Sophie Alcorn

Every challenge is an opportunity. If a law cannot be overcome, let’s change the law! I helped draft the LIKE Act, which passed the House in the COMPETES Act and would create a U.S. startup visa. I’ve also been instrumental behind the scenes in shaping high-skilled immigration regulation and policy to create new opportunities for founders from around the world.

How did I get hooked on immigration? At the tender age of 15 years, during my first summer job at my dad’s law office, I helped free a Cuban man from indefinite detention in an immigration jail. I wrote a legal brief that summer that my dad argued in federal court. We succeeded and our client was freed after years of never knowing if he would see the light of day again. For me, there was no going back.

I’m also drawn to immigration because I’ve always loved meeting people from around the world, learning new languages, traveling, and having cultural immersion experiences. My mom is an immigrant from Germany, and growing up in Southern California, I spent years living and studying in Germany, Italy, Russia, and Spain.

I’m proud that thousands of people have thanked me for supporting them in successfully navigating our U.S. immigration system. To help people live their dreams, I host the Sophie Alcorn Podcast and have written hundreds of TechCrunch Ask Sophie™ columns. On a weekly basis I talk about the latest information on immigration to empower motivated professionals to take charge of their immigration path.

As an expert on U.S. immigration, I’ve been quoted in publications around the globe such as The New York Times, NBC News, The Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, NPR Marketplace, and more. I’ve also been invited to speak about immigration at numerous global conferences, including TechCrunch Disrupt, the Bar Association of San Francisco, Stanford University, and more. My bestselling book, Ask Sophie: The Founders’ Guide to Visas and Green Cards, is a choose-your-own-adventure for founders interested in living and working in the U.S.

As a Board Certified Specialist in United States Immigration and Nationality Law by the State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization, I am one of only a handful of immigration attorneys in Silicon Valley with this designation.  My dad was also a Certified Specialist, and I’m proud to have volunteered to support the State Bar of California to write the examination for the certification of new immigration law specialists.

Ich spreche Deutsch. Я изучала русский язык. Ho studiato italiano. Ég lærði fornnorrænu. Y hablo un poco de español.

I love being a founder and solving immigration for the world. You can also find me meditating, taking care of my kids, and traveling the globe.