Inside the Groundbreaking 2026 SkillsUSA-Make48 Event

ATLANTA, GA – June 18, 2026 – The energy inside the Georgia World Congress Center was absolutely electric last week as Make48 took over a corner of the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference (NLSC) competition floor. From June 2–5, the traditional trade floor transformed into a high-octane hub of rapid prototyping, creativity, and intense, 48-hour innovation.

If you want to see the future of the American workforce, look no further than SkillsUSA. Representing nearly half a million career and technical education students and teachers, SkillsUSA is the number-one workforce development organization in the country. Their mission hits right at the heart of what we value at Make48: closing the skills gap by empowering diverse, difference-making students.

Surrounded by 19,000 attendees and the sharp hum of America’s finest technical talents, five enthusiastic high school teams representing the Innovation Classroom Experience arrived in Atlanta ready to put their skills to the ultimate test.

The Competing Field

Five extraordinary teams stepped up to represent their schools and regions on a massive national stage:

DeKalb High School of Technology-South (DeKalb, GA) 

FOUR-MIDABLE FORCE Team Members: Aubri Jones, Dillan Job, Freddrick Edwards, and La'mar Young.

Colquitt County High School (Moultrie, GA) 

NAILS FOR BREAKFAST Team Members: Cameron Bozeman, Dylan Kinsley, Lily Hunt, and Robbie Pitts.

Career & Technology Center @ Fort Osage High School (Independence, MO) 

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED Team Members: Garrett Gearhart, Silas Jones, and Randy Ledbetter.

Kealakehe High School (Kailua-Kona, HI) 

WAVERIDERS Team Members: Alohilani Riklon, Avalon Loudon, Victor King, and Chris Ibarra.

Oak Harbor High School (Oak Harbor, WA) 

SMARTS AND SPARKS Team Members: Ivan Perez, Joel Christopherson, Julianne (Lux) Eby, and Chris Whiteman.

Teams competed include: L row- Challenge Accepted, Smarts & Sparks and Nails for Breakfast. R row- Waveriders, Four-midable Force, and first place trophy

The Challenge: "Field Ready"

The teams had exactly 48 hours to crack the challenge issued by our incredible Challenge Sponsors, Fendt and Fastenal, and team support by Northpointe Development.

Farming long days can be isolating and demanding. Today's operators are required to be highly skilled across multiple areas – from serving as their own mechanic to advocating for agriculture online and in their communities. In the field, time is critical; going back and forth to the home or barn creates costly downtime.

The Task: Design a portable, mounted kit that a farmer can take with them on a Fendt tractor to support a full workday, focusing on one of six critical areas:

1. The Mechanic Kit: Tools to maintain, fix, or diagnose issues in the field.

2. The Influencer Kit: Tools to record content, share insights, or host a mobile podcast.

3. The Best Friend Kit: Solutions for bringing a dog along safely and comfortably.

4. The Babysitter Kit: Support for working parents who need to bring young children along.

5. The “I’m Hungry” Kit: Smart, temperature-controlled food and drink solutions.

6. The Safety Kit: A next-generation first aid or emergency response kit for the field.

The Dream Team: Our Legendary Tool Techs & Experts

With the clock ticking, students drafted their ideas, bought materials, and worked shoulder-to-shoulder with a powerhouse roster of industry experts and legendary Tool Techs.

These professionals volunteered their time, gear, and expertise to help the teams build fully functioning physical prototypes safely and rapidly:

• The Make48 Crew: Adam Kittrell, Tyler Isaacs, Miles Suarez-Davis, and Steve Howard.

• Trimble SketchUp (3D Modeling & CAD): Chris Brashar, Tori Hasson, and Ted Vitale.

• Thunder Laser: Chris Locascio

• Makerbot/Ultimaker (3D Printing): Luis Rodriguez

• ShopBot Tools (CNC Routing): Ryan Patterson

• Kickr Design (Engineering & Prototyping): Ben Gould, Kylie Early, and Tyler Fox.

• Avek IP (Patent Attorney): Chris DeBacker 

Tool Techs at SkillsUSA

Teams didn't just build, they also had to produce a comprehensive sales sheet and film a 1-minute marketing video before pitching their big ideas live to a panel of expert judges from Fastenal and Fendt.

Our panel faced the incredibly difficult task of scoring these brilliant young minds on creativity, execution, marketability, and teamwork. We extend a massive thank you to Arthur Santos (Fendt), Evelyn Rivera (Fastenal), and Barry O’Shea (Fendt) for lending their expertise to judge such a pivotal competition.

Barry O'Shea, Evelyn Rivera, Arthur Santos and Tom Gray

The Podium: Who is Heading to Nationals?

Once the pitches were locked in, the teams earned a well-deserved break before gathering at the State Farm Arena for the spectacular, stadium-sized NLSC Closing Session.

In front of a roaring arena – the largest live audience in Make48 history – Tom Gray and Sharrell Howard stepped up to announce the results. While every team demonstrated astonishing creativity and determination, two teams separated themselves from the pack to sweep the top spots and secure their tickets to the Season 10 National Competition in September 2026.

Tom Gray and Sharrell Howard on stage to hand out the First Place Prize

1st Place: Smart & Sparks

• Representing: Oak Harbor High School (Washington)

• The Prize: A $2,000 cash prize, the coveted first-place trophy, and a golden ticket to Nationals!

2nd Place: Challenge Accepted

• Representing: Career & Technology Center @ Fort Osage High School (Missouri)

• The Prize: A custom-made trophy and a direct invitation to compete at Nationals this fall!

A Heartfelt Thank You

An event of this scale would not be possible without collaboration. A very special thank you goes out to SkillsUSA and its visionary leadership team for welcoming us with open arms and providing a world-class platform for these students.

"As the emcee, I had a front-row seat to the brilliant problem-solving and sheer grit on that competition floor. What these students accomplished in 48 hours was nothing short of spectacular. From an educational standpoint, this is exactly what the future of learning looks like—breaking down classroom walls, removing barriers, and giving students the tools, mentorship, and platform to solve real-world industry challenges in real time. They didn’t just meet our expectations; they blew them out of the water," said Sharrell Howard, Make48

If you missed out on the live action in Atlanta, don’t worry! Every triumph, pivot, and high-stakes pitch was captured by our camera crew.

• Catch the immediate action: [Watch the Atlanta Sizzle Reel Here!]

• Watch the full episodes: The entire event will unfold later this year in two dedicated episodes featured on Roku’s This Old House Maker Channel and the Make48 YouTube Channel.

A massive congratulations to Smart & Sparks, Challenge Accepted, and every single extraordinary competitor who left it all on the design floor in Atlanta.

The journey doesn't end here. We'll see our top teams this fall at the National Competition, and we'll see the rest of you on the screen when the episodes drop later this year. Until next time, keep making!