felt a sense of peace and clarity that was both unfamiliar and deeply comforting."
The Emergence of Sofia
"Most of us have experienced having our trust broken. For many, it happens as early as in utero or early childhood, when still open-hearted, vulnerable, and naive. This original trust is our primal state of being (as my therapist taught me), also called First Naiveté."
"For me, rebuilding trust is a parallel process. It’s about consciously nurturing both your capacity to stay open and your willingness to risk your heart AND deepening your belief in life’s intelligent design— in a higher power that is fundamentally good."
Second Naivité Pt. 1
Second Naivité Pt. 2
"Allowing my eyes to stay closed for just another moment, I was waking up from a powerful meditation that had taken me to a place I had never been before. I felt a sense of peace and clarity that was both unfamiliar and deeply comforting."
The Emergence of Sofia - A New Self Anchoring
It's been quiet here recently
"Allowing my eyes to stay closed for just another moment, I was waking up from a powerful meditation that had taken me to a place I had never been before. I felt a sense of peace and clarity that was both unfamiliar and deeply comforting."
"I’ve been in a season of deep listening—of tuning in to the subtle whispers of my inner world and the quiet guidance of the universe. It’s a time of reflection, of honoring the stillness, and of trusting that this silence is fertile ground for new beginnings."
Second Naivité Pt. 2
It's Been Quiet Here Recently
"Allowing my eyes to stay closed for just another moment, I was waking up from a powerful meditation that had taken me to a place I had never been before. I felt a sense of peace and clarity that was both unfamiliar and deeply comforting."
The Emergence of Sofia - A New Self Anchoring
The Unfolding
"For me, rebuilding trust is a parallel process. It’s about consciously nurturing both your capacity to stay open and your willingness to risk your heart AND deepening your belief in life’s intelligent design— in a higher power that is fundamentally good."
"The Unfolding is about seeing our individual path of growth as a natural process of revealing what’s already within. It is a path back to the core, honoring the interconnectedness of experiences, where lessons are revealed when ready, and growth is non-linear."
"Most of us have experienced having our trust broken. For many, it happens as early as in utero or early childhood, when still open-hearted, vulnerable, and naive. This original trust is our primal state of being (as my therapist taught me), also called First Naiveté."
It's Been Quiet Here Recently
Second Naivité Pt. 1
"The Unfolding is about seeing our individual path of growth as a natural process of revealing what’s already within. It is a path back to the core, honoring the interconnectedness of experiences, where lessons are revealed when ready, and growth is non-linear."
The Unfolding
Second Naivité Pt. 2
"I’ve been in a season of deep listening—of tuning in to the subtle whispers of my inner world and the quiet guidance of the universe. It’s a time of reflection, of honoring the stillness, and of trusting that this silence is fertile ground for new beginnings."
"For me, rebuilding trust is a parallel process. It’s about consciously nurturing both your capacity to stay open and your willingness to risk your heart AND deepening your belief in life’s intelligent design— in a higher power that is fundamentally good."
"The Unfolding is about seeing our individual path of growth as a natural process of revealing what’s already within. It is a path back to the core, honoring the interconnectedness of experiences, where lessons are revealed when ready, and growth is non-linear."
The Unfolding
"Allowing my eyes to stay closed for just another moment, I was waking up from a powerful meditation that had taken me to a place I had never been before. I felt a sense of peace and clarity that was both unfamiliar and deeply comforting."
