The Immigrant Emerging Leadership Program (IELP) is a 10-week fellowship by Parivar Bay Area designed for newly arriving and existing immigrants and asylees especially transgender, gender-diverse, and LGBTQIA+ leaders seeking to build meaningful livelihoods and belonging in California. Through English and Spanish cohort tracks, fellows gain essential leadership, employment readiness, and advocacy skills across five key areas: self-awareness, resilient career management, job search and creation, workplace readiness, and community leadership. Participants receive hands-on training in resume writing, AI-based job search, networking, public speaking, and financial literacy while deepening their understanding of community humility and immigrant justice. Fellows dedicate about eight hours weekly to individual and group learning, culminating in a $1,500 stipend upon successful completion. IELP empowers immigrant and asylee leaders to thrive in advocacy, nonprofit, government, and business sectors strengthening California’s inclusive future, one story at a time. 

Over 200 graduates, most now thriving in jobs they once only dreamed of. Since its launch in 2022, Parivar Bay Area’s Immigrant Emerging Leadership Program (IELP) has become a cornerstone for uplifting transgender, queer, and gender-diverse immigrants and asylees from the Global South. This 10-week bilingual fellowship offered in English and Spanish tracks builds leadership, workplace readiness, and civic engagement among newly arriving and existing immigrants in California. In just three years, IELP has received over 600 applications, graduating more than 200 fellows, and supporting many who are now employed, civically engaged, and leading in their communities. This year alone, we received a record-breaking 200+ applications and were able to welcome 90 fellows, while over 100 qualified applicants await their turn.

As California’s only program of its kind, IELP continues to grow into a vibrant ecosystem of mentorship, empowerment, and belonging rooted in the strength, heritage, and cultural pride of South Asian and Global South trans and queer communities.