Teams Go Head-to-Head at 10th Make48 Nationals | Recap
Kansas City, MO – October 1, 2026 – The 10th Make48 National Competition was one for the books, marking a full decade of high-stakes, 48-hour innovation marathons and countless breakthrough prototypes. Over the past ten years, Make48 has tackled some of society’s most pressing challenges alongside iconic brands like Stanley Black & Decker, Corteva, Harley-Davidson, and Sporting KC – spanning issues from scalable sustainability and food scarcity to interactive games and stadium experiences.
Returning to Kansas City for this milestone tenth championship was a natural homecoming. The event was proudly hosted by the team at Operation Breakthrough, while the Veterans Community Project (VCP) delivered this year’s challenge to the seven contending national teams.
Festivities launched Friday morning with emcee Sharrell Howard, who was joined by a surprise guest: Kansas City Chiefs mascot KC Wolf, bringing hometown energy to the launch as the teams officially hit the clock.
Transforming ideas into workable prototypes in under 48 hours required elite support. The Ignition Lab was powered by local Kansas City makers, sponsor industry experts, and Operation Breakthrough’s staff. Deep gratitude goes out to the dedicated tool tech and support crew: Adam Kittrell, Charlie Cox, Christina Smith, Devin McCoy, Donovan Ewing, Javion Fuqua, Leonard Miller, Luis Rodriguez, Melissa Miller, Stan and Phillip Fernald, Ryan Patterson, Steven Howard, Ted Vitale, Tori Hasson, Travis Putman, and Tyler Isaacs.
Patent guidance was provided by Jaclyn Alcantara of Hovey Williams, who worked directly with teams to navigate their intellectual property. Meanwhile, Westlake Ace Hardware equipped the innovators with supplies: each team received $200 and hit the aisles Friday, alongside tool techs to source and find their materials, and plenty of licorice.
By Saturday morning, the Ignition Lab was operating at full capacity with 3D printing, woodworking, CAD modeling, laser cutting, and final assembly. Behind the scenes, the Tool Techs crafted two custom trophies, while the film crew captured interviews and all the action on the floor as the Make48 team prepared for the Social Hour.
The VIP Social Hour drew a packed house of families and supporters from across the country alongside local community guests. Host Amy Gray moderated the VIP Panel featuring Ruby Dorminey (Veterans Community Project), Mary Esselman (Operation Breakthrough), and Sharrell Howard (Make48). A second panel spotlighted the reigning champions from the Kansas State School for the Blind (KSSB). Sydney Parcell, Viviana Petelin, and Vicki Davis shared some exciting updates on their prototype and their upcoming trip to Washington, DC.
A late Saturday night at the makerspace gave way to an early Sunday morning. Teams sprinted across the finish line with Steve Howard wrapping up their 1- minute marketing videos and final revisions to their sales sheet. With just 10 minutes to pitch their big ideas, each team faced an expert judging panel. The judges included: Rose Shotwell (Veterans Community Project), Beth Tucker (Westlake Ace Hardware), and Dr. Evelyn Etienne (Operation Breakthrough).
In addition to the First Place judges' award, attendees cast more than 100 ballots to determine the crowd favorite for the People’s Choice Award. While two champions took home awards, every prototype presented delivered practical, real-world designs.
Taking First Place honors was Architecting The Mastery from Cotter School (Winona, MN), whose prototype stood out to judges for its feasibility, thoughtful design, and direct alignment with Veterans Community Project’s mission. The crowd-favorite People’s Choice Award went to The Bears from White Bear Area Lake (White Bear Lake, MN) for their inventive concept, which captured the imagination and votes of attendees throughout Sunday's showcase.
Team Yogurt
Andover CAPS (Andover, KS) Seth Scripter, Connor, Bridger, and Alonzo
Hot Springs EAST
Hot Springs Junior Academy (Hot Springs, AR) Ethan, James, Trinity and Aspen Hamm
Pipeline Pals
Warren Woods Tower (Warren, MI) Pamela, Emily, Denver, Serina Lo and Nancy King
Smarts & Sparks
Oak Harbor High School (Oak Harbor, WA) Ivan, Joel, Lux, Malaina and Chris Whiteman
Challenge Accepted
Career & Technology Center at Fort Osage High School (Independence, MO) Silas, Garrett, David and Randy Ledbetter
The Bears
White Bear Lake Area High School (White Bear Lake, MN) Eric Olson, Logan, Ben and Jack
Architecting The Mastery
Cotter Schools (Winona, MN) Jaxson, Brielle, Jack and Eric Paulsen
Make48 extends heartfelt thanks to the entire community for supporting this 10th National competition and the 2026 season. A special appreciation goes to the Operation Breakthrough team, including Mary Esselmen, Michael Overstreet, Dr. Evelyn Etienne and Craig Fabin. And to the Veteran’s Community Project, including Ruby Dorminey, Mike Raether, Rose Shotwell, and Chris Admire, for partnering on such a meaningful project.
Catch all the action when these episodes go live on Roku’s This Old House Makers Channel early next year!
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