AAARI Innovation Workshop
Human-Centered Design, Social Entrepreneurship & Community Problem-Solving
Feb 27 - 28, 2026
A 2-day in-person workshop + 1 day virtual session on applying creativity, critical thinking and human-centered design.
In the World of AI, are you focusing on being more Human!
Critical Thinking, Creativity and Empathy sets us apart from predictive transformers. This workshop brings a human-centered perspective to help you build your MILLION DOLLAR IDEA into reality while solving problems for your community.
Program Date: Feb 27 and 28, 2026 - 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Venue: 65-30 Kissena Blvd. CEP Hall 2, Queens, NY 11367
Why you should attend!
One of the best workshops I have ever attended in last 25 years..
- Erem Latif (Savannah Incubation Program)
I came for a business and startup workshop, ended up with Skills for life and new friends.
- Thomas Malo (Wharton Business School)
Post Program Venture Development Support
Access to online community
Mentorship and Pitch Creation Support
Digital Certificate and Badge for LinkedIn
Featured in
Program Structure
The entire workshop is delivered using Experiential Learning Pedagogy, which means as participants you will be engaging in hands-on activities rather than learning only theories. Get a chance to specifically work on your respective project ideas (if any) or pick a problem statement under the context of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
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9 - 9.30 am Breakfast and Registration
9.30 - 10 am Introductions to the Human centered design concept and setting the culture
10 - noon Problem identification using human centered design approach
12- 1 pm Lunch
1 - 2 pm Primary market research using Empathy
2 - 3 pm Secondary market research
3 - 4 pm Defining the Entrepreneurial Opportunity in response to your chosen “World Problem”
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9 - 9.30 am Breakfast and Recap from Day 1
9.30 - 1030 am Ideation and Refinement
1030 - noon Idea development and Prototyping
12- 1 pm Lunch
1 - 2 pm Pitch preparation using Storytelling
2 - 3.30 pm Final pitches
3.30 - 4.00 pm Certificates, Awards and Next steps
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This is an add-on session on VIBE coding and learning how to use AI based tools for prototyping.
But, wait - What are the
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals i.e. UN SDGS?
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
Who Is This For
Open to everyone in NYC. From professionals to students, from entrepreneurs to executives , Preference will be given to Students from CUNY’s Queen College colleges.
Top skills you acquire
Complex Problem Understanding and Breakdown
Cause and Effect Analysis
Idea to Prototyping
Stakeholder Mapping and Market Research
Human Centered Design
Creative Problem Solving
Check out this cool video on Design Thinking
Flaunt your skills with a Digital Certificate on LinkedIn
Upon completing our program, Ycenter will provide participants with a verified certificate that can be showcased as a LinkedIn badge, highlighting your achievement and new skills. This badge not only enhances your professional profile but also signals to potential employers that you've gained valuable, hands-on experience in innovation, sustainability, design thinking and entrepreneurship.
Meet the Facilitation Partners
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Dhairya Pujara
Founder, CEO at Ycenter
Started his first company at the age of 19, Dhairya has always been about using technology for humanitarian impact. He is Biomedical Engineer and has experience of living in 3 different countries across 3 different continents.
He has been a global public speaker with invitations from the United Nations, World Bank, World Economic Forum, Social Enterprise World Forum, SXSW, TEDx and top universities and organizations in 15+ countries across 4 continents. His work has been featured in magazines like Entrepreneur, INC, nominated for Forbes 30 under 30 and several other media publications like BBC radio, Huffington post, Philadelphia Business journal to name a few. He has received a visa reserved for individuals of extraordinary abilities from the US immigration services.
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Ying Zhou
Executive Director TIQC
Driving AI adoption and digital transformation for small businesses and startups. Ying advises and mentors founders, entrepreneurs, and students on leveraging emerging technologies to fuel innovation, growth, and operational excellence. Passionate about building adaptive, future-ready ecosystems through cross-sector collaboration, human-centered design, and creativity-powered community engagement.
Partners for the Program
Tech Incubator at Queens College, New York City
TIQC aims to help startup companies and entrepreneurs to build successful technology-enabled companies, which in turn creates more job opportunities and drives innovation and technology development in New York. With the advanced computational infrastructure and the CUNY community advantages, TIQC provides an outstanding environment for companies to turn innovative ideas into businesses and success. We share entrepreneurial tech resources that TIQC has created and/or curated. From workshops to paid internships, we try to generate valuable, actionable content for the hyper-local Queens community and beyond.
Asian American / Asian Research Institute (AAARI)
The Asian American / Asian Research Institute (AAARI) was established on November 19, 2001, by The City University of New York (CUNY) Board of Trustees, in a resolution introduced by Chancellor Matthew Goldstein. The Institute is a university-wide scholarly research and resource center that focuses on policies and issues that affect Asians and Asian Americans. It covers four areas: Asian American Studies; East Asian Studies; South Asian Studies; and Trade & Technology Studies.
