Co-founders Saad and Vivek are Harvard Masters in Design Engineering graduates who started Naya as their thesis. Naya is a platform that connects designers and fabricators to produce bespoke furniture. They aspire to change the way we design, create, and consume.
Naya is a platform for companies and individuals to bring custom furniture design ideas to life. Through their unique process, creator network, and software suite, they have completed hundreds of projects and have signed customers, including Google, Wayfair, and Herman Miller. Learn more about Naya via Fast Company.
ART+ Codesign from ArtLab at Harvard on Vimeo.
ART+ is a series that explores how interdisciplinary thinking that prioritizes art and creativity inspires experimental and innovative approaches to tackling complex challenges. ART+ is co-organized by ArtLab and Lemann Program on Creativity and Entrepreneurship (LPCE) student accelerator at the Bok Center for Teaching and Learning.
Each session concludes with an ideation session designed to prepare Harvard students to take the lead in solving global challenges by fostering art and entrepreneurial thinking.
VIVEK is a versatile engineer, designer and artist. Across his professional and academic work, Vivek believes in creating and empowering through design, engineering, and innovation. He previously created custom private jets as a senior engineer at Honeywell before working across a breadth of domains in healthcare, AI, finance and digital art. More recently he has been a part of founding teams at multiple startups where he worked on strategy, product, and UX. Vivek holds a undergraduate degree in Aerospace Engineering from IIT Madras and Masters in Design Engineering from Harvard University.
SAAD is a passionate designer, entrepreneur and strategist. He has worked on design challenges across scales: digital, product, architecture and city planning. Saad’s previous work experience spans five continents and includes starting a social impact company in Tanzania, earthquake engineering in Tajikistan, and real estate development in Canada. A lifelong learner, Saad holds a Master in Design Engineering from Harvard University, a Master of Environmental Design from the University of Calgary and undergraduate degrees in Business and Civil Engineering from Western University in Canada.
NICHOLAS MEDVESCEK (moderator) is a creative producer and consultant working across divergent disciplines to upend paradigms and inspire new connections. He has served as the co-director of the MIT Hacking Arts festival, a hackathon and convening at the intersection of technology, entrepreneurship, and the arts. He recently held the title of Director of Projects at A R E A Gallery in Boston, where he continues to serve as an advisor. His events and projects have been covered in Take Magazine, The Boston Globe, and The New Yorker.
Co-organized by Harvard ArtLab and Lemann Program on Creativity and Entrepreneurship, Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning. The ArtLab is committed to accessibility for all visitors. For anyone requiring accessibility accommodations, please email artlab@harvard.edu