What happens when survivors work to rebuild their lives after escaping abuse? How does society help—or hinder—their journey? What if we told you that investing in survivors could transform not only their lives but also our entire society?

Today, we’re confronting the systemic barriers survivors face in reclaiming their financial independence. Financial abuse is present in 99% of abusive relationships. Leaving these relationships and surviving is expensive.  

Lisa welcomes Sonya Passi, founder of FreeFrom, a grassroots nonprofit organization addressing the economic impact of gender-based violence. Sonya shares how FreeFrom is creating an ecosystem in which survivors can thrive. Sonya details how investing in survivors—through savings programs, entrepreneurial opportunities, and policy reform—not only helps them rebuild but also strengthens our economy and society as a whole. Survivors possess extraordinary resilience, creativity, and drive, and when we empower them, the ripple effects are transformative.

This episode is a call to shift our mindset: survivors aren’t just surviving—they’re building futures that benefit us all. Let’s support them! Together, we can create a society that values and uplifts those who have endured so much.

Stay tuned for part two of Lisa’s conversation with Sonya as they discuss SURVIVOR MADE, a new documentary that follows six survivors of gender-based violence as they strive to grow their

businesses during a make-or-break holiday season in LA.

You can learn more about Sonya Passi and FreeFrom by going to FreeForm.org. Check out GIFTED to support entrepreneurial survivors by purchasing their products. You can follow FreeFrom on @freefromdotorg and @giftedbyfreefrom on Instagram. Watch SURVIVOR MADE by going to survivormadedoc.com.

Sonya Passi is the Founder & CEO of FreeFrom, a national organization transforming our society’s response to gender-based violence so that survivors and their families can thrive. To date, FreeFrom has served over 30,000 survivors and successfully changed policy to support the financial security of over 5.3 million survivors in the US. Sonya has been an anti-violence activist since she was 16 years old.

For her work in the field, Sonya was awarded the 2024 Elevate Prize and was listed in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Class of 2017 For Law and Policy. She has presented on her work to the UN, White House, members of Congress and federal agencies, several major corporations and various city and state agencies and commissions.

Follow Lisa Phillips @iamlisaphillips on Instagram.

From Now On is produced by LA PHILLIPS MEDIA. Listen and follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

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If today’s conversation resonated with you and you are seeking more support in your own healing journey, here are some resources below:

• If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, help is available. Call 800.656.HOPE (4673)
• If you or someone you know is being trafficked, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline. Text 233733 (befree).
• PAVE is a 501(c)(3) non-profit creating a world free from sexual violence and building communities to support survivors.
• Speak Out, Act, Reclaim (SOAR) is dedicated to providing a safe and empowering space for survivors of sex trafficking to reclaim their stories and stand up for themselves and each other.