Sonia Houshmand

Sonia Houshmand is the founder of SmartApply, an educational technology company she established in 2022. After facing a U.S. visa rejection, she researched and wrote the book Educational Mental Roadmap to assist international students with applications, interviews, and educational planning, ultimately helping over 300 individuals. She later pursued and completed her MBA at Santa Clara University, where she joined the Women Entrepreneurship Club and participated in the Bronco Venture Accelerator program. There she developed two AI modules for SmartApply: a professor-student matchmaking tool and an AI interview coach. Her work earned her a women's entrepreneurship prize from PNC Bank and Bay FC, as well as awards from the Iranian Scholarship Foundation and other recognitions in San Francisco. Houshmand continues to focus on expanding the platform, which features a prototype at getsmartapply.com, to support students from application through visa processes.