Siembra Mobile
An Evolving Landscape
“I work with first-generation and low-income (FLI) Students and often talk to groups of prospective FLI high school Students about the college application process. I am aware of the challenges that face these Students and the difficulties colleges face helping them to college, and today the pressure to recruit FLI Students is greater than at any other time in the last fifty years.”
- Dr. Joseph Brown - Graduate Diversity Recruitment Officer School of Humanities, Stanford University
The effect of the elimination of the SAT "Name Buy" system
College Admissions Advisors generally have had no visibility into specific prospective qualified students as students matriculate through high school and are unable to evaluate them with validated data prior to buying names from various vendors. Those lists are usually of students in their senior year in high school and of the same zip codes used in prior recruitment cycles. The challenge for the student seeking academic support is even more daunting with the average Student to Counselor ratio in California is 600:1. This 20th century model has inherent bias and is gated by layers of bureaucracy generally blocking direct contact and support between postsecondary and student families.
We know students and parents are in need of direct support from College Admissions beginning in the student's 9th grade. We empower student families to take control of their academic future with their college admission support as if students are star athletes. By providing a data and mobile interface, admissions officers can enter the ecosystem advancing students directly to their college as the student matriculates. The admissions reform movement in California has pushed for solutions to support first gen, low-income students, underrepresented students, students interested in CTE, or students fitting any number of characteristics. Working with UC, by expanding the base of student candidates to college, Siembra is democratizing the interface with our community college and university partners for the new economy.
OUR MISSION
Redefining the Way
Students are Recruited to College
Because Siembra Mobile provides ease of access to Schools, Parents or Students, we bring together all key stakeholders into the same “virtual gymnasium” for college admissions. There is transformative value achieving this important goal, breaking down institutional silos to building sustainable relationships to higher education. Our cost for continuous virtual enrollment is generally less than purchasing names. To the recruiter, this equates to about two high school road trips that does not guarantee any yield. We increase yield and conversions by building direct relationships in the new economy.
Co-Founder & CEO
Co-Founder, Diversity & Inclusion Director. Bilingual Educator K12. B.S. International Relations, Mexico and the United States. Campeón de los desfavorecidos.
K12 Lead Academic Counselor, MFT, MEdPsych.
Chief of Staff / University BD
Product Marketing Lead. Marketer, Advertiser, Entrepreneur, Brand Champion. Michigan State University.
VP Community College Business Development PhD Candidate - Education
Chief Technologist
VP Engineering - Scrum Leadership
Senior Data Scientist. PhD Rice University & Stanford University.
Infrastructure Leader, Security Protocols, All Things Cloud.
Corporate Controller
Corporate Counsel - DLA Piper, Palo Alto
Our Journey
2013
RESEARCH
Initial research working with Dr. Julio Garcia and Dr. Geoff Cohen from Stanford University Graduate School of Education. The concept of identity threat and the use of mobile educational interventions to address academic remediation and attendance. Adapt the concepts to improving the college enrollment interface.
2015
Initial deployments to various school districts to assist K12 administrators track and promote students to higher education using one-to-many mobile communications. Beta testing with live deployments for California High Schools.
Elimination of the SAT - Admissions Reform

Board of Directors
Originally from Palo Alto, from a family of researchers at Stanford, studied Finance, The Wealth of Nations, Social Ethics, Political Geography, F. Scott Fitzgerald at the Windy Hill Prep Academy.
Assistant Dean of Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity Education and Graduate Recruitment Graduate and Undergraduate Studies School of Humanities and Sciences Stanford University
Architectural Engineering Construction industry executive. Civic leader with board-level ESG experience. University of Southern California.
Retired Superintendent. Former Executive Director CALSA and former Director of the ALAS Leadership Academy in Washington DC. Dr. Verdugo earned his bachelor’s degree from Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington and his master’s degree from the University of La Verne, and his doctoral degree in educational administration from USC.
Director - Board Member Audit Committee Chair CAI International. University of Southern California. Harvard Business School.
President Hillspire LLC. Cornell University. Harvard Business School.
Board Advisory
Former California State Senator from the 16th District. UCLA and Harvard Business School.
Former Dean of Research, Planning, and Institutional Effectiveness San Bernardino Community College.
Professor, Graduate School of Education, Diversity and Identity | Motivation | Poverty and Inequality | Psychology | Social and Emotional Learning. Stanford University
Professor, Graduate School of Education Senior Fellow, Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR)
Assistant Superintendent Educational Services.
Published research work with Dr. Geoff Cohen focused on the development and propagation of psychological interventions aimed at increasing human performance.