From Fiction to Reality, Soul Toll Author and Hawaiian Nonprofit Fit for Joy: Garden of Well-Being Unite to Bring Visionary Fantasy World to Life

Gillespie commits up to $20K in matching donations through February 5 to catalyze JoyLab's next chapter, beginning with a first-of-its-kind storytelling pilot in March 2026

KAUA'I, Hawaii and BOSTON, Dec. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ --  In a rare crossover between fiction and real-world impact, two parallel visions born thousands of miles apart are merging into one shared mission. For five years, Anusia Gillespie—a legal AI executive connected to a recent $1B company acquisition and author of the contemporary fantasy novel Soul Toll—has been building the fictional world of Resonance, a transformative realm where characters rediscover who they are and gather the tools to thrive.

Unbeknownst to Gillespie, Valeria Koopman, founder, executive director and board chair of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Fit for Joy, had been building JoyLab, a nature-centered retreat hub focused on well-being and piloting evidence-based practices in healing, resilience and ecological stewardship—creating real-world pathways to the same kind of self-discovery and thriving found in Resonance.

When the two women connected through Koopman''s popular video series The Freedom to Feel, which has garnered over 1.5 million views, the alignment was undeniable.

"As we spoke on my podcast, I felt a deep connection with Anusia's work," said Koopman. "We're exploring the same themes in different ways, and we both felt the call to create something together."

Gillespie is now joining Fit for Joy's Board of Directors alongside Dr. Jeffrey Karp, Chair at Brigham & Women's Hospital, Professor at Harvard Medical School, and Affiliate Faculty at MIT; Chris Cirak, an internationally recognized mindfulness educator; and other distinguished professionals.

Gillespie is supporting the fundraising campaign for the nonprofit's next chapter with JoyLab, personally matching donations up to $20,000 through February 5, 2026.

This collaboration represents a striking convergence: one woman building a transformative world in fiction, the other building a healing community in real life—now combining their expertise to create a scalable and sustainable nonprofit model. What began as imaginative world-building and grassroots healing efforts is evolving into a shared institutional mission.

The March 2026 Pilot will bring up to 12 participants to Kaua'i for a storytelling experience inspired by the Soul Toll theme of Resonance and JoyLab's holistic healing work. The program will explore personal narratives, identity transformation and creative expression. Activities will connect participants to themselves, one another and the local community. A visiting screenwriter will also take part in the pilot to explore how it can shape and fuel other projects.

"As I learned more about JoyLab, it felt like my fictional world was jumping off the page and into real life," said Gillespie. "This collaboration will give it a home in the real world and turn story into practice. I'm honored to help bring this pilot to life."

Funds raised will support nonprofit development and infrastructure; community partnerships and outreach; pilot programming and facilitation; research and model scalability; and JoyLab's broader mission to educate, empower and inspire individuals and our community to cultivate joy through holistic well-being and creative practices.

Donations can be made at https://givebutter.com/kauai-joylab.  

About Anusia Gillespie
Anusia Gillespie is a writer and corporate innovation executive working at the forefront of legal AI. Known for building and scaling organizations, she helped grow SkillBurst to its acquisition by BARBRI in 2024 and vLex to a landmark $1B acquisition by Clio in 2025—the largest legal tech acquisition to date. She is now also supporting the scale-up and long-term sustainability of JoyLab while launching her debut contemporary fantasy novel, Soul Toll.

About Kaua'i JoyLab, a Community Program of Fit for Joy: Garden of Well-Being
Joylab is an initiative program under our Hawaiian nonprofit, focused on exploring pathways to joy through holistic well-being, creativity, and spirituality. This program aims to revitalize Hawaiian oral tradition storytelling while supporting cultural preservation and enhancing community resilience. Through guided story circles, partnerships with kūpuna (elders), youth workshops, and public kona (gathering) events on Kaua'i, we will share language, history, values, and healing practices. This initiative fosters deep intergenerational relationships, encouraging participants to cultivate personal growth and community connections as they explore these enriching pathways to joy.

SOURCE Anusia Gillespie