THE CO-FOUNDERS
Vanessa Frank
Born and raised in California, Vanessa earned her bachelor’s and law degrees from Stanford University. In 2009, Vanessa opened her own law firm providing high-quality legal services to immigrant families on the Central Coast. Having co-founded Swap Met Justice in 2018, in 2025 she established MARIPOSA to engage new advocates and activists in the work of securing justice and humane immigration policies.
Michelle Carballo Agustin
Oxnard, CA native, Michelle Carballo Agustin was raised in a mixed-status home where she developed a passion for advocating for her community. In an effort to understand the systems that created her family’s circumstances, she earned her BA in Chicana/o Studies from California State University, Northridge and her MA in Latin American Studies from Cal State Los Angeles.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ivan Vega
President
Ivan Vega was born in Tlaxcala, Mexico, and raised in Oxnard, CA. He graduated from Hueneme High School and attended Ventura College before transferring to UC Santa Cruz, where he earned a double major in Sociology and Latin American & Latino Studies in 2021.
During his undergraduate years, Ivan was deeply involved in advocacy, organizing with nonprofit and student-led organizations to support immigrant rights, expand access to higher education for undocumented students, and promote youth civic engagement.
After graduating, he served as the Ventura County Coordinator for the 805UndocuFund and participated in the California Department of Public Health’s Pathways Fellowship. Today, Ivan continues his commitment to community as the Policy and Health Equity Manager for Future Leaders of America.
Cynthia Spensieri
Treasurer
Cynthia Spensieri is a Certified Public Accountant with more than 15 years of experience spanning public accounting, private industry, and government finance. Throughout her career, she has worked with businesses across a range of industries across a diverse range of industries, with particular experience serving clients in the beauty, retail, manufacturing, distribution, construction, agriculture, technology, financial services, and nonprofit sectors.
Cynthia earned a Bachelor of Science and Probability and Statistics from the University of California, San Diego and later completed a Certificate in Accounting from UCLA Extension. She is a certified Public Accountant licensedin the State of California and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Taxation to further expand her expertise in tax planning and advisory services.
Maricela Morales
Secretary
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Kraig Rice
Board Member
Kraig Rice is the principal of Santa Barbara Immigration Lawyers Inc. and a California State Bar Certified Specialist in Immigration and Nationality Law. He manages a nationwide immigration practice, teaches Immigration Law at The Colleges of Law in Santa Barbara and Ventura, and advises attorneys on immigration issues intersecting with criminal, family, and other areas of law. A frequent presenter and active member of several legal associations, Kraig serves clients across the United States and internationally on family and business immigration matters.
He holds a B.A. in Russian History from the University of Chicago and a J.D. from the Santa Barbara College of Law. Fluent in Russian, he previously worked with U.S. embassies in Eastern Europe on educational and cultural programs. Kraig also volunteers as a mock trial coach and mentors local students on immigration issues.
