Ira Koivu (b. 1975) is a journalist with a Masters Degree in Social Sciences who realized in 2011 that she had become dependent on alcohol. At that time, she discovered a study suggesting that alcohol pathways can be erased from the brain if the person is under 40 years old and has no history of detoxification treatment. Meeting the criteria, Koivu abstained from drinking for four months, and started an anonymous blog on the topic. Those four months opened her eyes regarding alcohol use. In 2015, she quit drinking for good, realizing that her addiction was resurfacing. She began writing the book Free from Wine which was first published in 2016. Today, Koivu helps others break free from alcohol through her company, Soberisti. The Soberisti online and mobile method helps high functioning alcohol addicts break free from alcohol truly anonymously, with ease and joy.