Does your worldview call you to connect with people across lines of difference? Do you love learning about how your colleagues and community members celebrate holidays and honor traditions? Are you serious about helping your workplace be more inclusive of workers and clients of all religious identities?
If your answer is yes and you are looking for support to create opportunities to engage religious diversity in American life, then we would love for you to join the Emerging Leaders Network. You can join by can by completing an 1.5 hour long free online training INTF 1101 Interfaith Foundations for Emerging Leaders and registering.
When people join our network, they:
- Gain access to a network of interfaith leaders who can help you navigate your own projects and career paths through programs such as our mentor program and Interfaith at Work;
- Receive exclusive access to grant opportunities, such as the Building Interfaith America Grants, and fellowship programs, such as the Sacred Journey Fellowship and the Interfaith Innovation Fellowship;
- Become the first to know about Emerging Leaders dinners, service events, and other activities that are happening in their city!
The network is made up of more than 2,000 diverse and engaging leaders who are doing inspiring work across the country and a variety of professional sectors.
Learn about our current Emerging Leaders:
Keryn Wouden
Like Keryn Wouden, who is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is a professional musician. Through her Interfaith Innovation Fellowship, she created an early childhood curriculum to teach children and their families. Most recently, she utilized a Building Interfaith America Grant to collaborate with LDS Student Associations at five different universities to engage fellow members of her faith in learning about interfaith cooperation.
Muzzammil Ahmadzada
Like Muzzammil Ahmadzada, who is Muslim and health professional. With the support of the Building Interfaith America Grant, Muzzammil was able to increase his organization’s capacity to provide spiritual care for religious minorities at hospital. His team of volunteers care for patients, families, and staff with the power of presence in the time of healing and comfort in uncomfortable situations.
Olivia Elder
Like Olivia Elder, who is Christian, a justice reform advocate who with the support of the Interfaith Innovation Fellowship launched Project 1:17, a community-based initiative based on the principles laid out in Isaiah 1:17 to seek justice and correct oppression. She recently collaborated with the Unitarian Universalist Associations on installing Narcan Vending Machines at several local churches to support community members facing the opioid crisis.
Matthew Segil
Like Matthew Segil, a Jewish math and science educator living in the Boston area. Matthew has engaged nearly 100 people with the Interfaith Shabbats that he hosts in his home where participants, from a range of religious traditions, engage in community building, rich conversation, song, and delicious meals.
Karla Mendez
Like Karla Mendez, who is Bahai and works at a social service agency based in Utah. With the support of a Building Interfaith America Grant, Karla has created programming for her colleagues around religious diversity. Salt Lake City, Utah accepts a great number of refugees from diverse faith traditions and practitioners are noticing an increase in religious diversity and seeking to increase their understanding.
Elaine Krebs
Like Elaine Krebs, who is Catholic and a scientist. She traveled to South Pole Station in Antarctica with the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, which is looking for tiny particles called neutrinos that hit Earth from distant cosmic events. She leveraged her experience to educate about Science and Faith through Interfaith America Magazine.
Shivam Gosai
Like Shivam Gosai, a mental health counselor specializing in trauma work and internal family systems. With the Racial Equity and Interfaith Cooperation Grant, he created a program for Hindu Indian American youths to discuss identity, race, and spirituality.
Casey Jones
Like Casey Jones during his IA’s Interfaith Innovation Fellowships transformed an unused section of a church property into a community garden, interfaith chapel, and classroom coordinating resources from his church (Episcopal), the local university, and Catholic, Methodist, Muslim, and Jewish community groups.
Lisa Doi
Like Lisa Doi during her Interfaith Innovation Fellowship and role as the president of the Japanese American Citizens League partnered with the Arab American Action Network to organize a “bridge-building pilgrimage” bringing together a group of Japanese American and Palestinian American high school students. All claimed Buddhist, Christian, and Muslim identities called the Chicago area home and traveled together through the south to learn about social justice at key sites.
Laura Bohorquez Duque
Like Laura Bohorquez Duque. With the support of IA’s Interfaith Leadership Fund, she teamed up with Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) Relief and the Glen Ellyn Food Pantry to host a Mobile Food Pantry that served food to 104 families with a total of 476 individuals from 29 different zip codes!
