Supporting Survivors of Abuse and Brain Injury through Research (SOAR)

What Supporting Survivors of Abuse and Brain Injury through Research (SOAR) does

SOAR (Supporting Survivors of Abuse and Brain Injury through Research) is a Canadian registered charity and the only organization in Canada with a singular focus on intimate partner violence-caused brain injury (IPV-BI). Founded in 2015 in Vernon, British Columbia by Karen Mason (a 35-year IPV advocate and former Executive Director of Kelowna Women's Shelter) and Dr. Paul van Donkelaar (a UBC Okanagan professor and sports concussion researcher), the organization operates a tripartite Explore–Educate–Empower model: advancing research on the intersection of IPV and brain injury, training frontline workers, and providing evidence-based resources to survivors.

The organization's core offerings fall into three service lines. Research and knowledge translation services partner with academic researchers (UBC, University of Toronto, Université de Montréal, University of Utah) and international consortia (ENIGMA IPV Working Group) to translate findings into practice. Training and education programs deliver evidence-based workshops, webinars, and the Concussion Awareness Training Tool (CATT) for Women's Support Workers — co-developed with the BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit — to healthcare providers, social workers, shelter staff, police, and emergency responders. Survivor resources include the Moving Ahead guide series (for survivors and workers on IPV-caused brain injury and strangulation), an Adapted HELPS BI Assessment Tool, and clinical decision-support resources such as the IPV-BI Clinical Algorithm for medical providers. Survivor input is structurally embedded via the Survivor Perspectives Committee.

SOAR operates as a registered charity (Charitable Registration Number 769669417RR0001) with a team of approximately six staff. It is funded through donations (accepted via cash, cheque, and the CanadaHelps platform) and grants from a diversified base of 10+ funders including the Public Health Agency of Canada, Government of British Columbia, Grey Birch Foundation, KGH Foundation, Ontario Brain Injury Foundation, Shelter Foundation, Mitacs, CDMRP, Daylight Fund, and WGEC-FEGC. All services are provided at no charge to survivors, frontline workers, and academics. Distribution is multi-channel — self-serve online courses, in-person workshops, conference keynotes, podcast appearances, YouTube/TEDx content, and earned media placements (CBC, New York Times, Vancouver Sun). Reach extends globally despite a primarily Canadian operational and funding base.

Name

Supporting Survivors of Abuse and Brain Injury through Research (SOAR)

Legal name

Supporting Survivors of Abuse and Brain Injury through Research

Website

https://soarproject.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SOAR is a Canadian registered charity and the only organization in Canada exclusively focused on intimate partner violence-caused brain injury (IPV-BI). It conducts research, delivers training to frontline workers, and provides survivor resources via grants and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Vernon

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: SOAR is a registered charity (Charitable Registration Number: 769669417RR0001) that relies on donations from individuals and organizations. Donations can be made via cash, cheque, or through the CanadaHelps platform.
2. Grant Funding: Funded by government agencies (BC government, Public Health Agency of Canada), foundations (Grey Birch Foundation, Shelter Foundation, Ontario Brain Injury Foundation, KGH Foundation), research councils (Mitacs), and specialized programs (CDMRP, Daylight Fund, WGEC-FEGC).

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SOAR is a registered charity that explores, educates, and empowers around intimate partner violence-caused brain injury (IPV-BI). Its core offering is a free portfolio of research and knowledge translation services for academics, evidence-based training and education programs for frontline workers (healthcare, social services, shelters, law enforcement), and survivor-facing resources including guides, screening tools, and online training. Services are delivered via online self-paced courses, webinars, in-person workshops, and speaking engagements, with no fees charged to any user.

Product overview

SOAR operates as a research and education organization offering a portfolio of knowledge translation, training, and support services focused on intimate partner violence-caused brain injury (IPV-BI). The core offerings include Research and Knowledge Translation Services (connecting academic research to practice), Training and Education Programs (evidence-based training for frontline workers), and Survivor Resources (guides, toolkits, and support materials). These are complemented by Speaking Engagements, Program Development Consulting, and General Consulting Services. Key named resources include the Moving Ahead series of survivor and worker guides, the Adapted HELPS BI Assessment Tool, and the Concussion Awareness Training Tool (CATT) for Women's Support Workers developed in partnership with BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit. Clinical resources include the Clinical Algorithm IPV TBI Resource and IPV TBI Medical Provider Resource for healthcare professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research and Knowledge Translation Services Collaborative research partnership service that helps academic researchers translate and disseminate IPV-BI findings to frontline professionals, policymakers, and communities through workshops, presentations, study design, ethics proposals, data collection, analysis, and resource development.
• Training and Education Programs Comprehensive evidence-based training programs for frontline professionals including healthcare providers, social workers, shelter staff, police, lawyers, judges, and emergency responders, delivered through webinars, one-hour sessions, and full-day workshops.
• Survivor Resources and Support Evidence-based resources, toolkits, and information for survivors of intimate partner violence-caused brain injury to heal, rebuild, and advocate for themselves, including peer support group facilitation and system navigation guidance.
• Speaking Engagements Professional presentation services including conference keynotes, panels, and training sessions on IPV-BI topics delivered globally in-person and digitally.
• Program Development and Evaluation Consulting Consulting service to help organizations design, implement, and evaluate survivor-centered programs for IPV-BI awareness and response, including scalable program templates.
• General Consulting Services Expert consulting for organizations on IPV-BI policy design, strategic planning, policy audits, and funding application support.
• Moving Ahead Survivor's Guide to Brain Injury in IPV Comprehensive guide providing survivors with clear, accessible information on brain injury caused by intimate partner violence.
• Moving Ahead Survivor's Guide to Strangulation in IPV Educational resource for survivors on strangulation in IPV, its effects, and recovery guidance.
• Moving Ahead Worker's Guide to Brain Injury in IPV Training resource for frontline workers to recognize and respond to brain injury in IPV survivors.
• Moving Ahead Worker's Guide to Strangulation in IPV Training guide for frontline workers on identifying and responding to strangulation in IPV contexts.
• Adapted HELPS BI Assessment Tool Screening tool adapted for identifying potential brain injury in IPV survivors based on the standard HELPS framework.
• Concussion Awareness Training Tool (CATT) for Women's Support Workers Online educational course developed with BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit to help women's support workers recognize and respond to concussion/IPV-BI.
• Clinical Algorithm IPV TBI Resource Clinical decision-support tool for medical providers to recognize and respond to IPV-caused traumatic brain injury.
• IPV TBI Medical Provider Resource Comprehensive resource guide for medical professionals treating patients with IPV-related brain injuries.

Quantifiable outcome

• Research published in BMJ Open, Journal of Neurotrauma, Violence Against Women, and other peer-reviewed journals demonstrating scientific rigor.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• BC Society of Transition Houses (BCSTH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner providing services to survivors of violence. BCSTH represents transition houses and safe homes across British Columbia serving women fleeing violence.
• Brain Injury CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization focused on brain injury awareness and support. Partnership supports integration of brain injury expertise with IPV services.
• Connect CounsellingsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounselling services provider offering mental health and support services. Collaboration extends counselling resources to IPV-BI survivors.
• Elizabeth Fry SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization supporting women involved with the justice system. Partnership addresses needs of IPV survivors with brain injury who may encounter legal system.
• NBIS (Nanaimo Brain Injury Society)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional brain injury society providing support services. Collaboration integrates brain injury support with IPV context.
• ParachutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational injury prevention organization. Partnership focuses on concussion and brain injury prevention, recognition, and response in IPV contexts.
• Pink ConcussionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization focused on female brain injury. SOAR co-founder Karen Mason is member of Pink Concussions Partner-Inflicted Brain Injury Task Force.
• Women's Shelters CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization representing shelters for women fleeing violence. Critical partnership for reaching shelter staff with IPV-BI training.
• BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit (BC Children's Hospital)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development of Concussion Awareness Training Tool for Women's Support Workers. BC Children's Hospital research expertise supports SOAR training development.
• University of British ColumbiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder Dr. Paul van Donkelaar is professor at UBC Okanagan. Active research collaboration with UBC researchers on IPV-BI studies.
• ENIGMA ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research consortium. SOAR co-founder is member of ENIGMA IPV Working Group focusing on brain injury research in intimate partner violence.
• Angela Colantonio, PhD (University of Toronto)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanada Research Chair in TBI in Underserved Populations. Research collaboration on brain injury in IPV survivors, particularly in marginalized populations.
• Carolina Bottari, PhD (Université de Montréal)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on acquired brain injury and daily life impact. Focus on integrated support ecosystems for women with IPV-related TBI.
• Carrie Esopenko, PhD (University of Utah)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeads ENIGMA IPV Working Group. Research on chronic and long-term effects of brain injury in IPV-exposed individuals.
• Cheryl Wellington, PhD (UBC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch on TBI risk factors and biomarkers. Collaboration on blood biomarker research for IPV-BI detection.
• Shelina Babul, PhD (BC Children's Hospital)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirector of BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit. Co-developer of Concussion Awareness Training Tool for Women's Support Workers.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• BC Society of Transition Houses: Provincial umbrella for transition houses and safe homes serving women fleeing violence in BC. Listed SOAR partner with overlapping frontline-worker training and survivor-support mandate.
• Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women and Children (CREVAWC): Western University-affiliated research and training centre focused on violence against women and children. Comparable research-to-practice mandate, training delivery model, and policy advocacy focus.
• Brain Injury Canada: National brain-injury awareness and support organization that is a listed SOAR strategic partner. Overlapping audience of survivors, frontline workers, and policymakers focused on acquired brain injury.
• Elizabeth Fry Society of Canada: National organization supporting women involved with the justice system, and a listed SOAR partner. Comparable focus on women facing systemic barriers, including IPV survivors with brain injury navigating legal processes.
• Women's Shelters Canada: National umbrella for shelters serving women fleeing violence, and a listed SOAR partner. Highly comparable audience of shelter staff requiring IPV-BI training and survivor resources.
• Pink Concussions: US-based nonprofit focused on female brain injury, including a Partner-Inflicted Brain Injury Task Force that SOAR co-founder Karen Mason belongs to. Highly comparable mandate around brain injury in women, with overlapping research and survivor-advocacy objectives.
• Parachute: Canada's national injury-prevention organization and listed SOAR partner. Overlapping focus on concussion and brain-injury prevention, recognition, and response, including IPV-BI content.
• BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit: BC Children's Hospital-affiliated research unit that co-developed SOAR's Concussion Awareness Training Tool. Comparably focused on concussion/injury research and prevention training products.

Regional players

• National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV): US-based domestic violence advocacy umbrella. Comparable scope (training, policy, public awareness) but serves a different geography than SOAR's Canadian base.

Broad incumbents

• Canadian Women's Foundation: Canada's largest public foundation serving women and girls, funding IPV and gender-based violence programming. Comparable donor/grantee ecosystem and gender-based-violence focus but operates across many causes beyond IPV-BI.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Supporting-Survivors-of-Abuse-Brain-Injury-through-Research-SOAR-688360588292509
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/supporting-survivors-of-abuse-and-brain-injury-through-research-soar
• Instagraminstagram.com/soarprojectcanada

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Supporting Survivors of Abuse and Brain Injury through Research (SOAR)