Counsl is building the first platform that gives every family — regardless of income, background, or wealth — access to an attorney-reviewed, legally structured trust for their child. A real trust. The same instrument that wealthy families use to protect, grow, and transfer assets to their children.
Mother of Four | Co-Founder
Katharine Yao is a mother of four daughters—Sophia, age 12, and her triplets, Everly, Clara, and Violet, age 8.
Like many parents, she spends her days thinking about the future—not in the abstract, but in very real, practical ways.
What will the world look like when her daughters are adults? What opportunities will they have? And what can she do today to give them the strongest possible start?
As she watched how quickly the world was changing—especially with the rise of artificial intelligence and the uncertainty surrounding education and careers—one idea kept coming back to her:
Katharine wanted something more than savings accounts, more than good intentions, and more than a one-time inheritance.
She wanted a structure—something that could grow quietly over time, protect what was built, and give her daughters the flexibility to make their own choices when the time came.
At the same time, she realized something else:
The kinds of tools that could provide that level of protection and flexibility—like trusts—were often out of reach for most families.
That didn't sit right with her.
Because the need isn't limited to a small group of families. It's universal.
Every parent wants to give their child a chance.
SmartStart was built from that place.
Not as a financial product, but as a way to help families—like hers—build something steady, meaningful, and lasting for their children.
Something that doesn't depend on predicting the future.
Something that gives children the freedom to find their own path when they get there.
Every child deserves a financial foundation. Build an attorney-reviewed trust that protects, grows, and adapts as your child's life unfolds.
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