Immigration Tech & Marketing - The GMI Rocket Show - Hosted by Roman Zelichenko.

Happy 2024 everyone! It's been quite some time since we have been “off air.” However, I’m incredibly excited to be BACK with the new episodes of GMI Rocket show. We’re jumping right in with episode 86 with Evren Ay, Founder of translation startup MotaWord. MotaWord is a super tech-savvy certified translation company that provides immigration translation and notarization services, website translation (which is great for small immigration firms that want their sites to be in several languages), and more. Evren is originally from Turkey, spent a lot of his youth in France, and now lives in New York. Evren comes from an entrepreneurial household, having watched his father start and grow a travel agency (which is what brought the family to Paris, France in the first place) among other businesses. And it seems that the entrepreneurial bug bit Evren too! Evren has been the owner of a general translation company, Link-Translations, for almost three decades. About 10 years ago, Evren turned that expertise into a tech solution, MotaWord.

So, here’s what Evren and I are going to be talking about:

• Evren’s early life, moving around the world and growing up in Paris.
• How Evren’s exposure to entrepreneurship at a younger age shaped him
• How Evren first got into translation, and what he did to grow that businesses.
• What drove Evren to dive into the tech side of translation services
• Evren’s thoughts on the future of translation tech, especially within immigration

On Episode 85, we have a very special guest who probably needs no introduction... Ben Cross, CEO and Founder of GLOMO!! GLOMO is a consulting firm focused on helping companies in the global mobility industry (relocation, immigration, tax, etc.) grow through talent recruiting, M&A and other consulting services. But Ben is more than just the founder and CEO of GLOMO. Ben is also the host of Love + Relo, a long-running and popular live show that interviews professionals within global mobility on everything from industry trends to policy changes to news updates to technology and more. Ben’s journey started at PODS, handling corporate relocation. From there, Ben quickly worked his way up the corporate ladder at several relocation companies and found success quickly. He was also building a brand on LinkedIn at the same time. Ben launched his show, Love + Relo, out of his office while at his last job, and the show absolutely took off. Eventually, he left and launched GLOMO in 2020. So, here’s what Ben and I are going to be talking about:

• Ben’s early life and attending college in upstate New York
• How Ben fell into the relocation industry at PODS and how his career grew over the years
• What inspired Ben to start Love + Relo, and how the show impacted his life
• When Ben decided to start GLOMO, how he did it and what GLOMO does today
• Ben’s thoughts on the future of GLOMO and the global mobility industry more broadly

On episode 84 of the GMI Rocket show, we’re exploring the world of remote work with a startup aptly named Work From Anywhere, and their co-founder and CEO, John Lee! As remote work becomes more common, and not just from home but from the Italian coast, the Austrian Alps or a wine bar in Portugal, one major issue always comes up: tax & compliance. That’s where Work From Anywhere comes in. They leverage a proprietary algorithm and a network of tax consultants to help companies implement the right remote work model, accounting for risks and considering multiple employment options including setting up an entity, using an employer of record, hiring contractors or using digital nomad visas. As for John, he studied accounting at University College Dublin and worked in various accounting positions in different countries for a decade until he started his first company, CultureMee, which helps global travelers navigate and learn other cultures. Eventually, he launched Work From Anywhere, tackling tax in the growing remote work landscape. So, here’s what John and I are going to be talking about:

• John’s early life and how he got interested in accounting and finance
• John’s experience working in accounting for a decade, and what he learned
• What led John to start his first business, CultureMee, and what that was like
• How Work From Anywhere was born, how the company works and where it’s headed
• John’s thoughts on the future of global mobility and the role technology plays in the industry

On episode 83 of the GMI Rocket show, we’re diving into a fast-growing global mobility tech platform called Centuro Global with CEO Zain Ali! In a nutshell, Centuro Global provides companies looking to start or continue to expand internationally with the tech and resources to manage the process as well as partners and providers around the world to help them get there. As for Zain, he started his career as a corporate and litigation attorney, first at the international law firm of Bird & Bird and then in-house representing UK record labels and promoting UK music internationally. In 2018, Zain left his stable career as an attorney to launch what would eventually become Centuro Global, a platform enabling companies to expand internationally. And the timing couldn’t have been better, as COVID forced companies to look at international hiring and business development as more and more industries have gone digital. So, here’s what Zain and I are going to be talking about:

• Zain’s early life and what drew him to study law at university
• Zain’s attorney experience, both at one of the world’s largest law firms and in house.
• What led to the idea behind Centuro Global and how Zain got the company started
• Early days of building Centuro Global and what the company does today
• Zain’s vision for the future of both Centuro Global and the mobility tech industry

I’ve been on a small break, but I’m excited to be back with episode 82 of the GMI Rocket show with Nitzan Yudan, Founder and CEO of a really exciting global mobility tech company, Benivo! Just in case you haven’t already heard of Benivo, in a nutshell, it bills itself as an end-to-end, single platform solution for Global Mobility teams to manage their globally mobile workforce and mobility programs. As for Nitzan, he started his career in tech back in the early 2000s in Israel. After graduating from Ben Gurion University with a degree in Industrial Engineering and Management he worked in technical roles at a few companies, including one of Israel’s biggest banks, Bank Hapoalim. After a few years, Nitzan went back to school, this time to London Business School, received an MBA in Finance and Entrepreneurship, and went on to work at American Express. But as with most entrepreneurs, he had a calling to build something. So not long after he started his role at AmEx, in 2010, he launched what would become the Benivo we know today. So, here’s what Nitzan and I are going to be talking about:

• Nitzan’s early life and why he went on to study engineering.
• What led Nitzan to go back to school and both study and work in finance and business.
• What inspired Nitzan to come up with Benivo and leave his full-time job to build it.
• Early days of building Benivo and how the company has grown over the years
• What Benivo does today, what’s next, and Nitzan’s vision for the future of mobility tech

On Episode 81 of the GMI Rocket show, I’m honored to be speaking with serial entrepreneur Bruce Mennell, the CEO and Founder of Aora, which has codified the complete body of British nationality law. Bruce, an engineer by trade, worked in the financial industry and eventually becoming a head of technology at Deutsche Bank. He broke off in 1997 to launch his own company, Beauchamp Financial Technology Limited, a trading and portfolio management software company that was eventually acquired in 2005. In 2008, Bruce left once again, starting another company aimed at legal expert systems, ended up focusing on British nationality law and eventually launched Aora. Today, Aora provides British nationality assessments and supports immigration firms helping individuals file for British nationality. So, here’s what Bruce and I are going to be talking about:

• Bruce’s early life and how he got into the FinTech space.
• What inspired Bruce to start his first company and getting acquired.
• How Bruce fell into legal expert systems and eventually launching Aora
• Bruce’s process of codifying British nationality law, and how Aora works
• What’s next for Aora and Bruce’s vision for the future of legal tech

On Episode 80 of the GMI Rocket show, we’re exploring how Paul Bennett, CEO and Co-founder of relocation tech platform Perchpeek, are changing the game for relocating employees around the world! Paul studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics and Oxford, and after finishing school went traveling around the world. As he accepted a job at Amazon back home in London, he was dealing with the process of relocating back home - he realized how difficult it was and that there had to be a better way. That’s how the idea for Perchpeek was born. Paul launched Perchpeek in 2018, went through a few pivots (which you’ll hear about during our conversation), and on the heels of a £8 million Series A fundraise, now helps companies make the relocation process easier for their employees. So, here’s what Paul and I are going to be talking about:

• Paul’s early life and his experience at Oxford
• What inspired Paul to travel the world, and what he learned during his travels
• Paul’s experience getting a job at Amazon and how that inspired Perchpeek
• How he launched Perchpeek and what the company does today
• Thoughts on fundraising in and the future of the relocation tech industry

On Episode 79 of the GMI Rocket show, I’m really excited to talk to the co-founder of an early stage digital nomad visa tech startup: Tim Marting, co-founder and COO of Citizen Remote! After graduating from Kansas State University and working for two years in real estate, Tim, who is originally from Kansas City, Missouri, decided to travel and see the world. This profoundly changed him - Tim went from the UK to Indonesia to Australia to Italy to Spain, and decided that travel and migration was going to be his life. After applying for various visas and meeting people from around the world, he thought - why isn’t there a centralized place to meet fellow digital nomads, get info about the visa and get help applying? That’s how Citizen Remote was born - alongside the proliferation of Digital Nomad visas. So, here’s what Tim and I are going to be talking about:

• Tim’s early life in the Midwest, his university studies and first job
• What pushed Tim to decide to leave his job and travel the world
• Tim’s experience living around the world, and how the idea for Citizen Remote was born
• How Tim found his co-founder, and the first steps they took
• What Citizen Remote does today and where they’re planning to take the company

On Episode 78 of the GMI Rocket show, we’re diving into a tech solution for Canadian university international centers with Ganesh Neelanjanmath, CTO and Founder of iCent App. Believe it or not, Ganesh actually started his tech career in India at INSZoom, which was founded by Umesh Vaidyamath (who was also a guest on this show!) and is still one of the leading immigration case management platforms today. After INSZoom, Ganesh held a few more tech jobs and eventually decided to go back to school - he enrolled in Sheridan College in Ontario, in a graduate project management program. Around this time, Ganesh also started a development company, which built a handful of products, including a legal tech product that he sold. But what he eventually landed on was building a platform for the International Office at Sheridan College… and that’s how iCent was born. So, here’s what Ganesh and I are going to be talking about:

• Ganesh’s early life and studying computer science at university
• Ganesh’s first job at INSZoom and exposure to immigration tech
• Ganesh’s experience going to grad school in Canada, and building his own business
• How the idea for iCent was born and the first steps he took with it
• What iCent does today, and what Ganesh has in store for the future

On Episode 77 of the GMI Rocket show, we’re in Toronto speaking with veteran Canadian immigration paralegal and founder of tech-enabled ImmiSight, Marc-Andre Ranger! Marc, who is originally from Quebec, has been working as an immigration paralegal for two decades. One of the major advantages of being a paralegal is that he’s spent those past 20 years in the thick of each immigration file, which has given him a lot of insight into what works and what doesn’t. So as a natural entrepreneur, it got Marc thinking… “how can I integrate technology into the Canadian immigration process to automate some of it while still keeping it human-centered?” Thus, ImmiSight was born. ImmiSight is a tech-enabled immigration service that helps prepare immigration files, mostly focused on work permits and LMIAs, with a combination of chatbots, document automation, and, where it makes sense, human work. So, here’s what Marc and I are going to be talking about:

• Marc’s early days, growing up in Quebec
• Marc’s paralegal and labor relations studies, and how that led to his first job
• Marc’s experience working in immigration the past two decades
• How the idea for ImmiSight was born, and how the company works today
• Marc’s thoughts on the future of immigration tech in Canada,

On Episode 76 of the GMI Rocket show, we’re speaking with Joon Ahn, the CEO and Founder of Lawfully, an AI-powered immigration app that helps applicants track, analyze and get consults on immigration cases. Lawfully offers three solutions: (1) a USCIS & NVC case tracker that predicts adjudication times, RFE likelihood, etc., (2) mock interviews with former USCIS & Consular officers, and (3) the ability to connect with immigration lawyers. Lawfully, which is a mobile app, available on both iPhone and Android, also hosts an active community on the company’s website. As for Joon, the CEO and founder, he was actually a scientist in his prior life. He received a Bachelors in physics, a Masters in Nuclear Engineering and a PhD in Physics, and came to the US on a J-1 visa to work as a scientist, in California and then in New Jersey, before founding Lawfully. So, here’s what Joon and I are going to be talking about:

• Joon’s early life and his early plans for his academic and professional career
• Joon’s experience moving to the US for work, and his role as a scientist
• What led Joon to think idea behind Lawfully, and the first steps he took
• How Lawfully works today and Joon’s vision for the company going forward
• Joon’s thoughts on how AI and technology is shaping immigration today

On Episode 75 of the GMI Rocket show, we’re exploring an e-learning platform Algorizin, which helps immigrants upskill to land great US tech jobs with founder and CEO Siam Hossain! Algorizin is an upskilling bootcamp for international students living in the US that helps them learn hands-on technical skills by working with industry experts. It also provides them with immigration support and helps them break through the U.S job market. The best part is, students pay nothing up front - instead, Algorizin helps them land a tech job and only charges them via an Income Share Agreement one they start receiving a salary. As for Siam, he came to the US to get his master’s in engineering, and after working as a software engineer, founded two companies: one that built mobile apps and another focused on study abroad. So, here’s what Siam and I are going to be talking about:

• Siam’s early life and his experience moving to the US for graduate school
• Siam’s life as an international student in the US, and landing his first job
• What led Siam to start his first venture, and how he came came up with Algorizin
• How Algorizin works today and Siam’s vision for the company going forward
• Siam’s thoughts on the immigration space today and how tech can play a role

For episode 74 of the GMI Rocket show, we’re diving into the world of moving and mobility tech with Ryan Keintz, Co-founder & President of PricePoint! Basically, PricePoint brings data and price transparency to moving. Whether an international move as part of an employment immigration case or a domestic move from NYC to SF, PricePoint helps users determine the price of their move with confidence and transparency. And Ryan is a true veteran of the moving industry, having spent two decades in moving and mobility, in some of the industry’s biggest companies, including Allied Moving Services and Sirva. But as it often happens, Ryan saw a need in the industry, particularly around pricing data, insights and transparency, that simply wasn’t being met. Thus, PricePoint was born. So, here’s what Ryan and I are going to be talking about:

• Ryan’s early days and his focus on International Business in college
• Ryan’s introduction to moving, and how he landed that role
• What Ryan learned during his career in moving, and what sparked the idea for PricePoint
• How Ryan went about building and launching PricePoint, and the company’s early days
• What PricePoint does today and where the company is headed
• Ryan’s thoughts on fundraising and the future of technology in the mobility industry

We’re going all the way to Singapore for Episode 73 of the GMI Rocket show, and we’ll be learning about a growing relocation tech startup, Moovaz, with Co-Founder Junxian Lee. Moovaz is an international relocation platform company that provides tech-enabled, end-to-end overseas relocation service. Moovaz covers, per their website, “Visa & Immigration, International Household Moving, Short-term Accommodations, Pet Relocation, Home Search, Insurance, School Search, and more!” As for Junxian, he has an impressive background in the startup and venture-backed world. Junxian has an MBA from Fudan University, which is based in Shanghai, China, studied at both Harvard and UPenn, and worked in logistics, e-commerce and online fraud risk before starting Moovaz. In April of 2020, Moovaz raised a $7 Million Series A round, which was of course right as the world shut down due to COVID. Which means we’re going to have a lot to talk about 😊 So, here’s what Junxian and I are going to be talking about:

• Junxian’s early life and his academic journey in the beginning
• How Junxian got started working with tech companies, and what that was like in SE Asia
• Junxian’s experience as a co-founder of CashShield, and what that taught him
• How the idea for Moovaz eventually came about, and what the company does
• Junxian’s thoughts on the future of relocation post COVID world, mobility tech, and more

On Episode 72 of the GMI Rocket show, we’re diving into a tech company tackling corporate housing, including for international employees, with Vivi Himmel, CEO & Co-Founder of AltoVita For employees who travel around the world for work, whether on short projects or years-long assignments, they often stay in corporate housing, whether temporarily while they find longer-term accommodations, or for their entire international assignment. And this is the process that AltoVita is looking to disrupt, by giving employees a variety of choices (rather than that ONE apartment building or hotel that the company puts employees up in) and by creating a platform that makes booking these accommodations safe, secure, easy and transparent. Vivi herself has lived all around the world, and during her time in investment banking, traveled internationally for work time and again. Along with her co-founder, Karolina Saviova, they’ve lived in over 20 cities. So AltoVita is solving a problem they both faced, personally. So, here’s what Vivi and I are going to be talking about:

• Vivi’s early life, and how immigration was part of her family story
• Vivi’s studies, early career in investment banking, and traveling for work
• How the idea for AltoVita came about, how she met her co-founder and how they started
• How AltoVita works, what problem it solves, and where the company is headed
• Vivi’s thoughts on the future of corporate travel in a post-COVID world.

For episode 71, we have Sergio Torres, Co-Founder & CEO at Alvva, a FinTech startup helping immigrants pay for their immigration applications! What’s really interesting about Alvva is that it enables immigrants to pay for their immigration applications while also helping them build their credit at the same time, which is important because traditional financing options are often unavailable to immigrants. As for Sergio, he was born and grew up in San Diego, and spend his life going back and forth across the US / Mexico border. His father was born in the US, and his mother was born in Mexico, so he experienced many of the challenges immigrants face when moving to and settling in a new country. After a long career in the financial services industry, he married his professional experience with his personal family immigration experience to launch Alvva. So, here’s what Sergio and I are going to be talking about:

• Sergio’s personal immigration story from Mexico to the US
• How Sergio got into financial services and what he learned over 15 years in the industry
• How the idea for Alvva came about, and Sergio’s first steps
• How Alvva works, where the company is today and where it’s going
• Sergio’s thoughts on how technology can help immigrants

We are heading to Italy for episode 70 to chat with Davide Lionetti, co-founder of Visafy! What I really love about Davide’s story, and indeed the story of Visafy, is that it’s a family business. Visafy is co-founded by Davide and his father Angelo Lionetti, and it’s the tech-savvy version of a business that Davide’s father, Angelo, has been running for years, helping individuals coming to Italy with consular interviews and visa applications. The reality is that immigration differs from country to country, and in my view, the best immigration tech solutions will come from those who have experience doing the process manually ON THE GROUND in that country. As for Davide, he studied international business in Paris, New York and Germany, and worked in marketing and accounting before joining his father and co-founding Visafy. So, here’s what Davide and I will be discussing:

• Davide’s early life and experience studying in multiple countries
• How his father got into the immigration industry before launching Visafy
• What led Davide and his father to launch a tech-enabled Italian visa service
• What Visafy does today and how it works today
• Davide’s vision for Visafy going forward and thoughts on travel picking back up post-COVID

On episode 69 we have Danish Soomro, Founder and CEO of Visadb.io. - a platform that connects digital nomads and companies with visa and other experts around the world. Pulled directly from the company’s website, “Visadb.io makes immigration & cross-border business simple for global companies and citizens.” Visadb.io offers online access to verified immigration, tax and company formation experts from over 100 countries. Before starting visadb.io, Danish already had an entrepreneurial streak - he built Digital Nomads Nation, an online community of over 148,000 digital nomads, and videoHIRE, which helped companies use video to recruit more workers. Prior to that, Danish was part of multiple entrepreneurship programs in Poland and Chile too. Danish is also an avid traveler and digital nomad himself, and has lived and worked all over the world. So, here’s what Danish and I will be discussing:

• Danish’s back story and early life
• How Danish’s early jobs took him from Nevada to the UK, to Canada and beyond
• How Danish came up with the idea for Visadb.io, and getting into tech accelerators
• What Visadb.io does today and how it works
• Danish’s vision for Visadb.io and thoughts on immigration tech in a post-COVID world

We’re back with episode 68 of the GMI Rocket Show with Manpreet Dhami, Managing Director of Immigration Services at Newland Chase, who also oversees their immigration technology product, ImmiSMART. Manpreet started her career in the immigration space nearly two decades ago at a corporate immigration company called Emigra (which was actually acquired by CIBT in 2021). She then went on to work at a smaller relocation company called Packimpex for a few years and then global mobility giant BGRS before coming back to Newland Chase in 2021, in the midst of the COVID-19 global pandemic. As one of the world’s largest immigration providers, Newland Chase, which is owned by parent company CIBT, has an in-house immigration tech solution that it provides to clients called ImmiSMART. While Newland Chase is not traditionally thought of an immigration tech company, its technology is worth exploring. So, here’s what Manpreet and I will be discussing:

• Manpreet’s family’s immigration journey to the UK
• Manpreet’s early days and why she got into immigration with Emigra
• Manpreet’s journey back to Newland Chase, and the Emigra acquisition by CIBT
• Newland Chase’s ImmiSMART platform, what it does and how it works
• Manpreet’s broader thoughts on tech in immigration today and in the future

On episode 67 of the GMI Rocket Show, we’re talking to Priyank Singh, co-founder of Stilt, a FinTech startup that provides loans and banking services to immigrants and other underbanked communities. Priyank first came to the US as an F-1 student in 2009 to study computer science at Columbia University. After graduating, he found a job and obtained his H-1B visa. The process wasn’t easy, and most of all, having no family or support system here, everyday things were, at times, more challenging - like paying for rent, getting a car, etc. Priyank actually met his eventual co-founder, Rohit Mittal, in grad school, but at first, they went their separate ways after graduating. Rohit to Verisk and POPSUGAR and Priyank to Microsoft and Amazon. But the idea of creating some kind of financial ecosystem to support immigrants… that stuck with them. Until they finally decided to pursue it. They got into YCombinator, and Stilt was born. So, here’s what we’ll be discussing:

• Priyank’s personal immigration experience and his early days in the US
• Priyank’s experience working at Microsoft and Amazon, and how that shaped him
• Why Priyank reconnected with Rohit, and their experience launching Stilt
• How Stilt started and what it does today
• Where Stilt is going and thoughts on immigration more generally

On episode 66 of the GMI Rocket Show, we’re talking to our first-ever VC guest: Manan Mehta, Founding Partner of Unshackled Ventures, a VC firm that invests in immigrant founders! What’s special about Unshackled Ventures is their commitment to directly supporting immigrant startup founders: “Unshackled Ventures sponsors visas and provides full immigration support. We accelerate your immigration journey so you can focus on building your business.” As for Manan, he’s a first generation American who grew up in an immigrant household. He attended UCLA, worked in banking, and then joined a startup called Kno that was ultimately acquired by Intel. He then launched his own startup with a co-founder who was on an H-1B visa, but after 9 months, when no one would fund the company so they could sponsor the co-founder, they had no other choice but to shut down. And so the idea for Unshackled Ventures was born 💡 So, here’s what we’ll be discussing during this conversation:

• Manan’s family’s immigration journey, and his early days growing up
• Manan’s path from UCLA to the acquisition of Kno, Inc., where he ran marketing
• Manan’s experience launching his first startup, and how immigration got in the way
• How that experience led to Unshackled Ventures
• Who Unshackled invests in, how they handle visa sponsorship, and thoughts on immigration

On Episode 65 of the GMI Rocket show we’re diving into insurance for expats, digital nomads and others living and working around the world with Andrew Jernigan, CEO of Insured Nomads. Insured Nomads is a tech-enabled insurance company that offers travel insurance, global health insurance and other perks like airport lounge access, tele-health and more. As for Andrew, he’s had a colorful career spanning multiple decades. After receiving his bachelor’s at Samford University in Birmingham, AL, early in his career, Andrew worked internationally in Ghana and Brazil before heading back in the US. He worked in oil & gas, at a destination services provider, was president at one travel risk management company and ran business development at another. Today, Andrew is the host of a digital nomad podcast, an advisor to Mobility Empowered (which was on this show!), and helps other startups while building and growing Insured Nomads. So, here’s what we’re going to talk about:

• Andrew’s earlier life and college experience in the Southeast.
• How Andrew ended up working in Ghana and Brazil, and how that impacted him
• Andrew’s pivot into global mobility and then travel insurance
• How Insured Nomads was born and what the company does
• What’s in store for Insured Nomads and Andrew’s thoughts on the industry

On episode 64 of the GMI Rocket show, we’re exploring how technology can support international students and higher ed institutions with Nitin Agrawal, Co-Founder & CEO of Interstride! Interstride is a platform that helps international students through their journey, with everything from immigration to networking to finding a job to connecting with other students. Who uses Interstride? Both international students directly as well as university career centers and international student and scholar offices. The company started in 2018 and already they support over 150 institutions, including UT Austin, Harvard and my alma mater, Binghamton University. Personally, Nitin, who has a degree in finance from University of Miami and an MBA from UC Berkeley, has studied abroad twice. Indeed, Interstride’s co-founders have over thirty years of combined experience as international students and professionals. So we’re going to go through Nitin’s journey navigating higher education within the US and around the world and how his prior work experience led him to launch Interstride. So, here’s what we’re going to talk about:

• Nitin’s early days and his higher-ed journey
• Nitin’s experiences studying abroad and how that shaped his worldview
• Nitin’s career journey and how it culminated to launching Interstride
• How Interstride works and what it does for students and universities
• Nitin’s thoughts on higher ed immigration tech and the industry more broadly

For episode 63 of the GMI Rocket show, we’re back in the US and speaking to seasoned immigration lawyer and immigration tech entrepreneur Jon Velie, CEO of OnlineVisas. Jon has been practicing immigration law for almost 30 years, but he’s also a tech innovator. Having incorporated technology into his law firm practice, Jon eventually launched OnlineVisas, “an ancillary law-related services company of the Velie Law Firm” per the company’s website. But Jon isn’t just an immigration lawyer and immigration tech founder - he’s also an online content creator, the author of a book on H-1B visas, a rugby coach, and much more. We’re going to dive into Jon’s life story and background, how he launched and grew his immigration firm, and how OnlineVisas brings efficiency and automation to the immigration industry. So, here’s what we’re going to talk about:

• Jon’s early life in Oklahoma and his journey through law school
• How Jon found immigration law and why he decided to pursue it
• How Jon came across the idea for OnlineVisas and his first steps
• How OnlineVisas works and his thoughts on immigration tech today
• Jon’s thoughts on the future of OnlineVisas and the immigration tech industry

We’re crossing the Atlantic to Europe for episode 62 of the GMI Rocket show to speak to immigration lawyer-turned-entrepreneur David Cantor, Founder & CEO of Relocate. Relocate bills itself as “the first independent marketplace for Global Migration” and here’s how it works: Relocate has a roster of immigration experts from countries around the world, they create informative, country-specific content for the site, individuals interested in moving to those countries may come across that content, and ultimately reach out to the experts to set up a consultation. David officially launched Relocate in the beginning of 2021, which sounds like both a difficult time to launch a global immigration company, but also perhaps the perfect time. Before Relocate, David actually worked as a US and global immigration lawyer for New York-based Davies & Associates, and studied law in New York and Beijing. So, here’s what we’re going to talk about:

• David’s early days and educational journey, including studying law in China
• What got David interested in immigration law, and his career in it
• How David came up with the idea for Relocate, and his first steps
• Launching Relocate during COVID, and where the company is today
• The future of Relocate and David’s thoughts on tech and immigration

On episode 61 of the GMI Rocket show, we’re exploring tech within the Relocation Management space by diving into the technology behind Aires with Anand Diraviyam, Director of Product Strategy and Management and Aires. Instead of trying to paraphrase the company’s history, here’s what the Aires website says: “We opened our doors in 1981 as a freight-forwarding company. As we expanded, our founder, Jim Putt, envisioned a different kind of relocation company that would evolve into a multi-national corporation that revolves around our clients.” While not the founder of Aires, Anand has been with the company for over 13 years, and has helped Aires grow not just as an RMC, but also as a technology company. Anand has his own personal immigration story too - coming to the US from India where he received his bachelor's degree in engineering and computer science. So, here’s what we’re going to talk about:

• Anand’s early life, education and what drove his decision to try and move to the US
• Anand’s US immigration journey, and getting settled in a new country and job
• How Anand joined Aires and his career path at the company
• Aires technology today and where it’s heading
• Anand’s thoughts on security, privacy and the future of immigration and mobility tech

For episode 60 of the GMI Rocket show, we’re diving into an immigration tech company that helps applicants fill out and submit immigration applications, CitizenPath, with our guest, CEO & Co-founder, Russ Leimer. Russ is actually a serial entrepreneur with a background in sales and marketing. After spending almost a decade in sales and marketing within the electronics and hardware space, first at Hamilton Hallmark, and then at Avnet, Inc., Russ started his entrepreneurial journey around 2000. Russ’s first entrepreneurial experience was buying into and growing a full-service marketing firm, which he eventually sold. In parallel, Russ launched a strategic and marketing consultancy. And then in 2013, with the help of immigration lawyers and technology experts, Russ co-founded CitizenPath to help aspiring immigrants with their immigration forms. So, here’s what we’re going to discuss:

• Russ’s early life and background
• How Russ transitioned from his last “full-time” job to running his first business
• What Russ learned from owning multiple businesses, and selling one of them
• How Russ came across the idea for and initially launched CitizenPath
• How CitizenPath works and where the company is today
• What’s in store for CitizenPath, especially given recent legal tech regulatory changes

After a short break, we’re back in action with episode 59 of the GMI Rocket show! Our guest today is joining us from Ireland: Liam Brennan, CEO of Tracker Software Technologies, a business travel compliance company. (I’m going to use the name “Tracker” for short, but don’t confuse it with US-based immigration tech company Tracker Corp, which was recently acquired by Mitratech.) Liam started out in moving, first at a leading London-based courier company and then TNT Express (which was acquired by FedEx in 2016). Then, after a stint at a major telecom company, Liam managed sales and operations teams at Travelport and then Paragon Relocation for over a decade. Eventually, in 2014, Liam recognized the need for tech in the industry that sits across everything from immigration tech to HR tech to tax and more - thus, Tracker was born. So, here’s what we’re going to discuss:

• Liam’s early life and background
• How Liam first came across the moving industry, and his experience working there
• What Liam gained from then moving into sales and ops roles within relocation
• How the idea for Tracker first came about, and how Tracker works
• Liam’s experience raising $2M, and lessons for other founders raising capital
• What’s in store for Tracker in the future, and Liam’s thoughts on tech in the industry

For episode 58 of the GMI Rocket show, we’re speaking with an immigration tech founder who is focusing on the needs of immigration practitioners in Latin America - Faith McClure, founder of Enmigri LLC. Enmigri builds apps for immigration lawyers in Latin America to help them serve their clients, which is super exciting because we haven’t really focused on immigration practitioners in Latin America yet. Faith is a transactional and tech attorney by training, with experience negotiating tech and licensing agreements at Staples and teaching law at Fisher College and as a clinical instructor at Harvard Law School.

But after traveling around Latin America and speaking to immigration attorneys around the region, she got the idea for Enmigri.

So, here’s what we’re going to dive into:

• Faith’s early life and background, and experience growing up
• Faith’s journey from law school to becoming a contract and tech licensing attorney
• Faith’s travels around Latin America and how the idea for Enmigri was born
• How Enmigri works today and where the company is going
• Thoughts on how immigration tech can support immigration lawyers in Latin America

For episode 57 of the GMI Rocket show, we’re heading North of the border to Canada, to speak with Keli Propp, co-founder at product manager at Immigrate Software. Immigrate combines a team of RCICs (Canadian immigration consultants) with an online platform that makes Canadian immigration quick and easy. The company was actually started by a husband-and-wife duo, Dirk Propp and Keli Propp. Dirk brings over a decade of experience as an RCIC and entrepreneur, having built two companies that matched employers and employees in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. On Keli’s side, she brings a wealth of experience in marketing and product, and has been leading Immigrate’s product buildout and marketing and branding efforts. We’ll be chatting with Keli, diving into her story and learning all about Immigrate! So, here’s what we’re going to discuss:

• Keli’s origin story and background
• Dirk’s background and past entrepreneurial endeavors
• How the idea for Immigrate came about, and what it’s like starting a company with your partner
• How Immigrate works and where the company is today
• What the future holds for Immigrate and Canadian immigration tech more generally

Episode 56 of the GMI Rocket show is the first time that we’ll be speaking to TWO co-founders at once! Our guests are Jonathan Petts and Ben Jackson, co-founders of immigrationhelp.org! Immigrationhelp.org is a nonprofit that helps DACA applicants file their DACA applications for free, online. It’s already changed the lives of many people and continues to do so on a daily basis. As for Jonathan and Ben, Jonathan is a lawyer, clerked in a bankruptcy court, worked in BigLaw and then co-founded Upsolve, another nonprofit legal tech startup that helps users file for bankruptcy for free. Ben also attended law school, is a serial entrepreneur, and currently runs operations and tech at Immigrationhelp.org This will be a packed episode, so here’s what we’re going to discuss:

• Ben and Jonathan’s backgrounds and their early years
• Jonathan’s journey as a lawyer and what initially led him to Upsolve
• Ben’s entrepreneurial path and how he eventually met Jonathan at Upsolve
• How Immigrationhelp.org was born and what it does
• Ben and Jonathan’s thoughts on DACA and the future of immigration tech

On episode 53 of the GMI Rocket show, we have one of the most electrifying and inspiring entrepreneurs in the immigration space: Dionnie Wynter Pfunde, immigration attorney and founder of Wynter Immigration Law Academy!

As an immigration lawyer, Dionnie has been practicing for over two decades. She pulls from her own immigration journey, moving to the US from Jamaica to meet her mom, with $20 in her pocket and a 4 year old in tow. 

What’s so inspiring about Dionnie is that she’s actually had a fully remote law firm for years, working around the world, out of hotels and on beaches. She already has a tried and true set of tools, systems and processes in place for it, including a killer presence on social media, especially Clubhouse! 

So, here’s what we’re going to talk about: 

• Dionnie’s early life in Jamaica and immigration story
• Dionnie’s path to law school and becoming an immigration lawyer
• How Dionnie create a fully remote, virtual practice
• What led her to start the Wynter Immigration Law Academy, and what it does
• Dionnie’s thoughts on how tech can help lawyers go virtual 

And more! So please join us, ask questions and leave comments! #immigration #globalmobility #legaltech #immigrationlaw #WFH 

Episode 52 of the GMI Rocket show is a really special one: it’s the first time we’re speaking to a former DACA recipient. Our guest this week is Yesica Sierra, immigration paralegal and founder of Tila Case Prep!

In short, Tila Case Prep helps immigration lawyers prepare cases.

Tila has two sides to it: 

1️) It’s a team of experienced immigration paralegals that helps immigration lawyers handle cases, but without having to hire full-time staff;  2) It’s also a case management platform that allows their clients to upload, review and manage their cases within the platform.

Like many in immigration, Yesica has her own immigration story: she came to the US from Mexico as a young girl, lost her status and became a DACA recipient, and through that was moved to start her own immigration company.

So, here’s what we’re going to talk about: 

• Yesica’s childhood and how her family arrived to the US from Mexico  
• How being a DACA recipient impacted her life  
• What drew Yesica to working in immigration
• How the idea for Tila Case Prep came about and how the company works
• Where Tila Case Prep is heading, and Yesica’s thoughts on immigration tech more generally 

On episode 49 of the GMI Rocket show, we’re speaking to Raj Singh, Co-founder and CEO of WayLit, a more recent player on the immigration tech startup scene that’s working to improve immigration for employers and employees. WayLit’s platform is built around serving companies, helping them manage their immigration programs while also providing legal services through a network of immigration attorneys. Much like Bridge Immigration and Envoy Global, WayLit is bringing a client-first approach, with a network of lawyers on the backend. 

Raj has his own immigration story too, so we’re going to be discussing Raj’s journey, why he built WayLit, and what’s exciting to him about the future of immigration tech.  So here’s what we’ll be talking about:  

• Raj’s early years and his immigrating to the US 
• Raj’s career in tech and how it impacted him 
• Raj’s first venture, Connexio, an advisory service for international students  
• What eventually led Raj and his co-founders to start WayLit, How WayLit works, what it does and where it’s heading  
• Raj’s overall thoughts on immigration tech  And more!  

For episode 48 of the GMI Rocket show, our guest is an immigration lawyer and industry leader who has been paving the way for immigration tech for decades: Greg Siskind, partner at Siskind Susser, immigration tech founder and influencer. 

I actually met Greg at a HIAS event in DC when I just moved there for my first (and only😄) immigration lawyer job.

Since then, I’ve watched Greg continue to grow his firm, double down on tech, publish multiple immigration books and take part in important litigation. 

Greg had the first immigration law firm website and blog, is an industry influencer on Twitter, and has been building immigration tech for years, most recently visalaw.ai...We’ll try to cover all of it during our conversation!

So here’s what we’ll be talking about:

• Greg’s early days and what steered him toward law school
• Greg’s first job and how he got into immigration law
• Why Greg went off on his own and create a law firm website and black in the 90s
• Why Greg initially got into immigration tech
• What led to the creation of Visalaw.ai, and what it is
• Greg’s thoughts on the immigration tech landscape now and in the future  And more!

For episode 46 of the GMI Rocket show, our guest is someone who has truly become a friend over the years: Ron Matten, an engineer-turned-tech-savvy immigration lawyer, and the founder of Matten Law!  Since meeting Ron about 3 years ago, we’ve spent countless hours discussing tech in immigration, speaking on panels together, and sharing drinks at past AILA events (can’t wait for them to be in person again!)  Ron is also one of those people who often gives others the stage and opportunity to shine… so this time I want to put the spotlight on HIM and learn about his story and journey! 🙌  So, here’s what Ron and I are going to talk about: 

• Ron’s early life and how he initially got into engineering  
• What inspired Ron to leave his career in engineering and go to law school  
• How Ron fell into immigration law after law school, and what led him to Canada  
• Ron’s experience working in big law and lessons learned  
• Ron’s experience launching his own firm, and the role tech plays in Matten Law  
• Ron’s recommendations to practitioners about adopting tech  
• What else Ron is working on and his thoughts on the future of immigration tech  And more!  

This is the FIRST ever returning guest on the GMI Rocket show, and I couldn’t be more excited! For episode 45, Bahar Ansari is back to talk about marketing & branding for immigration!!  If you didn’t catch the first episode, Definitely go back and listening to Bahar’s story.  How she immigrated to the US, became a lawyer, started her own practice and a legal tech company, and recently launched a podcast and an online immigration program.  The conversation was amazing, but we just barely touched on marketing… we just didn’t have the time!  So I asked Bahar to come back and share with us how she has built up her brand, and thus her practice, using social media, broader digital marketing, and her own very powerful personal brand.  Here’s what we’re going to talk about:  

• A quick recap of Bahar’s back story  
• How Bahar got into social media in the first place  
• When Bahar realized that social media can be a powerful business development tool  
• How Bahar has used it since  
• Where Bahar thinks social media & marketing is going in our industry  
• Practical tips and takeaways for leveraging social media for immigration and beyond

Join my discussion with immigration attorney, podcast host, entrepreneur, and immigration tech founder James Betzold, CEO of Prima.Law!  James is an experienced immigration attorney, running his own immigration practice for over a decade.  But along the way, James has started multiple ventures, including a podcast, a virtual immigration paralegal company, and of course Prima.Law, a case management and forms platform.  Prima.Law actually started out as PrimaFacie, and was focused solely on immigration.  Today, while immigration is still the main focus of the platform, Prima.Law also has case management and forms for bankruptcy, social security, and a variety of California- and US Federal District Court-specific cases.  So, here’s what James and I are going to talk about::

• James’s early days and experience in college and law school 
• James’s first job out of law school, and how he eventually launched his firm  
• What it was like for James to run his practice, and how Prima.Law was born
• How James came upon the idea for a virtual immigration paralegal company along the way
• How Prima.Law works and where it is today 
• James’s thoughts on the future of the company and immigration tech broadly  
• And more!

Join my discussion with an immigration tech founder building a company that helps refugees upskill and integrate: Casey Myers, founder of One Digital World. One Digital World helps women inside refugee camps build English skills, computer skills, and more, to prepare for employment and better economic opportunities.  In 2016, Casey left a good job in higher ed and traveled to over 30 countries in just over a year. Learning more about the refugee crisis, Casey worked at a refugee camp in Lesvos, Greece from 2017 to 2018 helping them raise money, train people, liaise with UNHCR, and more.  When she got back to San Diego in late 2018, she continued working with Refugees, and eventually launched One Digital World in October 2019.  So, here’s what we’re going to talk about:

• Casey’s early days and college experience
• Early jobs and what led her to want to travel for a year
• How Casey started working at a refugee camp and how it impacted her
• Casey’s return to the US and continued work with refugees
• How One Digital World works, and what inspired Casey to launch it 
• Thoughts on the future of immigration and the role tech plays. 
• And more!

Join my discussion with Henry Soo, founder, and CEO of Settlely, an online resettlement concierge based in Vancouver. Settlely helps connect immigrant newcomers to life's essentials using an on demand concierge model and Henry, Settle’s founder and CEO, has a fascinating story.  His great grandfather moved to California during the gold rush, and after a few generations, Henry was born and raised in Vancouver, BC.  Henry started his career in tech back in the 90s, moved to China for 15 years to work on foreign investment, and since returning to Canada, is instrumental to the Vancouver startup scene and so much more.  So, here’s what we’re going to talk about:

• Henry’s early life and his family’s immigration story 
• Why Henry moved to China to study Wushu (martial arts) 
• Henry’s journey back to Canada and his tech career 
• Henry’s journey back to Canada and his tech career 
• Why Henry returned to China for 15 years after the dot com crash
• Henry’s Vancouver startup experience and how he launched Settlely
• What Setllely does and how it works
• Henry’s vision for the future of immigration tech and Canadian startups in general  And more!

Jeremy Fudge, Managing Partner at BAL!  BAL is one of the world’s biggest and most recognized corporate immigration law firms but is also a technology leader as well.  They’ve been pioneering immigration tech for decades, have built their own platform called Cobalt as well as other immigration tech tools, and are constantly investing in the up-and-coming.  So Jeremy, as a managing partner, is instrumental to BAL’s continued tech advancement. Jeremy’s been a partner with the firm for almost 15 years, and here’s what we’ll be talking about: :

• Jeremy’s early life and his experience leading up to law school 
• Jeremy’s first few jobs out of law school, and what drew him to immigration
• How Jeremy first joined BAL, and the experience of becoming a partner 
• BAL’s history and the firm’s connection with technology
• What BAL’s immigration tech looks like and how tech impacts service delivery
• Jeremy’s view of the future of immigration tech  
• And more!  

Join my discussion with Michael Guirguis, the CEO of Seso, and he’s tackling agricultural immigration and the H-2A visa.  Michal and his team come from consulting & farming rather than immigration, and I think this is SUPER important because innovation within an industry is often inspired by an outside perspective.  As for Michael, he graduated from Stanford with a degree in Economics, had a stint at the White House, and then joined McKinsey, where he worked around the world.  After leaving McKinsey, Michael worked for an EduTech startup for a handful of years before finally launching Seso in 2019.  So, here’s what we’ll be talking about:

• Michael’s early years and his time at Stanford 
• Michael’s early entrepreneurial experiences, and his time at the White House
• Michael’s experience at McKinsey and Yup.com and how that shaped him
• How Michael came upon the idea for Seso, and the first steps he took
• His experience at Stanford’s CodeX program and where Seso is today
• Michael’s vision for Seso as the “Gusto for Agriculture” and the future of immigration tech
• And more!

For episode 39 of the GMI Rocket show, my guest is someone with an incredibly impressive career spanning the entire globe and ending in immigration tech: Brendan Ryan, CEO of Nomadic!  Brendan has had an illustrious career. First, he spent more than 2 decades in the Australian government: Department of Immigration, embassies in the Philippines and Hong Kong, and India to name a few.  Brendan then moved to private practice, first as a partner at PwC’s Australian immigration practice and eventually at Fragomen, where he spent over 16 years in offices around the world.  Finally, in 2019, Brendan became the CEO of Nomadic, a business visa, and document procurement company, which spun out of Fragomen.  Here’s what we’ll be talking about:

Brendan’s early years & how he got his first job in Australia’s Dep’t of Immigration, Working for the Australian government around the world, How and why Brendan switched to private practice when he joined PwC, Brenda’s eventual move to Fragomen, and his experience there for nearly 2 decades, How Nomadic was born, and his journey to becoming CEO, What Nomadic does, what’s coming, and Brendan’s vision for the future of immigration tech, And more!

For More Information on Nomadic:

Today is a different type of guest on the GMI Rocket show - more of an INTRApreneur within a large corporation than my typical founder guest: Damian Wilson, manager at Abogado.com  Damian has been with Thomson Reuters since 2012, moving up the ladder every few years.  He worked with law firms, helping them with TR’s SaaS product, and at FindLaw assisting law firms with marketing.  Eventually, Damian stepped into a leadership role at Abogado.com, with a truly entrepreneurial mindset, to grow that business.  If you haven’t heard of it, Abogado.com helps lawyers that work with Spanish-speaking clients get in front of and connect with those clients. As you can imagine, immigration lawyers are a big part of this.  So, here’s what we’ll be talking about: 

• Damian’s early days and his educational background
• How he got into Thomson Reuters and some of his earlier jobs  
• How Abogado.com became part of Thomson Reuters
• Why Damian made a push to step into and help grow Abogado.com
• How the service works, and how it impacts immigration lawyers
• Damian’s vision about the future of Abogado.com and immigration marketing

I’m super excited for episode 37 of the GMI Rocket show because my guest is immigration lawyer, tech founder, and social media guru Bahar Ansari, founder of 2nd.law and co-founder of Case.one I met Bahar at the first-ever AILA tech and innovation summit in 2019. We connected right away over immigration tech and how it can help immigration law firms automate, streamline and scale.  But Bahar is also a social media guru - she’s active on Instagram, Linked In, TikTok, Clubhouse, and more. She has her own podcast, and we’ve discussed the power of digital marketing too!  This episode can easily go on for hours because there’s just so much to learn from Bahar. But I’ll try to keep it manageable So, here’s what we’ll be talking about:  

Bahar’s story and immigration journey, What drew Bahar to the legal field and her law school experience, Why Bahar went from litigation to immigration and started her own firm, How Bahar got into legal tech and founded Case.one, Bahar’s journey with Case.one, How Bahar has also scaled her law firm using social media, Where Bahar sees the immigration industry going in terms of tech and marketing, And more!

For More Information on Case.one: