Drawing on her past experiences as an attorney and director at the US Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and the Asian American Justice Center, Deepa Iyer outlines a bunch of ways to turn your passion into action—while also offering guidance on tending to your mental health and avoiding burnout.

These days, we seem to be on a perpetual roller-coaster ride. The political events and social crises happening around the world feel as though we are barely able to get our bearings before the ground underneath us shifts again. Activist and author Deepa Iyer shares a roadmap for maintaining your own effectiveness and well-being on your social-change journey.

The rise of political figures like Kamala Harris and Usha Vance is leading Indian Americans to have robust conversations about the role of accountable representation in political leadership. (Prism, August 2024)

Deepa Iyer of the Building Movement Project stops by the podcast to share her unique way of visualizing social movements as entire ecosystems—with each person playing a distinct role in various movements and communities. (November 2023)

Aparna's deft guidance ushers listeners into captivating conversations with introverted luminaries like Christine Fonseca, Deepa Iyer, Elyse Myers, and even the master of late-night hilarity Seth Meyers. Their laughter is contagious, their stories are relatable, and their triumphs are downright inspiring. (September 2023)

In episode three, Tiffany is joined by author, Deepa Iyer. Deepa Iyer is a South Asian American writer, lawyer, strategist, facilitator, and activist. She is also the Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives and the host of “The Solidarity is this podcast”. Tiffany and Deepa talk about Deepa’s book “Social Change Now” and the roles that we play in the change ecosystem. (April 2023)

During our conversation, we’ll learn how Deepa has spent over two decades supporting social movements through policy advocacy, coalition building, and solidarity strategy. She’ll also share how her organization, Building Movement Project, catalyzes social change through research, relationships, and resources. (April 2023)

Deepa Iyer is a veteran of social change movements, dating back at least 20 years to post 9/11 hate crimes. In this interview we take it way back and trace the throughline of justice and belonging from Deepa’s childhood to today. We then present Deepa’s Social Change Map, offer some approaches to quenching burnout, and discuss guilt and shame as windows into deeper personal inquiry. (March 2023)

Everyone has a role to play in the fight for social change. But how can you find the role that best uses your strengths and meets the needs of the movement? Deepa Iyer discuss her new workbook, which maps out the social change ecosystem and how we can each find our place in the movement—including what to do if you realize you're in the wrong role, how these roles intersect with race and gender, and how identifying our role helps us avoid burnout. (March 2023)

This episode puts a spotlight on Iyer’s social change ecosystem framework, with an invitation to deepen our commitment, strengthen our focus, and elevate our interconnectedness as we collectively co-create a just and equitable world. (January 2023).

How is an activist heart born? How can we balance a sense of urgency and the need for patience and reflection? What is essential for a conversation and why should conversations be at the heart of transformation and justice? How can we work with hope as a strategy for social change? Deepa is in conversation with Pernilla Glaser, host of the Tender Transformations podcast, about solidarity.

Deepa is in conversation with Chris Hoff, host of the Radical Therapist podcast, about entry points for social change. (November, 2022)

Laura van Dernoot Lipsky talks with award-winning author, lawyer, and strategist Deepa Iyer. Deepa and the organization she works with, Building Movement Project, create building blocks for activist organizations to translate their desires to create change into concrete practices they can implement. (September 2022)

Deepa Iyer created the "Social Change Ecosystem Map" to identify the ten roles people play in helping to bring about social change. (February 2021)

On Funny Or Die and Blavity Inc.’s “Call & Response”, Deepa Iyer discusses ways we can all disrupt social systems beyond protesting. (June 2020)

Article written by Deepa Iyer for The Lily (January 2021)

A conversation between Erin Segal, Thick Press, and Deepa Iyer (October 2021)