SABEResPODER

SABEResPODER™ (SEP) provides educational solutions for Spanish-dominant Latinos in the U.S. -- and media solutions for advertisers looking to reach them.

Problem: Over 9 million individuals annually go through the U.S. based waiting rooms of the Mexican and El Salvadoran consulates for items like Passports and Identification Cards.

These individuals are looking to establish themselves in the U.S., but are unable to find in-language resources explaining how to access many of the most needed goods & services.

Solution: SEP is a venture-backed Spanish language multimedia company. It's created a network of digital media flat screen TVs in all high-traffic and U.S.-based Mexican & El Salvador Consulates. It's endorsed by foreign governments for this exclusive distribution.

It also runs a network of representatives in locations distributing physical promotional material, while collecting survey data & cell phone opt-ins.

By offering consumers a centralized repository of Spanish-language resources on topics such as financial literacy, healthcare, healthy living, and education, it's been able to build a large Hispanic audience for advertisers to target. In fact, it's become the leading out-of-home digital media and mobile technology company for Spanish-speaking consumers in the U.S.

SEP sells traditional out-of-home digital advertisements, as well as “turn-key” Hispanic research services, including consulting, translation, survey deployment and analysis. (It's been recognized by Nielsen, the global information and measurement company, as the strongest engagement platform it uses for gathering market research data from U.S. Spanish speaking consumers.)

With advertisers including Ford, Best Buy and American Airlines, its 2014 revenues were $2.7 million, up from $1.6 million in 2013.

Team Background

Emilio Diez Barroso - Board Member

The Azcarraga family founded Televisa (NYSE: TV) and Univision, the two largest Spanish language media companies in the world.

Boris Droutman - Chief Technology Officer

10th hire at Netflix. Former VP of Technology at Lowermybills.com. Former CTO of ShoeDazzle.

Bryan Corey - COO

Founder of DecisionSky. Former Investment Banker at Goldman Sachs and The Blackstone Group.

Raul Lomeli - Co-Founder & Chairman

Prior to SEP, Lomeli worked at Wells Fargo, first as a Latino Market Manager, then as Director of Diverse Growth Segments.

Previously, he served as President at the Latino Education Achievement Project (LEAP), a non-profit teaching financial literacy for Latino immigrants. Since 1992, Raul has been actively involved in PROFMEX, a 501(c)(3) non-profit research organization. He has been a member of the Executive Board since 1998, and has co-authored research documents for Mexico’s Ministry of Social Development and the Ministry of Finance, respectively.

He is the co-author of a book on financial aid for higher education, and lead author of 17 booklets on basic banking services, the U.S. Health Care System.

Raul was recognized in 2007 by the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce with the National Corporate Advocate of the Year Award; in 2009 with the San Antonio Business Journal 40under40 List; and by MALDEF with its Corporate Responsibility Award in 2011. Raul graduated from University of California – Los Angeles in 1997.

Amir Hemmat - Founder & CEO

Throughout his career, Amir Hemmat has focused on being a community advocate—especially in the areas of healthcare and the environment, and issues facing the Latino community.

Since 2009, Amir has been Chairman of DecisionSky, a recruitment decision advisory firm.

He was former VP Government Affairs, for the CCA of Los Angeles. He earned a Masters in Public Health from USC.

Co-Investors

BAM Ventures

Venture fund founded by Brian Lee, founder of LegalZoom, ShoeDazzle, and The Honest Company. Investments include The Honest Company, Managed by Q, and Boxed.

NALA Investments

NALA Investments was founded by Emilio Diez Barroso as a holding company to identify and manage investments for the Diez Barroso Azcarraga family. The Azcarraga family founded Televisa (NYSE: TV) and Univision, the two largest Spanish language media companies in the world. In addition to its media and entertainment business ventures in Latin America, NALA also has investments in the U.S., including Summit Entertainment, the studio behind the highly successful film series THE TWILIGHT SAGA.

Emma Bloomberg

Eldest daughter of former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Jeb Bush, Jr.

Son of Jeb Bush, Sr., former Governor of Florida.