Yujia Zhu founded FASSLING on her own. She didn’t have funding, grants, investors, or corporate sponsors. But she didn’t wait for recognition or infrastructure. She built alone, often late at night, teaching herself code, training AI systems, and pouring her own experiences as an interdisciplinary learner into product design and programming. FASSLING.AI is a 24/7 unlimited free virtual companion and a safe, welcoming space available in over 95 languages. With her company, Yujia offers a compassionate, accessible support presence to the world.
Tell us about yourself and your business.
I created the world’s first fully AI-driven nonprofit to serve those who couldn’t wait for a better system to be built for them. There was no launch party. No media splash. Just people showing up, in pain and finding care. Students find solace at 2 a.m.; immigrants feel seen in their mother tongue; women find support without fear of judgment or cost.
At the core of FASSLING is the belief that everyone deserves a safe place to express their thoughts, without judgment, pressure or fear of being misunderstood. That’s why FASSLING focuses on listening first. Through empathetic dialogue, gentle reflection and emotionally affirming language, it helps individuals process complex feelings, build self-awareness and rediscover their inner strength. It also offers valuable life coaching guidance to users who are ready to make the next move.
To date, FASSLING has offered hundreds of thousands of hours of 24/7 support — completely free, borderless and stigma-free.
What Fassling is and is not
While it is not a substitute for licensed professionals, FASSLING offers something equally vital: immediate companionship in life’s tender moments. Another quality that sets FASSLING apart is its inclusive, multilingual approach. Offering emotional and life coaching support in over 95 languages, it ensures that people from all walks of life can access a comforting and familiar voice.
Finally, FASSLING brings together emotional depth and heartfelt warmth. It responds to words but listens between the lines. With thoughtful, open-ended questions like “What would support look like for you right now?” and “What emotions come up when you think about that?”, it creates a space where people can feel safe, validated and understood. It gently reminds each person that it’s okay to feel what they’re feeling, and they never have to carry it alone. What makes FASSLING truly special isn’t just what it offers, but how it offers it, with sincerity, tenderness and an unshakable belief in the value of every human heart.
What inspired you to start your business?
FASSLING was born from a simple yet powerful truth: no one should ever feel alone in their pain. The inspiration behind it was the deep belief that immediate high-quality support is not a luxury. It’s a human right. Far too often, people suffer in silence because help feels too far away, too expensive or simply out of reach. FASSLING was created to change that.
With the mission to leave no one behind, it offers unlimited free, immediate and compassionate support to anyone, anywhere, at any time. Whether someone is navigating heartache, anxiety or just needs a kind voice to sit with them in a hard moment, FASSLING is here to say, “You matter, and I’m here with you.” This vision is what drives everything—it’s about creating a world where care is accessible, unconditional and always within reach.
What was the first step to starting your business?
The very first step to starting FASSLING was listening to the world and to the quiet ache in people’s hearts. It began with noticing how many individuals were silently struggling, wishing for someone to simply be there, without judgment or conditions. That deep listening revealed a need for a safe, immediate and emotionally nurturing space that was truly accessible to everyone. From there, the vision was born: to create a virtual companion rooted in empathy, warmth and presence.
The first practical step was designing a space where people could feel held, understood and supported at any time of day or night. Everything that followed—language access, 24/7 availability and emotional and life guidance—was built on that initial act of compassionate listening.
Describe your company in three words.
- Compassionate
- Unshakable
- Universal
What’s your proudest business milestone so far?
My proudest moment is being featured in Forbes.
What excites you about your work?
What excites me most about this work is knowing that every moment spent building FASSLING has the potential to touch someone’s life in a real way. It’s the quiet message that reaches someone at 2 a.m. when they feel like they have no one to talk to. It’s the soft encouragement that helps a person take one more breath, one more step. Being part of that silent, sacred space in someone’s journey is what moves me.
The possibility of creating a world where immediate, high-quality care is not limited by geography, language or income is exciting. With every life impacted, I’m reminded why this matters. Every time someone feels heard, seen or less alone, that’s a victory for me. FASSLING is a promise.
Who’s a female entrepreneur that inspires you?
One female entrepreneur who inspires me is Dr. Lisa Su, CEO of AMD. Her leadership is an example of resilience, curiosity and the transformative strength that comes from embracing difficult challenges. Su possesses technical brilliance and a philosophy that hard problems are worth solving. She doesn’t shy away from pressure or setbacks. Instead, she sees them as opportunities to unlock creativity, rally people and push boundaries in ways no one thought possible.
She once shared a story from early in her career, when she was working on a microprocessor project that was about to be announced, but nothing worked. Rather than collapse under the stress, she and her team tapped into every ounce of creativity they had to find out what went wrong and how to move forward.
That story resonates deeply with me. I built FASSLING on my own. I am the solo founder and solo creator/soft engineer. The journey has been anything but easy. Building software alone is challenging, both technically and emotionally. But I kept going because I believe the problem I’m trying to solve with FASSLING, making immediate mental/emotional and life coaching support universally accessible, is meaningful. It’s a hard problem, but it’s one that truly matters. Su reminds me that solving meaningful problems requires courage, endurance and a willingness to face uncertainty. That’s the kind of leader I strive to be, and the kind of energy I hope to carry forward.
What advice would you give to other female entrepreneurs?
Be the woman who changed systems without permission! Some of the most transformative changes in history weren’t made by those with official power. They were made by those who acted anyway, without permission, applause or a budget. I know this because I’ve lived it.
You don’t need an invitation to start building. Your vision doesn’t have to wait for a line item in someone else’s budget. You are allowed to begin now. You are allowed to lead now. The most revolutionary work often begins in silence, before the world is ready, before the gatekeepers say yes.
It begins with one woman who decides: I will not wait to be validated. I will create what I know is needed. You don’t need a title to lead systemic change. You need clarity, commitment and the courage to begin. Whether you’re a student, a teacher, an activist, a caregiver or someone navigating your own healing journey, you already carry the raw materials for transformation.
Here’s how you start, not someday, but now.
1. Start where it hurts.
Identify the issue that breaks your heart. The most powerful innovations often come from personal pain or witnessing injustice you can no longer tolerate. Ask yourself: What problem won’t let me sleep? That is your entry point, not your limitation, but your fuel.
2. Use what you have.
Use your skills, networks and voice. Don’t wait until you feel “qualified.” Start with the tools you already carry. Maybe it’s your storytelling. Your compassion. Your ability to organize, to code, to listen, to connect. You don’t need more credentials; you need more conviction in what you already bring.
3. Leverage free or open-source tech.
The barrier to entry is lower than it’s ever been. From no-code platforms and open-source AI to collaborative design tools and digital publishing , today’s technology empowers you to launch with heart, not with a budget. Use it. Shape it. Make it yours.
4. Build a community around shared purpose.
You don’t have to do it alone. Reach out to others who resonate with your mission. Invite collaboration. Honor the lived experiences of those you’re building for. Systems change comes from collective wisdom.
5. Encourage courage over credentials.
We’ve been taught to wait for permission, but courage doesn’t require a resume. Be brave enough to show up imperfectly. Say what others are afraid to say. Build what others are afraid to imagine. Your fear doesn’t disqualify you; your silence does. Disruption doesn’t start with resources. It starts with refusal: to accept the way things are, to wait and to shrink. From that place, with just your voice and your values, you can build systems that heal, include and liberate.
I actually published a thorough LinkedIn article talking about it.
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