Soul Toll Launches the Bottega, a Creative Accelerator for People Doing Something for the First Time

A creative accelerator and online membership community to support people developing new work and exploring what comes next.

MARBLEHEAD, MA, UNITED STATES, September 15, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Soul Toll today opens the Bottega, a creative accelerator and online membership community for people who want to develop an idea or reconsider the direction of their work. Following a private summer pilot, the Bottega is now open to the public.

Hosted on Circle, the Bottega will serve as the main gathering place for Soul Toll, bringing its programs and community conversations into one space. Members will be able to discuss work in progress, receive feedback, and use resources intended to help them follow an idea through development.

Founder Anusia Gillespie built the Bottega in part around a model she knew from her career in technology: people starting companies have established structures around them for developing ideas, while people pursuing other kinds of work often do not.

“A software founder has incubators, accelerators, mentors and demo days designed to help move an idea forward,” Gillespie said. “Someone writing a first book, building a course or pursuing an idea outside an established career is often figuring out that process on their own. I wanted to make some of that infrastructure available to people building other kinds of things.”

The name comes from the workshops where artists and apprentices once worked alongside one another. Conversation and observation were part of the creative process, allowing people to learn while producing their own work. Gillespie adapted that model for people who want a community around them while they determine what to make or pursue.

Gillespie developed Soul Toll after a career in legal innovation and technology that included two company exits, most recently the $1 billion acquisition of legal AI company vLex by Clio. She first explored what comes after conventional success through her debut novel, Soul Toll, and later expanded the work through the Soul Toll with Anusia podcast, guided programs and now the Bottega.

The Bottega is intended for people from different professional and creative backgrounds who are working through the uncertainty that comes before an idea is fully formed. Some members may enter with a project already underway, while others may only know they want to use their time differently. Membership does not require an established business plan or a decision to leave an existing career.

“I wanted to create the room I had been looking for, where people could examine what they wanted and meet others willing to take those questions seriously,” Gillespie said. “My hope is that someone enters and recognizes, ‘I have found my people.’”

Members who want structured guidance can also participate in Soul Toll’s three programs. Soul Toll Explore is a 30-day online program focused on determining what deserves attention. Build is an eight-week live cohort for developing an idea and concludes with a demo day. Launch provides one-to-one go-to-market work with Gillespie.

Leadership coach Kim M., who participated in the summer pilot of the Build cohort, entered with what she described as an “amorphous idea” for a new offering.

“What this space provided me with was permission and opportunity to really think bigger and then work backwards from there,” she said. “I came in with this very amorphous idea, but what I left with was a much more concrete plan.”

The free weekly Imagination Hour will provide an introduction to the community. Held virtually every Thursday, the guided practice gives participants time to picture the work and daily life they want to move toward.

During each session, participants respond privately to prompts about their future. They do not have to speak, share their writing, or turn on their cameras, and they may attend whenever their schedules allow.

“The place built itself through the prompting of the senses, and I met my best self there,” participant Brittany F. said. “It was better than other practices I’ve done.”

The Imagination Hour will remain free after the Sept. 15 launch.

Membership information is available at soul-toll.com/the-bottega, while registration for the free Imagination Hour is available at soul-toll.com/imagination-hour.

About Soul Toll
Founded by Anusia Gillespie, Soul Toll is a creative accelerator and virtual community for people deciding what they want to create or pursue. Soul Toll's mission is to empower people to live the most expansive version of their lives.

Anusia Gillespie
Soul Toll LLC
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