And the Winner of Make48 Season 9 Nationals Is….

The intense 48-hour inventing challenge is officially over! Make48 is thrilled to announce the successful wrap-up of our 9th season at the Fishers Maker Playground. Six winning teams from regional competitions gathered for a weekend filled with creativity, rapid prototyping, and courage as they raced against the clock to tackle a complex challenge presented by our sponsor, Corteva.

Clockwise from top left: The Wingers, The Dream Makers, Bolts & Brains, The Other Guys, We Fail Fast Too and CTEC CAPS Creators

The Challenge: Food Forward

Corteva Agriscience, a global leader in agriculture, challenged our teams to develop bold, practical solutions to combat food insecurity in America. Teams were tasked with creating an innovative solution to power the Food Forward mission. The goal was to make food access easier, healthier, and more respectful for families, while providing better tools for community organizations.

Over the two days, teams had to deliver three key items:

• A Prototype: A working or "looks like, feels like" model of their idea.

• A Marketing Video: A 60-second video to sell their design.

• A Sell Sheet: A one-page overview with key features.

After 48 hours and a quick break, the teams got up in front of their peers, tool techs, guests, and a panel of judges to pitch their idea. 

The Grand Prize Winners: The Dream Makers

The Dream Makers! (l to r: Pam, Heaven, Vivi, Sydney and Vicki)

We are ecstatic to crown the national champions of Make48 Season 9: The Dream Makers!

This incredible team hailed from the Kansas State School of the Blind (Kansas City, KS). Team members Vivi Petelin, Sydney Parcell, and Heaven Gabrielson, along with Captains Vicki Davis and Pam Arbeiter, impressed the judges with their groundbreaking solution and flawless execution of the challenge.

They walked away with the grand prize of $10,000 and the honor of the Best Innovation award!

They also made history. While many visually-impaired teams have competed at Make48, this is the first time such a team has taken the title as Make48 National Champions. Their victory is an incredible testament to the power of diverse perspectives and the universal spirit of invention!

Recognition for The DeBruce Foundation Agilities: We Fail Fast Too

We Fail Fast Too (l to r: Colin, Cory, Jillian and Leo)

A huge shout-out also goes to the team that demonstrated exceptional adaptability, smart iteration, and a powerful can-do attitude throughout the weekend.

We Fail Fast Too, from Saint Thomas Academy (Mendota Heights, MN), earned the coveted Best Agilities award. Captain Jillian Harvalis, alongside Cory Bustamanta Chicaiza, Colin Shea, and Leo Cleary, demonstrated the ability to pivot, learn, and deliver under extreme pressure. 

A Heartfelt Thank You 

The success of Make48 is only possible through the unwavering support of our incredible community. A massive thank you to all of our dedicated Mentors who guided the teams, the Judges who took on the difficult task of selecting the winners, and especially the hardworking Tool Techs who kept the prototyping equipment running non-stop!

We must also extend our deep gratitude to Nick Snyder and the entire team at Maker Playground, including Cassy Coha and Cody Bruce, for providing such a fantastic national stage and for their incredible dedication, arriving early, staying late, and welcoming us with open arms. 

Finally, a standing ovation to all the competing student teams this weekend – We Fail Fast Too, Wingers, Bolts & Brains, The Other Guys, The Dream Makers, and CTEC CAPS Creators. With these young, brilliant mindsets leading the way, the future looks incredibly bright in the STEM world.

Stay tuned! A full recap of the entire Nationals event, including photos, will be published next week.