Bringing Alumni Together to Celebrate 10 Years

As part of The Hive’s 10th anniversary year, we hosted our first official Hive Bay Area Mixer in January! Alumni, current students, and friends of the Hive gathered to connect and share insights on the role of Human-Centered Design (HCD) in their career journeys. 

Hosted at the SAP Innovation Center in San Francisco by Hive director Fred Leichter and alum Jay Renaker (Scripps ’25, currently working at SAP), the gathering welcomed more than 20 attendees, including a handful of current students eager to learn from alumni working across the creative economy.

Several alumni shared how Hive coursework translated directly into their careers. Vidusshi Hingad (Pomona ’25) reflected on her work in an Advanced HCD course partnered with biotech startup, Edulis, which led directly to a role on the team after graduation. Jenny Cang (CMC ’17) shared an inspiring story about applying human-centered design principles to issues arising from mergers and acquisitions at Deloitte, while current student Mira Shah (Pitzer ’27) offered a perspective from today’s classroom.

“This was probably the best networking event I’ve ever been to,” Mira shared. “It didn’t feel transactional, it felt authentic and genuinely human. Seeing alumni doing such different and exciting work made the possibilities after graduation feel real.”

Through connecting alumni and current students, we illuminate clearer pathways between our HCD classes and design innovation careers. 

On April 25, the Hive will be hosting a 10 Year Celebration open to the entire Hive community! Please join us in celebrating our evolution from a whisper of an idea to a dynamic Human-Centered Design center and makerspace, creating changemakers. If you’re an alum and would like to be involved, contact us to find out how.

by Salina Muñoz