Laney College successfully hosted its first-ever AI Futures Hackathon on June 7–8, 2025. The event brought together 29 teams of high school, college students, and community participants for a weekend of innovation, creativity, and problem-solving using artificial intelligence (AI). The competition challenged participants to apply AI to real-world challenges, with many teams focusing on advancing healthcare.
Participants pushed the boundaries of what's possible with AI, demonstrating incredible ingenuity and laying the groundwork for future advancements. This vibrant hub of AI innovation saw diverse participants develop cutting-edge solutions for critical areas like healthcare, proving that the future of AI is bright and inclusive. Throughout the weekend, participants worked alongside dedicated mentors and industry leaders who provided invaluable technical guidance and encouragement.
This event was made possible through the Bay Area AI Center of Excellence and the collaborative sponsorship of Laney College, Mission College, Intel, Jobs For The Future (JFF), Kapor Center, the Oakland Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce and the Peralta Colleges Foundation. Their collective support helped amplify local talent and demonstrated the power of community-driven innovation.
The success of the hackathon was further elevated by a distinguished judging panel that included:
Panel of Judges: Tomiko Oskotsky, MD & AI Researcher, UCSF; Michael Harrison, Program Director, Intel; Brian Gonzalez, Executive in Residence, JFF; Steven Imes IV, Founder of Milque Strategy Group, Active Angel Investor and Startup Advisor
1st Place: Form Fix — $5,000 Grand PrizeFirst place winners, Thomas Leonard and Andrei Pokotylo, proudly hold their $5,000 grand prize.
2nd Place: Lexify by Nikhil Prabhu and Neel Sharma
Lexify, an AI-powered assistant that helps renters — especially in underserved communities — understand and navigate their lease agreements. By scanning documents and using a fine-tuned legal language model, Lease Lens detects unfair clauses, translates legal jargon into plain language, and generates formal letters for disputes or requests. With privacy-first local processing and a mobile-friendly interface, it empowers users to take informed action on their housing rights.
3rd Place: Munchify
The third-place team — Taj Singh, Arnav Gupta, and Alejandro Estrella
Two additional teams received honorable mentions for their creative solutions:
4th Place: Spaghetti Overflow – Kerang Peng and Eli Goodman
5th Place: Megatron – Aditya Singampalli and his father, Naidu Singampalli
"This Hackathon was an incredible showcase of the innovation, creativity, and talent of our students," said event organizers. "We were particularly inspired to see so many high school students tackling real-world challenges with such sophisticated solutions."
Beyond fostering hands-on learning, the AI Futures Hackathon offered students an invaluable chance to build teamwork, connect with industry mentors, and explore diverse career pathways in the fast-growing field of artificial intelligence.
For more information on Laney College's Artificial Intelligence Department and courses visit laney.edu/ai