Bridging Science and Soul: How Crystal Cassidy is Building a New Category with SoulPod
Crystal Cassidy didn’t set out to build an app. She wasn’t chasing trends or trying to create the next tech unicorn. Instead, she followed a quiet but persistent pull that began with a near death experience, deepened through years of meditation, and ultimately collided with decades of scientific rigor. What came out the other side is SoulPod, a platform she describes as "soultech," where technology meets the mystical and personal transformation is the ultimate product.
In this episode of Badass Women in Business, Crystal walks us through her journey from biotech executive to tech founder, making the case for why now is the time to reimagine spiritual wellness, how we access it, and who gets to lead in building it.
From Biotech to SoulPod
Crystal spent the early part of her career at the forefront of cancer diagnostics and genomic testing. She worked with high performing clinical teams and was part of launching the first blood based test for lung cancer, a career defining moment that brought her as close to innovation as you can get in traditional science.
But while her resume grew, so did something else. A curiosity that couldn’t be measured by lab results or clinical endpoints. A hunger for depth that only meditation, mysticism, and energy work could begin to satisfy.
She had both languages fluently: the analytical mind of a scientist and the expansive perception of a seeker. When it came time to start something of her own, she didn’t want to choose between them.
SoulPod is Not Headspace
SoulPod isn’t just another meditation app. It is built for people who have tried the basics and are looking for something deeper. Crystal describes her user as the modern mystic, someone who has dabbled in mindfulness, maybe even therapy, but still feels like something is missing.
That "something" is the mystical. The unexplainable. The energetic. And SoulPod is designed to help users not only access these altered states of consciousness, but to structure their development over time. It is not about playing calming sounds. It is about building a relationship with your expanded self.
What sets SoulPod apart is its emphasis on personalization. Crystal is not focused on lagging indicators like sleep issues or stress. She is thinking about how you relate to ambition, how you manage your inner energy, and what kind of spiritual path you are actually on. That level of nuance means the content inside SoulPod builds intentionally day by day, helping users move beyond mindfulness into territory most apps avoid.
The Journey to Product Market Fit
Building a spiritual tech platform is complex, especially when you are bootstrapping. Crystal started by outsourcing development to a Croatian agency that helped her bring the MVP to life. But like many founders, she hit challenges with consistency, economics, and alignment.
Rather than force a fit, she took the time to find the right partners. That meant bringing on a technical cofounder once she had validated the core product, and building a small but deeply aligned team that understood the mission behind SoulPod.
The early beta process was equally intentional. One hundred users over 30 days. Multiple rounds of interviews. Clear hypotheses tested like a clinical trial. And a constant emphasis on identifying what truly resonated and what quietly fell flat.
Today, SoulPod has been live in the App Store for about a year. Crystal and her team are running ongoing experiments, gathering data, and refining both the product and the business model. While some founders lean on intuition or gut feel, Crystal approaches growth as a spiritual scientist. Her team follows the data but never abandons the soul.
The Challenge of Being a Female Founder in Deep Tech
Crystal is open about the realities of fundraising. Despite her track record, experience, and clear vision, she encountered the same subconscious biases many women founders do, especially in the intersection of wellness and technology.
"The way we build companies may not look like how institutional funders expect. We think about scaling and growth differently, and for good reasons. But those biases are still very present, and they are often worse in deep tech," she shared.
Rather than wait for validation, Crystal chose to bootstrap. She used the financial freedom gained from an earlier IPO and stayed focused on building SoulPod her way. That decision may have slowed certain aspects of growth, but it allowed her to make intentional choices, stay in alignment, and build something she is proud of.
Looking Ahead
Crystal is still just getting started. Her dream for SoulPod includes not just deeper tech personalization but also real life community, partnerships with adjacent industries, and a broader movement of soul aware innovation. She is also working on a science fiction book and sees herself continuing to lead from the front as the founder, as the face, and as the voice of a new category.
When asked what advice she has for other women sitting on an idea that feels a little too different, a little too spiritual, a little too risky, she offered this:
"That whisper you hear? It carries power. And the path will not be clear. You have to take the first step anyway."
Crystal Cassidy is proof that blending science and soul is not just possible, it is necessary. The future of wellness is personal, mystical, data informed, and led by women who are not afraid to trust their knowing.
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