We had the good fortune of connecting with Marifi Escobar and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marifi, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I had already been doing pro-bono advocacy work for children with disabilities for several years but I was limited in the amount of cases I could take because of logistics in getting to meetings all over the city. All of my cases were word of mouth, and I had not paid any attention to my social media or advertising.

With the shut-down in 2020 I realized it was a unique opportunity to expand my reach and to go nation-wide, as well as to significantly increase my caseload.

I hired an assistant, set up a Facebook page and registered The IEP Firm. Immediately the business took off and it has steadily grown since.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
At The IEP Firm we provide special education consulting services for parents of children with disabilities who are enrolled in public schools. I work closely with the families and the schools to ensure that the student’s Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) is developed appropriately to meet their unique needs.
I also provide advocacy training and coaching.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Breakfast Chilaquiles and French Toast are a must at CIelito Café, The Houston Zoo
Hermann Park
Lunches at Pico’s, Goode’s, or Lupe Tortilla
The Galleria
Dinner at Mia Bella, Houston’s or Bollo’s
Downtown’s tunnels and the Philharmonic

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Ana Esparza from Partners Resource Network was a driving force in my desire to learn all about special education laws and regulations, and to understand the power of parent participation in the process. After I had already gained experience advocating for my own son, Jackie Cross-Ecford was sent by the Heavens to mentor me into becoming an advocate rather than a “mom”vocate. She gave me more of the business sense of things. I am so very grateful for so many people along this journey, but these two extraordinary women really have helped shape my becoming a business woman.

Facebook: The IEP Firm

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