SOMA was founded by the Cambridge grad team, Dr. Theodoros Koutroukides and Jennifer Hersch who met while he was completing his PhD in biotechnology and she was finishing her MPhil in Indian Philosophy and Sanskrit. They couldn’t find a space to train themselves as they had combined experience across competitive sports, dance, science, hot yoga and more. So they created SOMA HOUSE as a sanctuary to do intelligent cross-training in an organic space without pretence; a place that feels like coming home; a place you could train at day in and day out. “Members step right into a Swiss ski lodge from the City,” says Hersch. “We call it honest luxury.”
At 47, Jennifer hails from NYC where she spent more than 40 years dancing in classical ballet, contemporary dance, jazz, musical theatre and flamenco. She studied at leading schools and won awards for ballet choreography.
After graduating from Cambridge, she served as the Head of the MBA programme for Cambridge University and was a founding director of the Entrepreneurship Centre at Columbia Business School. Other work spans across the Whitney Museum of American Art, Carnegie Hall and Pearson Publishers.
While in Cambridge, she co-founded Cambridge Contemporary Dance where she served as Artistic Director, dancer and choreographer. She created, “Light Matter,” the first dance performance to be given permission in the Senate House at Cambridge University for its 800th Anniversary collaborating with world-class visual artists, musicians and other choreographers.
Jennifer is a co-founder of SOMA HOUSE, a leading luxury boutique studio in London named one of the best places for classes by Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire and Time Out. She has been voted as a top London instructor and established teacher training programmes to create elite instructors internationally over the last decade.
She received her MPhil in Indian Philosophy/Sanskrit at Cambridge University with work on yoga research as well as Mahayana Buddhism and the limits of thought. She holds certifications in executive management and evolutionary genetics from Cambridge and an Honours BA in Comparative Literature with work on film and colonial discourse.
Jennifer has been fortunate to practise her passion in teaching dance and other movement for more than 20 years and is also a mother so understands people who struggle to find time.
Dr. Theo began his career decoding the brain. Today he builds platforms and ventures at the intersection of human performance, tech, and science.
He holds a PhD in Neuroscience from Cambridge University, where he co-developed the world’s first blood test for diagnosing schizophrenia — a breakthrough reflecting his interest in mental health and its link to physical and social wellbeing. That interest developed during his cancer research in the US, where he coordinated the successful treatment for both his parents with his team of surgeons and clinicians across radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and surgical planning.
Theo’s academic path spans Cambridge, Imperial College London, Singularity University (NASA), Trinity College London (Music), and the Yoga College of India (LA) — an interdisciplinary mix shaped by the belief that problems worth solving demand multiple lenses. From biomolecular labs to Great White Shark ecosystem research in South Africa, his scientific curiosity aimed at impact over traditional thinking.
His leadership journey began early — as one of only six officers to complete military police training under Cyprus Special Forces. He raced internationally in rowing and later in pro cycling under UCI. While qualifying for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, a spinal injury ended that chapter — and began a new one.
After surgery, Theo spent months in bed, unable to walk, facing a grim prognosis of never regaining normal mobility. What felt like a life sentence became a turning point. Over the next decade, he rebuilt his body, developing a hybrid training method blending sports science and mental disciplines. It became the foundation of his consistently waitlisted wellness clubs — supporting tens of thousands in recovery and pushing cross-training performance for elite athletes.
As a founder and board advisor, he has launched ventures in biotech, wellness, media, and education. Most recently, he served as Director of British Skydiving, and then designed and built SkyVault — the National Governing Body’s digital ecosystem powering 26 airfields and 70,000 members.
He is a licensed solo skydiver, certified PADI scuba diver, and hands-on developer on open-source/DAO frameworks. He has composed music and directed films over three decades, built his first studio in the early 2000s, and leads a group of media production companies.
Theo’s core belief: Exceptional outcomes — in health, performance, or innovation — are never solo acts. They rely on coordinated effort across disciplines, mindsets, and missions — and above all, built on trust and shared purpose.
