Yessica Klein
8 min read
09 November 2025
Sogol Kordi’s founder journey began not with a pitch deck or an accelerator but a moment of personal transformation. After surviving an abusive relationship, she found herself in a new apartment, asking a hard question: What if I could build the solution I needed back then? After three months, Sogol’s idea had taken shape: to support people suffering from domestic violence in the long term. The goal was to help them escape abusive relationships and rebuild their lives. Survivors are frequently left without housing, work, financial security or social connections. “I know how hard it is to get out of that situation,” she says. “That gave me the power to change something.”
In Germany, over 170,000 people are affected by intimate partner violence each year, and for many, the search for help begins online. But what they often find is a maze of outdated resources, inaccessible language or silence. Studies show that it takes an average of six to seven attempts before victims receive support. That’s the reality myProtectify was built to change. “We want to make sure no one has to go through this alone,” says Sogol. “And we want to make sure help is just one click away.”
What motivated you to found myProtectify?
Honestly, I was also affected by abuse. I’ve been in that situation, and I know exactly how hard it is not just emotionally but practically. You don’t know where to go, who to trust or how to get out. When I finally left that abusive relationship, I was sitting alone in my new apartment and said to myself, “Other women or people affected by abuse are out there facing the same challenges, and you could be the one to help them.” That thought gave me strength. Three months later, I started building myProtectify. Our goal isn’t to make a profit but to create lasting support for people affected by violence. I had a clear purpose.
What challenges have you faced as a social impact founder?
It’s been incredibly difficult. First, it’s a hard topic: domestic violence is something most people don’t want to confront. Second, I’m a female founder with an immigrant background, building a mission-driven startup in a city that doesn’t really support diversity in entrepreneurship. In Kiel, I’ve often felt like an outsider. I remember attending startup events where I saw the same people every time, none of whom looked like me or understood my work. I even cried after some meetings. Investors didn’t take the problem seriously. Some told me to charge people affected by abuse, to make it a freemium model. I thought, “Are you kidding me?” That was the moment I decided to stop trying to fit into their system. I said, “I’ll build it myself.”
How have you built momentum despite the lack of investment?
I’ve only spoken to about five investors in two years, and none of them truly understood what we were doing. But I knew we had something valuable, because real people – people affected by abuse – were reaching out to me constantly. They were saying, “We need this. Keep going.” So we focused on the community. We’ve built a support network of over a thousand people. We’ve won awards, been in the press, and launched a five-minute documentary by NDR. And I created a female founders group in Kiel because nobody else was doing it. We’re 25 women now, meeting monthly to talk honestly about failures and how we can help each other. That’s how we grow.
“myProtectify is a solution, but it only works if we build it together.”
What keeps you going when things get hard?
My team is my anchor. We’re not just colleagues; we’re friends. I don’t have a formal mentor, but I have my team. We talk openly, support each other and keep each other grounded. And the messages I get from survivors keep me going. Some are just saying thank you. Others share their stories. One woman wrote, “We need people affected by abuse at the table helping decide what works for us.” That kind of message reminds me why we’re doing this. Every time I get discouraged, I read one of those.
What advice would you give to founders working in social impact?
Just start. It won’t be perfect – my first pitch deck was terrible – but nobody starts out knowing everything. You’ll fail, learn and grow. My grandmother used to say, “If the idea came to you, then everything you need to build it is already inside of you.” That’s what I tell other founders. People often say, “I had the same idea but never followed through.” So don’t wait. Just do it.
"The social impact path might be harder, but it’s not impossible."