Watch Sofia’s Featured Video Here!
Sofia Herrera, a proud alumna of the Santa Clara University School of Law (Class of 2021), has long been driven by a deep passion for law. Growing up in a small rural town in Minnesota with a population of just 900, Sofia reflects, “I’ve wanted to be a lawyer for as long as I can remember.”
In high school, she first explored this ambition through programs like Mock Trial, where she honed her legal skills and confirmed her interest in the field. While Sofia ultimately chose not to pursue litigation, her journey led her to a different passion: privacy and cybersecurity, an area where she has since found both professional success and personal fulfillment.
Recently, Sofia was honored with the prestigious Top Global CISO Award by Cyber Defense Magazine, recognizing her leadership in information security as Global Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at an international EV OEM, where she also served as Global Chief Privacy Officer (CPO). Building on her success in shaping privacy and security programs, Sofia founded Omnian Legal to help more companies implement cutting-edge, effective privacy and security solutions.
Reflecting on her CISO Award, Sofia shared that she feels honored because “it really validates all of the hard work and dedication that I put in, from theorizing different cybersecurity programs to implementing operation, policing, and scaling globally. It’s really validating that this works and that we can do it correctly and we can do it securely. So it’s really been an amazing journey.”
Sofia’s passion for technology and cybersecurity dates back to her undergraduate studies in finance, where she independently taught herself to code and took on various projects to deepen her technical expertise. When she was accepted into Santa Clara Law, Sofia dove headfirst into the High Tech Law Institute (HTLI), an experience she credits as pivotal to her professional success.
“When I speak with other attorneys who didn’t attend Santa Clara Law, they say, ‘wow, I wish we had that, is the HTLI and the experiential learning courses that students can take part in as a trio.’ It really lets you experience, experiment, and work either directly with clients or in real-world, or as close to real-world situations, as we can get. So, once we get out of law school, we already have those under our belt. We know how to do a DPIA assessment. We know how to do a one-pager or review contracts on a very basic level which I think puts SCU law school students way ahead of the game.”
Sofia’s time at Santa Clara Law was both challenging and rewarding. “I believe that the pressure I faced played a crucial role in propelling me forward, equipping me with the skills and mindset necessary for success.”
For both current students and her younger self, Sofia offers this valuable advice: “Stay connected to your support systems. During my first year, I became so consumed with midterms and finals that I lost touch with my friends and family. But maintaining those relationships and staying grounded made all the difference in my journey.” She also credits the Law Library, along with Professors Joondeph and Sohi, as indispensable resources that greatly contributed to her success at Santa Clara Law.
“When I just started out, I actually couldn’t afford textbooks. The law library provides textbooks for free to use while you’re here, so I was able to still get the reading done without having to drop out because I couldn’t afford textbooks. I think that was such a powerful tool.” she says. “ That’s also, in part, why I’m donating my books to the law library. For those who don’t have that extra cash to afford to buy additional books other than their textbooks.”
Along with her textbooks, Sofia is also donating copies of the book she recently authored, The Founder, The Candidate and The Biometric Gamble: A Privacy and Security Fable, a privacy and security fable set in the Silicon Valley. Available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, the book offers a detailed look into a fictional company and its protagonist as they pursue Series A funding, exploring not only the technical and legal challenges involved but also the interpersonal dynamics that arise along the way.
“I really drew on my own experiences. I’ve spoken to other colleagues as well to draw from their experiences, to create something as real and close to life as possible, because I think not too many people get to have a peek behind that veil of what it looks like to be in a startup.”
With nearly a decade of experience in venture capital, Sofia hopes her book will provide a fun and engaging way for readers to grasp complex concepts that are often presented in dry, repetitive, and difficult-to-digest formats.
“I saw a lot of the same thing being put out and published over and over again, and nothing really engaging unless you’re an expert. If you’re already in it and you love to read about the law and write, then of course those books are there, but nothing in a fable or a novel format that’s really engaging and teaches you as you learn. I want to evangelize and teach more people about privacy and security, because it’s something amorphous until you bring it down to earth and say, okay, this is what it actually looks like.”
Through her company and her writing, Sofia hopes to empower the next generation of legal professionals and business leaders to better understand and address the challenges of privacy and cybersecurity. Her journey is a testament to the power of combining passion with expertise to drive meaningful change in the tech world, and her story continues to inspire others to tackle the complexities of the digital age with confidence and innovation.