Somapath Development
Accelerating housing innovation - a generative solution to a generational problem
The rising cost of new housing development is now rising faster than household income. This gap represents a growing chasm where housing cannot be financed without government subsidy. The solution? Innovation that reduces the cost to develop new housing. This is where Somapath works.
About Somapath
Mission
Somapath is a development firm dedicated to maximizing the impact of built environment innovation. Somapath works at the intersection of innovation, policy, and finance to champion solutions that reduce the cost of housing.
Approach
We take a systems change perspective, working collaboratively with ambitious innovators, investors, government, and not-for-profits to identify, accelerate, and scale housing solutions.
Clients
We work with innovative technology and manufacturing companies, private and public investors, not for profit developers and policy advisors, and public agencies.
Innovation, Policy, and Finance: The Triangle
1
Innovation
Identify innovative companies and provide services and connections to help them grow.
2
Policy
Advocate for policies that support innovation and remove obstacles to adoption and development.
3
Finance
Connect innovators and developers with the funding and incentives they need to scale.
AI + Development: The Game Changers
Forward-thinking organizations who embrace AI to transform housing development are discovering unprecedented opportunities. Specific examples include leveraging machine learning to analyze regulatory requirements and land-use patterns to streamline pre-development, employing predictive analytics for forecasting and risk analysis, and matching production capacity to market signals to generate elasticity in the housing market.
AI-enabled firms are making more precise decisions while reducing development timelines, waste, and costs. Companies that fully integrate these technologies are positioning themselves to capture outsized returns while delivering housing solutions that precisely match product capabilities, site constraints, financing opportunities, and community needs. The solutions are real and Somapath can help.
Somapath Services
Strategic Planning
Development and implementation of technology, business development, and fundraising plans to help our clients grow and flourish.
Policy Advocacy
Advocacy and development of policies and regulations that reduce development costs and incentivize innovation and housing supply.
Financial Structuring
Connecting organizations with incentives and funding to support continued innovation and growth.
Fractional Leadership
Filling gaps and providing technology, product, and business development leadership for growing companies.
Rapid Prototyping
Development of software and hardware prototypes to validate costs, performance, and business models.
Leadership Coaching
Working with leaders and teams to uncover and develop new capabilities. Change starts from the inside.
Media Coverage & Presentations
In depth coverage and conversations

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The Urgency of Housing Innovation

An elastic market is one where both supply and demand respond significantly to price changes. In other words, when prices rise or fall, there's a corresponding substantial change in the quantity demanded by consumers or supplied by producers.

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YouTube

Why Modular Construction Fails w/ Blokable | Episode 68

Aaron Holm is the Co-CEO of Blokable, a company dedicated to transforming industries through innovative building products, systems, and business models. With a rich background in launching and leading businesses, Aaron has played a pivotal role in the creation of Amazon Go and Amazon Books. His expertise spans advanced technology and logistics, having co-founded notable companies such as Mylio and Industrial Color, the latter revolutionizing the media industry’s shift from analog to digital photography. At Blokable, Aaron leverages his extensive experience to drive product development and investment strategies for modular development. Link to my Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/Belinda_Carr Sign up for my newsletter: https://carrbuilds.com/newsletter-signup/ Blokable: Website: https://blokable.com/ Aaron Holm: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronholm/ #construction #prefab ##modular

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The Unseen Cost of Startups: A Candid Talk on Physical and Mental Health with a 4x Founder

Recorded during the first-ever Honolulu Tech Week (2024), Joey Aquino, technology vet and investor, sits down for a deeply personal conversation with serial entrepreneur Aaron Holm. Aaron, a heart patient and visionary founder, has built and scaled groundbreaking companies, including Blokable and Mylio. Joey, who left Amazon after a decade to prioritize his mental and physical well-being, explores Aaron’s story of resilience and transformation, including a heart attack and quintuple bypass surgery in 2018, which forced him to reassess both his professional and personal life. Learn more at https://www.honolulutechweek.com. 📺 Watch and Hit for more content on tech, innovation, and entrepreneurship in Hawaii. 🤙 Honolulu Tech Week Website & Updates: https://honolulutechweek.com Subscribe to the Calendar: https://lu.ma/hitechweek LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hitechweek/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hitechweek/ 🎙️ People & Orgs Joey Aquino, Angel Investor | Venture Partner | Ex-AWS | Board Member: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdaquino/ Aaron Holm, Founder, PatientCircle Research Institute: https://www.aaronholm.com/ 📋 Outline 0:00 Background to Conversation and Joey's Genesis 05:05 Aaron's Background 09:01 Diving Into His Health Story 12:06 Founder Misconceptions of Health and Feeling All Alone 14:33 Aaron's Perspectives from His Early Companies 16:22 Following Companies & Intentionality 17:07 "Then My Heart Freaked Out!!!" 22:16 Dealing With The Emotional Side of Physical Trauma / Heart Surgery 26:31 Realization & Recalibration 28:20 "How the Hell Is This Even Possible?" Lack of Coaching in Heart Surgery Patients 30:56 How Our Upbringing Impacts Stress Management 34:33 Hustle Culture Is Just an Idea 38:30 Mechanisms For Organizational Health and Honesty 40:46 Bring Intentionality To Your VC-Backed Company, Stakeholders, and Legacy Biz Models 43:58 Tactical Advice for Founders & Coaching 45:47 Q&A: Quit Drinking, Lifestyle, Meditation Exercise #health #mentalhealth #tech #entrepreneur #surgery #trauma #culture #community #coaching #hawaii #hawaiitech #Honolulu #honolulutechweek

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Session 2: Realizing Economies of Scale through Modular Housing

In partnership with the Housing Development Consortium, explore how modular housing can achieve economies of scale in producing affordable homes in Washington state. Learn about the obstacles to expanding modular housing and proposed solutions to harness this method’s potential to significantly lower housing costs.

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Vertically Integrated Modular

MOD X invites Aaron Holm and Nelson Del Rio, co-founders and co-CEOs of Blokable, a vertically integrated modular company in Seattle. Blokable seeks to solve housing supply, where modular construction alone has yet to be able to deliver fully. Blokable Building System is therefore is a business model that integrates a proprietary modular product platform on the back of a public-private partnership for affordable and market rate housing. One project is built, a case study in Auburn, WA that the team presents in this interview with more projects to come. Read Blokable's blog post perspectives on housing at: https://blokable.com/news/

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YouTube

Community Care: Transforming Public Healthat the #AHA24 CHTI Health Innovation Pavilion Day 2

Explore how community-based care is changing public health by improving access, engaging locals, and addressing social factors. This session covered new ways to empower communities to take charge of their health for better, long-lasting results. Speakers included: Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, MD, ScM, FAHA, FACC, FASPC, Eileen M. Foell Professor of Heart Research, Chair Emeritus of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Aaron Holm, Founder & CEO, PatientCircle Sheryl Brown, PT, MSPT, Senior Program Consultant, Professional Certifications, American Heart Association Sabina Gandhi, MD, MPH, NCTTP, FACPM, DipABLM, Chief, Preventive Medicine Section, VA Loma Linda Healthcare System This session took place on Sunday, November 17, 2024 in Chicago at the Center for Health Technology and Innovation's Health Innovation Pavilion within the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions. https://ahahealthtech.org/scientific-sessions/

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From Heartache to Healing with Aaron Holm, Offsite Expert, Coach, Speaker, Writer, Survivor

While he was Co-CEO of Blokable, a prefab housing solution designed to transform traditional construction methods into efficient manufacturing processes, Aaron Holm suffered a heart attack and underwent a quintuple bypass surgery. After decades of hard work in business & design consulting, enterprise software, consumer software, media & entertainment, retail, manufacturing, and housing, Aaron now leans hard into patient care and advocacy. Fully focused on health and transformation, Aaron believes that solving our society and planet’s problems will require the development of people. “Technology will only take us as far as the consciousness of the people who invent and manage the technology.” May is National Mental Health Month, and today Dave hosts a constructive conversation on the impact trauma can have on the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of people, families, and communities. Some staggering statistics we’ll discuss: - Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the US - nearly 60% of adults in the US have at least one chronic disease - Over 30% of people with chronic disease - over 40% of people who have heart surgery suffer from depression. After a near death experience taught him how to live, Aaron helps others dealing with traumatic events and supports leaders and organizations in their transformations to meet the challenges of our time. “People think they're alone, but they're not." Learn more about Aaron’s current work and writings: Mended Hearts of Puget Sound Foundation for Healthcare Quality Substack https://aaronholm.substack.com/ PatientCircle https://www.patientcircle.co/ Thank you to our supporting members for making these constructive conversations possible: * Graitec * one of the largest Autodesk Partners globally, and software developer of the Powerpack, Advanced Design, Advanced Steel AND the StrucSoft product line: The complete solution to automate wood and light gauge steel framing, design and documentation, all the way out to CNC output, supporting dozens of cnc machine types both in wood and steel. Model, Design and Manufacture with StrucSoft. Check out StrucSoftSolutions.com for more info OR connect with Brandon Ionatta! HOWICK LTD has a long history of innovation in #ColdFormedSteel manufacturing and produces innovative precision roll forming technology for customers throughout the US and the world. Check out their Machine Buyer Guide for #offsite #ModularConstruction or fast-build construction with light steel for framing....https://bit.ly/3Fkvyte 4Ward Solutions Group, successfully driving companies to succeed where others have failed. Contact Ben Hershey to learn more: ben@4wardsolutionsgroup.com #BuildItBetter #DaveCooperLIVE #TakeAMentalHealthMoment #MentalHealthMatters #ConstructiveConversations

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