FreeForm, a startup founded by lawyer, Sonya Passi works to help women who are domestic
violence survivors become financially secure to improve their livelihood and make their goals a
reality. A quarter of women in the United States are subject to violence from their partner, with 98
percent of survivors also living without their own income and debt in their name created by the
partner, both forms of financial abuse, which often leave these women trapped in their unsafe
situations, as reported by The Guardian.

FreeForm helps women who have escaped domestic violence situations become financially
stable by proving a six month training and mentorship program through which women receive
coaching in the initial steps of starting up and running a business. Topics covered include
marketing strategies, obtaining customers, building credit, and receiving compensation through
legal means for what they have endured.
Freeform has helped women like Helen,who had dreams of starting a business but found the
welfare system to be an obstruction. Coming across FreeForm when she couldn’t afford a
lawyer for the custody case for her daughter, Helen is now looking for small catering jobs as she
works toward her larger goal of opening an Ethiopian restaurant.

Julie, who hopes to start a company provide transport and care for elderly, found out about
FreeForm through a domestic violence shelter where she found a poster. The company has
supported her by helping her obtain a smartphone, design business cards and a marketing plan.
Passi, formerly an investment banker, is currently working with thirty women entrepreneurs.
“The common theme with all these women is that they are incredibly capable,” Passi told The
Guardian. “All we really do is say ‘we believe in you, you can do this and we are here to support
you’. That little bit of encouragement has such tremendous impact.”

Christine, who is an admin assistant and sells aromatherapy products on the side, says her life
now is possible because of FreeForm, as she remembers her life a month ago, living in a
shelter for domestic violence survivors with her children.
Through Amazon Wishlist, which FreeForm set up for people to donate items to domestic
violence survivors, Christine was able to decorate her own apartment that she now lives in.
“FreeFrom gave me the opportunity to be myself and be good at something. My whole life I’ve
been told ‘you can’t do this or that’,” Christine said. “But I can and I’m doing it.”

While at Berkeley in 2013, one of her professors told Passi 50 percent of women who are
domestic abuse survivors lose custody of their children due to financial instability, which aren’t
often appealed because of the costs. Deciding to appeal those cases with her professor, Passi
started the Family Violence Appellate Project and set out on her first case in which the abuser, who had also molested the child in the case, won custody solely on the basis of financial security. “One of the main reasons was that the abuser was the more financially secure parent. That really started me on a whole new course,” Passi said. “There’s so much pressure to leave, especially because of the impact on the children, but then they leave and lose their kids.” FreeForm has been working in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Oakland, with plans to expand to New York in 2018.

Paloma has received assistance from the comapany in marketing, menu planning and finding a
consumer base, has goals of starting a Tex-Mex vegan nachos food truck.
“It’s given me a sense of confidence,” she said during her one-to- one mentoring session with
FreeFrom’s entrepreneurship program manager Tannia Ventura at the Alameda Justice Center.
“I want to be able to prosper and pass it on to my kids.”
“There’s a common misconception that these women are weak, emotionally fragile bad decision
makers, but they are resilient, resourceful and talented,” Passi said.

(Picture courtesy: FreeForm)