Ali Volpe is the founder of Lotus, a wellness-centered real estate brand that’s redefining what it means to feel at home. With roots as a therapist, Ali has carried her deep understanding of healing and human connection into how she designs spaces—focusing on community, well-being, and intentional living. In this conversation, she shares how support and authentic community have shaped her path, what success looks like to her now, and the legacy she hopes to leave behind.
How Community Became the Foundation of Healing and Growth
What role has community played on your path to where you are today?
A lot of that comes from my own experience of realizing how healing it is to be in community with people—especially during COVID, when so much was separated and isolated. I was working on this project and raising capital at a time when no one wanted to lend or invest. To come in with a new concept in such a traditional field was tough.
The typical model is: build an apartment building, rent it out as quickly as possible for the highest rent possible, then sell it. But my project was different. We wanted to create a space that was intentionally designed for well-being, and then grow a community within it.
A lot of people talk about community, but there’s a way to do it that feels authentic—not top-down, but from the bottom up. What truly lasts is something built from within. That’s what we’ve been working on and growing together—through events, amenities, and creating communal spaces not just for residents, but also for neighbors in the surrounding community.
Redefining Success as Peace of Mind and Freedom of Time
If you had to define success today, what would it be?
Success is having freedom over my time and how I spend it. It’s really simple. I already know what it looks like: slower mornings, walking outside, having space in my mind to think about things not related to work.
To me, success is not being in survival mode, worrying about finances or feeling stressed, but instead being a good person and showing up as the best version of myself. For a long time, my goal was, I don’t want to feel like this. Now I’m shifting from scarcity thinking to: I do want to feel like this.
It’s about intentionally creating a life where my nervous system feels calm. That freedom and peace of mind is success.
Balancing Personal Life While Leading With Purpose
What do you do on a daily or weekly basis that allows you to show up and put your heart into this work?
I have daily practices I make sure to do. I meditate every day for 20 minutes, though it’s never the same. I used to live off a checklist: drink water, work out, read, journal. It was very robotic, masculine, achievement-oriented.
Now I follow what feels intuitively right and don’t judge myself for not doing everything. Meditation and moving my body naturally, like walking outside, are priorities. But most importantly, I spend time with people who uplift me, who want the best for me, and who energize me instead of draining me.
That has made all the difference in the last year: not just noticing how I feel, but how I feel around other people and being discerning and unapologetic about it. If it’s not for me, I simply say it’s not for me.
The Sacrifices and Support Behind Saying Yes to Opportunity
What do you think keeps women from taking opportunities when they’re presented?
Support is key. When you don’t have it, it makes everything harder. If you lack support, you need to find people who will show up for you.
Starting a business requires sacrifices. It takes so much time that it might distance you from close friends and family. Some people won’t like that you’re putting your needs and your business above their expectations of access to you. You have to be prepared for that.
At the end of the day, maybe those people aren’t truly for you if they can’t support your fullest potential. Sometimes it’s only temporary; you give less to them for a while.
Everyone says starting a business is really hard and not glamorous, and it’s true. It can feel miserable, and you’ll question yourself: What am I doing? But then you start to see results, and it hits you: Wow, maybe it was worth it.
Advice to a Younger Self About Energy and Belonging
If you had to give young Ali advice, what would you tell her?
I’d tell younger Ali: it’s going to be okay. Find yourself, find your people, and surround yourself with those who give you life and make you feel energized. Pay attention to who’s around you—that’s number one.
As women, we absorb a lot from our surroundings. We’re compassionate, and without a filter, everything comes in. Being discerning about what you allow in is sacred. Protecting that energy is a superpower, and it’s something I’d teach if I had a child.
Leaving a Legacy of Calm, Connection, and Impact
What legacy are you hoping to leave behind?
People often think of legacy in terms of children and family. I’ve thought about that, but for me, legacy is about impact and helping improve someone else’s life. If I can say I did that, even for a few people, I’ll feel I did a good job.
Many people don’t know what it feels like to have a calm, regulated nervous system where they feel truly safe. If I can create spaces that give people that experience where they walk in and immediately feel better, that’s a gift.
Because when your nervous system is calm, you can do anything. You can be kinder, make better choices, tap into creativity, and be present in the moment. That kind of shift can change everything in an instant and that’s the legacy I hope to leave.
Ali Volpe is the founder of Lotus, a wellness-centered real estate brand reimagining how we live, connect, and care for ourselves. With a background as a therapist, Ali brings a deep understanding of human behavior and healing into how she designs spaces and builds community. She’s currently developing three Lotus buildings in Philadelphia, with plans to expand the brand beyond the city. Her work sits at the intersection of real estate, wellness, and lifestyle—rooted in the belief that home should feel like a sanctuary.
