Charles Peoples III (he/they) is the founder and executive director of the Institute for Somatic Sound, a 501(c)(3) public health organization that designs spatial-audio environments and somatic sound practices for late-diagnosed neurodivergent adults. As a Black, Queer, disabled, and neurodivergent person, Charles is committed to community resilience and health equity. With over 12 years of experience in higher education administration, system innovation, and regional program management, he has dedicated his executive career to building sustainable, equity-centered infrastructure.  

Through his IRB-approved study at Dartmouth College, Charles developed the SomaSound™ Method, a system uniting neuroscience, spatial audio, and somatics. In the study, 87% of participants felt physical relaxation and 73% experienced a deep quiet, leaving them with thoughts moving “one at a time.” His somatic methodology is grounded in over two decades of movement practice, including 360 hours of Alexander Technique training and a master-level freediving certification where he achieved a four-minute and 13-second breath-hold and reached an oceanic depth of 40 meters (131 feet).

A published author and longtime member of the Actors' Equity Association (AEA), Charles brings 25 years of vocal mechanics expertise and four years of spatial audio programming research to his work. He has toured nationally, facilitated experiences for thousands of participants, and earned awards from places including the East Bay Queer Healing Arts Center, the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, and the Foundation for Contemporary Arts. He holds a Master of Fine Arts from Dartmouth College and a Bachelor of Arts from Sarah Lawrence College.