MSI student Hamza Naveed among 50 selected nationwide for Google summit

Master of Science in Information student Hamza Naveed was one of 50 students from across the nation selected to attend Google’s 2025 Building for Everyone Summit, held April 10-11 in Sunnyvale, California. The summit brings together students and professionals who are focused on inclusive design and building equitable products. 

“I’ve always been passionate about co-designing with communities and, in many ways, Google represents the gold standard for this kind of work,” Naveed said. “To be invited into this space, alongside some of the most innovative minds in tech, is both an honor and a reminder of why I continue to push for solutions that are inclusive, accessible and impactful for all.”

Naveed, who will graduate from UMSI this spring, began his career designing technology for communities in Pakistan with low literacy and limited access to resources. He is the co-founder of an AI psychotherapy startup that aims to improve the way mental health professionals are trained. 

During the two-day summit, participants engaged in hands-on workshops, product demos and networking sessions with industry leaders. Naveed connected with professionals from Google’s Universal Product Development team, who flew in from around the world to share their expertise. Attendees also heard from speakers representing Spotify, the Association for Blind Athletes, and Instacart.

“One session that really stood out to me was a workshop on co-creating safe and trustworthy solutions for global youth,” Naveed said. “It was inspiring to explore how we can design solutions that genuinely make a difference for young people. 

“The highlight for me was the design challenge we worked on as a team — I was able to translate a lot of the concepts I’ve learned at UMSI into the work we did, making it an even more meaningful experience.”