The Mom-Made App Helping Kids Avoid Cyberbullying — Inspired by a Family’s Scary Wake-up Call

For moms Kate Doerksen and Anne Pizzuti, the idea for Sage Haven didn’t come from a tech brainstorm. It came from lived experience. They watched the kids in their own family navigate group chats and early messaging long before they were emotionally ready. The turning point came when a teen family member experienced a mental-health crisis after being cyberbullied, and the sisters realized just how vulnerable kids are in those first online interactions.

“Starting Sage Haven was very near-and-dear to our hearts because we had a teen family member go through a mental health crisis largely due to online bullying,” they share. “We are also both moms with multiple kids in elementary school, building the products we want for our own families and communities”.

Why They Set Out to Build a “Learner’s Permit” for Online Communication

Like so many parents, Kate and Anne understand why families give young kids access to messaging in the first place. As they explain, “Parents (including us) have good reasons to allow their kids to message online including family logistics, enabling their kid to be able to message or call in case of an emergency, and connecting with close friends and family.”

But they also saw the risks: Early group chats are often where online bullying begins, inappropriate content circulates, and kids develop unhealthy habits around constantly checking their devices.

That’s why they built Sage Haven, designed specifically for kids’ earliest messaging years. “The Sage Haven app is designed to be a safer way to let your kids message and call with approved friends and family online,” they explain.

Here’s how it works in simple terms: Parents set everything up from their own phone. They choose exactly who their child can talk to, and the app is designed to block any outside contact. Every conversation runs through gentle built-in filters that can catch unkind or inappropriate messages before they’re sent, almost like a helpful nudge saying, “Try saying that a kinder way.” If a conversation seems worrying, parents receive a quick summary so they’re aware, without having to read every message word-for-word.

Kids get to practice communicating in a space that feels real to them but is still protected. No strangers, no hidden group chats — simply a safe place to learn healthy online habits.

Parents supervise from their own phone, approve every contact and receive AI alerts or recaps. Kids get to communicate, but with guardrails.

“It’s really the learner’s permit for online communication so parents can create a slower, safer on ramp to technology adoption,” they say.

How AI Helps Kids Learn Kindness, Not Fear Tech

For many parents, the biggest concern is harmful messages, the ones kids send without understanding the impact. That’s where Sage Haven’s AI steps in.

“Sage Haven uses AI for good to block harmful messages before they are even sent,” Kate and Anne explain. “Parents get alerts based on the severity of the blocked message.”

And the goal isn’t punishment, it’s education.

“We also nudge kids towards kindness and best practices,” they say. One nudge tells a child, This message looks like it might hurt their feelings. What if you say this instead?” Another says, It looks like you’re messaging one-on-one in front of a big group. Click here to move this to a private chat.”

Even group-chat drama gets addressed: “Kids can create a new group chat but can’t delete other kids from an existing group chat which is a common problem.”

All of it adds up to something the sisters call “dynamically educating kids how to chat well.”

A Mission Rooted in Mental Health

After what their family went through, Kate and Anne made a decision early on: Sage Haven wouldn’t be just another app.

“We set up Sage Haven as a Public Benefit Corp with the mental health of our customers at the core of every decision we make,” they say. That includes intentionally designing the app to encourage mindful use and support healthy communication.

 Simple, Guilt-Free Tips Parents Can Use Today

The sisters also discovered that parents need guidance just as much as kids do.

“We spent over a year and half interviewing dozens of experts, 314 parents and 226 kids from all over the country,” they explain. The result was a free parent guidebook packed with simple best practices.

“We made this parent guidebook free for everyone and have gotten rave reviews from parents that it helped them feel confident and prepared,” they say. “Our positive, guilt-free approach embraces technology in moderation and is realistic for modern, busy parents.”

A Kinder Way for Forward

For Kate and Anne, everything comes back to giving kids a healthier start with technology: Independence without overwhelm, communication without chaos and learning without fear.

And Sage Haven is the tool they wish had existed sooner, not just for their own family, but for families everywhere.