2026 AAARI Innovators Fellowship

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The Asian American / Asian Research Institute is pleased to announce the latest round of the AAARI Innovators Fellowship, in collaboration with the Tech Incubator at Queens College (TIQC).

2026 Cohort

Abdur Rahman (Queens College)

Jun Lin Jiang (Baruch College)

Lhakpa Kanchhi Sherpa (Queens College)

Maitri Vathada (Queens College)

Ritika Deb (Queens College)

Shakil Nabil (Queens College)

Zarif Islam (Queens College)

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Team Projects

Project: FOCUS (Jun Lin Jiang)
FOCUS is a mobile app that helps students build consistent, sustainable study habits in a world full of digital distractions. Based on Jun Lin’s own struggle to stay focused while studying, the app tackles a problem he identified as systemic — students don’t lack motivation, they lack a structured system to reinforce good habits. Rather than solving just one piece of the puzzle like existing gamified timers or distraction blockers, FOCUS combines motivation and self-awareness in one experience: users earn points and build streaks through daily sessions, while a Distraction Shield blocks notifications during focus time.

A deep analytics engine — powered by an AI-driven Natural Behavior Analysis feature — tracks study patterns, distraction rates, and peak productivity windows, giving students personalized insights to improve over time. With a lean launch budget focused on validating the product with real students, the team’s long-term vision is to become the go-to platform for helping students study more efficiently and consistently, turning study time into lasting progress.

Project: EasyPeasy (Lhakpa K Sherpa, Ritika Deb & Abdur Rahman)
Easy Peasy is an AI conversation partner built specifically for South Asian immigrant women — especially homemakers — who face a steep confidence gap in speaking English. Unlike their spouses or children, who practice English daily at work or school, these women often lack safe, judgment-free spaces to build language skills, leaving them isolated during everyday moments like doctor visits, grocery shopping, and school meetings. The app pairs culturally relevant content like recipes and home cooking with a culturally intelligent AI companion offering real-time conversation practice, native-language support, and encouraging feedback.

Core features include hands-free practice while cooking, a personal vocabulary bank, and premium real-world scenarios like doctor visits and school meetings that turn conversation practice into real-life confidence. Launching first in Jackson Heights, Queens, the team’s mission is to give millions of South Asian immigrant women the voice and confidence to thrive in their new home.

Project: BLOOM (Zarif Islam, Shakil Nabil & Maitri Vathada)
BLOOM is a homework companion app that helps bilingual kids understand their English worksheets, one word at a time, by building on the language they already know at home. Roughly two out of three U.S. students are not reading at grade level, not because they dislike reading, but because unfamiliar words cause them to lose the thread of the story. BLOOM bridges the gap between a child’s home language and their English homework — kids snap a photo of a worksheet, tap any word they don’t know, and instantly get a kid-friendly definition plus a translation (like Chinese), all without ever leaving the page. Progress is gamified through a growing flower, rewarding effort rather than just correct answers.

The app also gives teachers a real-time dashboard showing which students are stuck on which words as they work — insight that existing tools like Google Translate, Duolingo, and Google Classroom can’t offer in the moment. Teachers can scan or upload worksheets directly via built-in OCR, customize assignments, and track class-wide performance and word trends. The team is seeking funding to pilot the platform across after-school and tutoring programs in Flushing, Queens.

Are you a CUNY student ready to make a difference in Asian American communities? The AAARI Innovators Fellowship is your opportunity to gain cutting-edge technology skills, develop leadership abilities, and create meaningful change. Join a dynamic cohort of fellows in a sixteen-week journey of growth, innovation, and impact.

What’s in it for You?

  • Leadership Development: Build the skills to lead and inspire.
  • Tech Mastery: Explore and apply technologies like AI and Data Analytics to solve real-world challenges.
  • Community Engagement: Create innovative solutions to challenges that Asian American communities are facing, while building bridges with key community stakeholders.
  • Mentorship: Learn from experts in tech, academia, and community leadership.
  • Stipends: Financial support to allow you to fully participate.

Program Highlights:

  • Immersive, skill-building workshops in cutting-edge technologies.
  • Collaborate on and execute a tech-based project that addresses a critical community need.
  • Showcase your achievements at a final event attended by leaders and innovators.

Eligibility: Fellowship is open to CUNY undergraduate and graduate students, interested in social impact. No prior experience required.

Key Dates:

  • Workshop: Human-Centered Design, Social Entrepreneurship & Community Problem-Solving (Two-Day Intensive)
    Open to the general public, students, founders, nonprofit leaders, creatives, technologists, and anyone interested in creating meaningful community impact

    • Fri, Feb 27 & Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 9am-5pm
      Queens College – RSVP: https://luma.com/f6l8gssh

      This two-day workshop is open to anyone who wants to learn how to design impactful solutions for real-world community challenges. A new cohort of AAARI Innovators Fellows will be selected from workshop participants to continue into the sixteen-week fellowship program (February–June). Selected fellows will work collaboratively on some of the most challenging and complex issues facing Asian American communities today, deepening their projects with mentorship, research, technology, and leadership development support.

      ​This workshop serves both as a standalone learning experience and as a gateway into the AAARI Innovators Fellowship for those ready to commit to sustained impact.

  • Vibe Coding + AI Tools for Rapid Prototyping (Online Workshop)
    Mon, March 31, 2026, 10am to 12:30pm – RSVP: https://forms.gle/X6Hf4ZRwEcw2C2Px8
The Tech Incubator at Queens College (TIQC) and AAARI Innovators Fellowship team are hosting a 2.5-hour online workshop to help students learn vibe coding and practical AI tools to build quick prototypes and turn ideas into something real. 
 
You should attend if you:
      • Have an idea you want to turn into a prototype (app, website, workflow, demo)
      • Want to learn how to build faster with AI, even if you’re not technical
      • Are interested in community-based innovation and real-world problem solving
This workshop, open to all CUNY students, is also a great way to connect with the AAARI Innovators Fellowship, which supports promising student innovators and community-based projects.

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