AI platform that connects talent with local opportunities.

Immigrant and refugee support

County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit)

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

Millions of people dream of studying, working, or building a better life abroad—but the path is complex, expensive, and often inaccessible, especially for underrepresented and underserved communities. Immigration systems are fragmented, with information difficult to understand without taking into account the current political space. Many give up or fall victim to scams. 
In LA, a globally connected county, countless talented individuals face systemic barriers to legal immigration due to lack of guidance, legal knowledge, or financial resources. This issue limits both individual potential and future community impact. We want to democratize access to local opportunities within the county and ensure no one is left behind.

This grant will support the development and local implementation of Heyud. With this grant, we will focus on three core activities: 
launching a localized pilot to first serve LA-based users with targeted outreach in immigrant, first-gen, and low-income communities.
building partnerships with community orgs, legal aid networks, and educational institutions to provide relevant support and excel it with our AI tool
enhancing our AI matching and guidance tools to better reflect the real needs of LA’s diverse population. 
Heyud is unique because it's holistic and user-first approach—combining advanced technology with expert knowledge in personalized, step-by-step immigration guidance that’s usually only accessible through expensive lawyers or agencies.
We want to democratize the access to immigration legal access by simplifying the process and making expert insights widely available, we help individuals take confident, informed steps toward international education, work, and life-changing opportunity.

By October 2026, thousands of LA County residents—especially immigrants, international students, first-gen, and low-income individuals—will have used Heyud to access local education, career, and business pathways that unlock their full potential. In the short term, we’ll guide users toward meaningful, community-rooted opportunities to dream, learn, live, create, play, and connect. Long term, we envision LA as a global model for how AI can uplift—not replace—human ambition. Heyud will position LA at the forefront of a new era: one where technology expands access, fuels creativity, and deepens connection. We aim to dismiss the fear that AI will take our jobs and instead prove that it can amplify purpose, equity, and possibility—making LA a place where talent is nurtured, dreams are scalable, and everyone has a path to thrive.