2026 QTBIPOC Design Fellowship Program
Weโre excited to welcome our next cohort of applicants for our nine-month fellowship program for early to mid-career QTBIPOC designers.
The fellowship will empower designers to transform their careers, uplevel their skills, and elevate their impact on their communities and the design industry.
Applications close June 30, 2026 (11:59 PT)
Background
By 2045, people of color will be the majority, including the majority of future employees. Our rising diversity is a tremendous asset to innovation and to market growth, as the buying power of customers of color has grown twice as fast as that of the United States overall in the past 20 years.
In a survey conducted by AIGA, one of our largest professional design organizations, LGBTQ+ designers make on average, half that of their non-LGBTQ+ counterparts when it came to salary. Despite this lack in salary equity, digital design and UX design is one of the biggest growth industries in technology, with Nielson Norman Group predicting that by 2050, there will be over 100M UX professionals globally.
Why now?
After running our UX Bootcamp program for the past four years, we saw a major need for our communities in the design industry.
Between COVID, tech layoffs, and rolling back of DEI commitments, marginalized groups have been disproportionately affected by the mass layoffs, despite being underrepresented in the market.
Our program seeks to empower our community of early to mid-career QTBIPOC designers with the skillsets and community to thrive in the creative industry. Our leadership development aims to uplift QTBIPOC Designers towards the next stage of their careers and further ground their positions in the creative industry.
Our Fellowship Curriculum
Through the course of nine months, design fellows will go through a monthly day-long curriculum covering a variety of subjects and skills.
Class | Date | Topic | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Introductions & Kickoff | Weโll get to know one another and introduce our teachers and fellows. We'll also go over fellowship curriculum expectations and rules of conduct. | |
2 | Personal Branding | Fellows will receive coaching on their resumes, online and social media presence, and websites. We'll also introduce personal coaching sessions to the fellows. | |
3 | Enhanced Leadership | Weโll help fellows develop vital soft skills like people management and navigating conflict with empathy; as well as design op skills for growing creative teams. | |
4 | Dollars and Sense | Weโll provide professional guidance on financial planning, maximizing benefits, and navigating compensation and promotions. | |
5 | Community Engagement | Weโll cover community activism and how to get involved with mission-driven organizations and nonprofit boards. | |
6 | Smart Networking | Weโll share tactical strategies on how to expanding your network and branch out towards your next career milestone. | |
7 | AI & the New Frontier | Weโll take a close look at fast-developing technologies with an eye on AI, reponsible tech, and digital privacy. | |
8 | Entrepreneurship | Weโll cover the exciting topic of starting your own organizations and projects and the transition from corporate life to entrepreneurship. | |
9 | Graduation | Weโll reflect on the hard work weโve done and consider where we want to go in the future. |
| Time (ET) | Time | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| โ | Opening Announcements | |
| โ 1 | Warmup | |
| โ | Instructor Talk #1 | |
| 2:00 โ 2:30 | Instructor Q&A #1 | |
| 2:30 โ 3: | Break | |
| โ 3 | Transition / Prep | |
| โ | Talk #2 / Workshop | |
| โ 4 | Q&A #2 / Workshop | |
| โ 5 | Closing Announcements |
2026 Dates
- June 2: Applications Open
- June 30: Applications Close
- July: Application Review
- August & September: Acceptances sent out
- October 2026 โ June 2027: 2026 Design Fellowship!
Who is this for?
- Folx who identify as both LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer) and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, or person of color)
- Early to mid-career design professionals with 3-7+ years of professional experience (mid-level, senior, and design managers)
- Design roles (digital designers, ux designers, product designers, visual designers, design managers, and any other roles that are driving creative work at organizations)
- In-person in New York City: our main programming is based in New York City (Manhattan & Brooklyn)
- Remote outside of New York City: we will accommodate a few select folx outside of NYC with remote option
Program Overview
- 9-month fellowship program: 9 classes meeting once a month from 12-5p ET on Saturdays
- Core instructors: day-to-day communication and programming
- Guest instructors: visiting guest speakers for each class
- Partner-pair model: fellows will be matched to another fellow as they progress through the program
- Leadership coaching: fellows will have access to two personal coaching sessions to leverage throughout the program
- $350 deposit upon completion of the program (due upon acceptance)
Personal Leadership Coach
In addition to programming, fellows will be provided personal coaching sessions to supplement their fellowship program with an executive design coach. Our previous fellows have found this to be a major addition to the curriculum to work through career questions & challenges in a 1:1 setting.
Previous Fellows
Core Fellowship Team
Steven Wakabayashi
he/him
Steven Wakabayashi (he/him) is a creative director, changemaker, and founder of mission-driven organizations empowering historically marginalized communities within design, tech, and mindfulness industries. After leading creative teams at many notable brands and agencies including Apple, Google, Walmart, Huge, and Razorfish, he is now creating pathways for queer BIPOC creatives into the design industry through QTBIPOC Design.
Magz Karaya
they/them
Maggie is a UX Designer who enjoys building end-to-end digital experiences, and help foster design communities. They try to show up from a place of openness and playfulness - which applies to almost every aspect of their life. Itโs important for them to pay it forward by being a mentor and educator in the design community, especially for those those less represented within our industry.
Jamie Chow
She/They/๐ง๐ปโโ๏ธ
Jamie is Product Design Lead passionate about accessibility and creating a psychologically safe space for marginalized designers, researchers, and empathy-driven world delight'ers within our QTBIPOC community. Together, let's empower and lift each other up โ so we can all live our most authentic best lives!
Nikita Washington
she/her
Nikita Washington is a UX Designer with five years of experience crafting intuitive, impactful digital experiences. Her career has spanned industries including financial services, technology, media, and education, with a versatile and adaptable approach to problem-solving. From leading large-scale projects to collaborating cross-functionally, Nikita bridge the gap between user needs and business objectives to create seamless, human-centered solutions.
Guest Instructors
Phim Her
she/her
Founder, HAWJ Studio
Phim Her is the founder of HAWJ Studio, a multidisciplinary design, strategy and coaching studio. She serves on the board of advisors for two nonprofits: Design Impact and New Endeavors by Women.
George Aye
he/him
Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director, Greater Good Studio
George co-founded Greater Good Studio in 2011, to use design to heal, be just, and be restorative. He guides clients and teams through complex, impactful projects and teaches as an adjunct lecturer at Northwestern University, having previously served as a Professor at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Tony Glorioso
he/him
Head of Product Design, CLEAR
Tony Glorioso is an accomplished product design leader, currently serving as Head of Product Design at CLEAR and Spotnana. He has held executive roles at Latch, Critical Mass, and Hero Digital, demonstrating a strong commitment to innovative design and industry leadership.
Maurice Cherry
he/him
Branding, Content, and Design Strategy | Award-Winning Creative Director, Podcaster, Voice Over Artist
Mauriceโs background in tech, design, media, publishing, and entrepreneurship allows him to effortlessly manage successful and efficient teams. With projects like his podcast, Revision Path, Maurice spotlights advocacy in almost everything he does.
Susan Liao
she/her
Founder, Startups for All & Leaders Like Us
Susan Liao is a global facili-coach and social impact strategist, the Founder of Startups for All and Leaders Like Us, and the Founding Co-Creator of the Reimagining Unconference.
Ashleigh Axios
she/her
Business Executive & Civic Innovation Leader; Public-Sector & Societal Impact Strategist
Ashleigh is an international speaker, strategic creative, and an advocate for designโs ability to break barriers and create positive social change. She previously served as the Creative Director and Digital Strategist in the Obama White House.
Patrizia Bertini
she/her
Design Operations Strategy at 8x8 & Head of Experience Design Operations at TrueLayer
Patrizia (she/her) is the Head of User Experience Operations at Truelayer where she is responsible for both research and design operations. She has developed her approach to Design and DesignOps over 20+ years of international experience in usability, accessibility, web design, design management and user research.
Chris Sanchez
he/him
Founder, Emergent Line
Christopher is an internationally recognized technologist and business leader whose work has been featured in WIRED, Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, Business Insider, MIT Sloan, and numerous other publications. He is a Senior Advisor to G20 Governments, top academic institutions, institutional investors, startups, and Fortune 500 companies on AI, emerging technologies, business, and strategy.
Sally Chung
she/her
Founder of Designpreneurs & Interaction Design Professor at The Parsons School of Design
Sally Chung is a designer, start-up builder, and advisor based in New York. Most recently, Sally was the venture lead of experience design at BCG.X, the tech design and build unit of the Boston Consulting Group. At BCG, Sally launched 12 new digital businesses across industries spanning healthcare, insurance, energy, and consumer goods. Previously, Sally co-founded HelloAva, an AI-powered beauty platform, and created Saks Fifth Avenueโs first mobile and social experiences as a founding member of the digital team.
ONCH
he/him
Artist and Jewelry Designer
ONCH is a Los Angeles-based visionary artist whose brand specializes in creating exquisite wearable art that transcends conventional fashion. His pieces, which have been featured in esteemed publications such as Vogue, Vanity Fair, and Harpers Bazaar and showcased in eminent cultural institutions like the MET Museum, are known for their imaginative flair and meticulous craftsmanship. His creations are not just accessories but statements of individuality and fearless creativity.
Info Session Recording
How do I apply?
When you apply to the design fellowship, you'll be taken to a Typeform survey to submit your answers. Some reminders:
- Applicants must identify as both LGBTQ+ and BIPOC
- Please take your time to answer the questions. Typeform will automatically save your responses in the instance you want to come back to your questions
- Applications close June 30, 2026 at 11:59pm PT
- Applicants will be notified they were selected for interview upon review of application
How do I support?
We are looking for sponsors for our UX fellowship:
- For individual donors, please consider donating to our org
- For businesses, please contact us or email us: [email protected] for sponsorship details
- If youโd like to volunteer with QTBIPOC Design, please contact us or email us: [email protected]
Your contribution helps to ensure we keep this amazing program running for our fellows! Thank you in advance!
FAQs
For any additional questions, contact us or email us at [email protected].
qtbipoc design
20 Pine St. Suite 2312
New York, NY 10005
[email protected]
Registered 501(c)(3) organization โข EIN: 127890
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ยฉ 2025 QTBIPOC Design