Beyond the Stage: How The Dreamers Turned a 48-Hour Invention into a Real-World Movement
For 25 years, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s annual Business Solves Conference and Citizens Awards have brought together business leaders, founders, and community champions to turn bold ideas into lasting social impact. At this year’s gathering in Washington, D.C. two high school students from Kansas City, made a lasting impression.
When Sydney Parcell and Viviana Pentlarge took the main stage alongside their teacher, Lydia Moreno (Makerspace Lead at the Kansas State School for the Blind), Tom Gray (CEO of Make48), and Sharrell Howard (VP of Education at Make48), the room felt huge and completely still. For the girls, they were standing as reigning national champions, startup founders, and the first visually-blind team in history to win the Make48 Nationals. As Sharrell put it after the session, “It was so incredible! Everyone was so kind… It was a whirlwind.”
The Dreamers Journey
The Dreamers’ road to Washington began at KSSB at their accessible fabrication lab. Guided by Lydia Moreno, Vicki Davis, Pam Barbeiter and the Make48 team, Sydney and Viviana used braille displays and screen readers alongside standard makerspace equipment, proving that adaptive tools work seamlessly in a rapid prototyping environment.
Their defining test came during the Nationals 48-hour challenge centered around food insecurity, sponsored by Corteva Agriscience. While touring local food pantries during the brainstorming/research phase, the team identified a critical, overlooked dilemma: unhoused individuals often receive fresh, nutritious meals but have no reliable, portable way to preserve them throughout the day.
Scrambling against the clock and navigating the chaos building their idea, the girls engineered a breakthrough prototype initially dubbed Insolution, now officially named MOVA.
The invention is an insulated, collapsible carrier engineered to keep perishable meals at food-safe temperatures throughout the day. Once the food is eaten, the carrier folds into an ergonomic, cushioned sleeping pillow. To address the risk of theft faced by unhoused people while sleeping, the team incorporated an integrated security wristband that keeps the bag tethered to the user overnight.
The concept was loved by the judges, and The Dreamers bested top student teams from across the nation to take home the crown.
Redefining the Workforce
Standing before corporate executives in D.C., The Dreamers made it clear that winning the trophy was only the beginning.
In the United States, individuals with visual impairments face an unemployment rate near 70%, a staggering reality. Rather than waiting for the traditional market to catch up with accessible hiring guidelines, Sydney and Viviana decided to build their own company from scratch.
Mentored by Make48’s Tom Gray, the students are actively establishing their own LLC, refining final patent-pending prototypes, and building a corporate sponsorship model. The plan is straightforward and community-focused: partnering directly with businesses and donors to manufacture and distribute MOVA units at zero cost to food pantries, emergency shelters, and disaster-relief operations.
The impact on the audience was instantaneous. Following their panel, leaders from across industries rose to pledge backing for the team’s fundraising, offering immediate introductions to corporate supply chains, nonprofit distribution networks, and emergency relief liaisons.
Before stepping off the stage to a standing ovation, Viviana left the room with a message of what true inclusion looks like. “Give everyone the same opportunity. If you just give visually impaired people a chance, you will be impressed by what we can accomplish.”
For Sydney, Viviana, and the community rallying behind them, the journey from a 48-hour challenge to production is proof that when access meets ambition, ideas don’t just solve problems, but can change lives.
You can watch the entire conference in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/live/AR0SIhDAyyM?si=5hl6ZgtTMhY3iWMn
