Ivan Alikhanov was born in Moscow, Russia. At the age of 14, he immigrated to the United States. Becoming an immigrant as a teenager shaped Ivan's view of the world. Learning English opened his eyes to many different cultures and, in turn, motivated him to study immigration law to advocate for himself and other immigrants. Being an immigrant has also driven Ivan to pursue his education.

Ivan has firsthand experience with some of the challenges and hardships faced by first-generation immigrants. This experience has inspired him to continue his education in order to better serve immigrant communities in need. Currently, he is working towards completing his Associate's Degree at the College of Marin. Ivan aspires to attend law school, with the hope of becoming an immigration attorney who provides accessible and equitable legal services.

For the DreamSF Fellowship, Ivan has been placed at Immigrants Rising to help provide legal information to immigrants across the country. He will be assisting the Immigrants Rising Legal team while also being a part of the DreamSF team.

In his free time, Ivan enjoys playing volleyball, the piano, and spending time with his friends