Alma co-founder had such a bad immigration experience she founded a legal AI startup to fix it
Alma co-founder had such a bad immigration experience she founded a legal AI startup to fix it
When Aizada Marat moved from New York to California in 2018 with her husband, KODIF co-founder and CEO Chyngyz Dzhumanazarov, she faced a grueling immigration experience that would ultimately inspire her to create Alma, an AI-powered legal tech startup. Marat's journey underscores the complexities of the immigration process and highlights the need for innovative solutions in legal services.
Aizada Marat's Journey
Born in Kyrgyzstan, Aizada Marat came to the United States at the age of 17 through the FLEX (Future Leaders Exchange) program sponsored by the U.S. State Department. After graduating from Harvard, she moved to London due to immigration issues. In 2018, Marat relocated to California when her husband was admitted to Stanford Business School, and she accepted a job offer at the prestigious law firm Cooley.
The Immigration Ordeal
Upon moving to California, Marat needed to sort out her immigration status. Through a Google search, she found an immigration lawyer in Palo Alto. Unfortunately, the lawyer provided incorrect advice on when she could file for work authorization, resulting in Marat being unable to work for over a year and unable to leave the country.
Impact on Career
The delay in work authorization had significant repercussions for Marat. Despite having a job offer from Cooley, she was unable to start working due to the visa complications. This experience was not only frustrating but also detrimental to her career progression.
Igniting the Entrepreneurial Spirit
Marat's ordeal with the immigration process ignited an entrepreneurial fire within her. After eventually working at Cooley for three years and then transitioning to McKinsey as a management consultant, she couldn't shake the memory of her immigration struggles. This led her to think about why immigration legal services were often of poorer quality and how they could be improved.
Understanding the Legal Market
Marat discovered that immigration law is highly fragmented, with 10% of the market dominated by a single law firm while the remaining 90% is shared among over 20,000 firms. This fragmentation often results in inconsistent and inadequate legal services for individuals navigating the immigration process.
The Birth of Alma
Determined to address these issues, Marat set out to create a company that would develop software to help immigration attorneys deliver better services. After four to five months of selling this software to five immigration law firms, she and her team decided to provide immigration services directly. In October 2023, Alma was launched, co-founded by Marat along with other immigrants, including former Uber engineering manager Shuo Chen and former Step product manager Assel Tuleubayeva.
When Aizada Marat moved from New York to California in 2018 with her husband, KODIF co-founder and CEO Chyngyz Dzhumanazarov, she faced a grueling immigration experience that would ultimately inspire her to create Alma, an AI-powered legal tech startup. Marat's journey underscores the complexities of the immigration process and highlights the need for innovative solutions in legal services.
Aizada Marat's Journey
Born in Kyrgyzstan, Aizada Marat came to the United States at the age of 17 through the FLEX (Future Leaders Exchange) program sponsored by the U.S. State Department. After graduating from Harvard, she moved to London due to immigration issues. In 2018, Marat relocated to California when her husband was admitted to Stanford Business School, and she accepted a job offer at the prestigious law firm Cooley.
The Immigration Ordeal
Upon moving to California, Marat needed to sort out her immigration status. Through a Google search, she found an immigration lawyer in Palo Alto. Unfortunately, the lawyer provided incorrect advice on when she could file for work authorization, resulting in Marat being unable to work for over a year and unable to leave the country.
Impact on Career
The delay in work authorization had significant repercussions for Marat. Despite having a job offer from Cooley, she was unable to start working due to the visa complications. This experience was not only frustrating but also detrimental to her career progression.
Igniting the Entrepreneurial Spirit
Marat's ordeal with the immigration process ignited an entrepreneurial fire within her. After eventually working at Cooley for three years and then transitioning to McKinsey as a management consultant, she couldn't shake the memory of her immigration struggles. This led her to think about why immigration legal services were often of poorer quality and how they could be improved.
Understanding the Legal Market
Marat discovered that immigration law is highly fragmented, with 10% of the market dominated by a single law firm while the remaining 90% is shared among over 20,000 firms. This fragmentation often results in inconsistent and inadequate legal services for individuals navigating the immigration process.
The Birth of Alma
Determined to address these issues, Marat set out to create a company that would develop software to help immigration attorneys deliver better services. After four to five months of selling this software to five immigration law firms, she and her team decided to provide immigration services directly. In October 2023, Alma was launched, co-founded by Marat along with other immigrants, including former Uber engineering manager Shuo Chen and former Step product manager Assel Tuleubayeva.
Transcript
00:00Alma co-founder had such a bad immigration experience she founded a legal AI startup
00:04to fix it. When Izata Murrah moved from New York to California in 2018 with her husband,
00:09Khadif co-founder and CEO Chingiz Chuman Azarov, she faced a grueling immigration experience that
00:14would ultimately inspire her to create Alma, an AI-powered legal tech startup.
00:19Murrah's journey underscores the complexities of the immigration process and highlights the
00:23need for innovative solutions in legal services. To get all the updates. Please like. Share.
00:30Click on bell icon. Comment on the video. And subscribe the video.
00:36Izata Murrah's journey. Born in Kyrgyzstan, Izata Murrah came to the United States at
00:41the age of 17 through the FLEX, Future Leaders Exchange, program sponsored by the U.S. State
00:46Department. After graduating from Harvard, she moved to London due to immigration issues.
00:52In 2018, Murrah relocated to California when her husband was admitted to Stanford Business School,
00:58and she accepted a job offer at the prestigious law firm Cooley.
01:01The Immigration Ordeal. Upon moving to California, Murrah needed to sort out her immigration status.
01:08Through a Google search, she found an immigration lawyer in Palo Alto.
01:12Unfortunately, the lawyer provided incorrect advice on when she could file for work authorization,
01:17resulting in Murrah being unable to work for over a year and unable to leave the country.
01:22Impact on Career. The delay in work authorization had significant repercussions for Murrah.
01:28Despite having a job offer from Cooley, she was unable to start working due to the visa
01:32complications. This experience was not only frustrating but also detrimental to her career
01:37progression. Igniting the Entrepreneurial Spirit. Murrah's ordeal with the immigration process
01:43ignited an entrepreneurial fire within her. After eventually working at Cooley for three years and
01:48then transitioning to McKinsey as a management consultant, she couldn't shake the memory of her
01:52immigration struggles. This led her to think about why immigration legal services were often
01:57of poorer quality and how they could be improved. Understanding the Legal Market. Murrah discovered
02:03that immigration law is highly fragmented, with 10% of the market dominated by a single law firm
02:08while the remaining 90% is shared among over 20,000 firms. This fragmentation often results
02:14in inconsistent and inadequate legal services for individuals navigating the immigration process.
02:19The Birth of Alma. Determined to address these issues, Murrah set out to create a company that
02:24would develop software to help immigration attorneys deliver better services. After four
02:29to five months of selling this software to five immigration law firms, she and her team decided
02:34to provide immigration services directly. In October 2023, Alma was launched, co-founded by
02:40Murrah along with other immigrants, including former Uber engineering manager Shuo Chen and
02:44former STEP product manager Osel Tulubaeva. Alma's Mission and Services. Alma aims to Simplify the
02:51visa process for technologists, founders, and researchers by offering personal legal advisors,
02:56expediting document processing, and digitally organizing the entire process. Like other
03:02companies in this space, such as Migrun, Boundless, and Lawfully, Alma seeks to fast-track international
03:08talent into America's tech ecosystem. Leveraging AI and Technology. Alma sets itself apart by
03:14leveraging proprietary technology to provide high-quality services faster than its competitors.
03:19The startup employs its own immigration attorneys and uses AI to automate repetitive tasks,
03:24allowing lawyers to focus on creating effective strategies for their clients.
03:28High-Quality Immigration Services. Murrah believes that immigrants deserve high-quality
03:33services because so much depends on the immigration attorney they choose. By automating mundane tasks,
03:39Alma enables lawyers to provide better strategies and achieve higher approval rates for their
03:43clients' visa applications. Funding and Support. Alma has raised $5.1 million in combined seed and
03:50pre-seed funding, with backing from notable investors such as Bling Capital, Forerunner,
03:55Village Global, NFX, Conviction, MVP, NEA, and Silkroad Innovation Hub. This funding will
04:03primarily be used to hire new talent for product and technology development. Future Prospects.
04:08Looking ahead, Alma plans to continue developing its product and technology to further improve
04:13immigration services. The company's vision is to create a seamless and efficient immigration
04:18process that benefits both clients and attorneys. Alma's Impact on the Tech Ecosystem. By fast-tracking
04:25international talent into America's tech scene, Alma is contributing to the growth and innovation
04:29of the tech industry. The startup's efforts ensure that talented individuals from around the world
04:34can easily integrate into the U.S. tech ecosystem. Izata Mura's journey from a challenging immigration
04:40experience to founding Alma highlights the critical need for better immigration services.
04:44Alma's mission to simplify and improve the immigration process through AI and technology
04:49is a testament to the potential for innovation in legal services. As Alma continues to grow,
04:54it aims to make a lasting impact on the immigration landscape and support the
04:58integration of international talent into the tech industry.
05:04you