Women in STEM: A Winning Weekend at Make48! Make48 Announces Winner of All-Female ‘Women in STEM’ Competition

Kansas City, MO (July 15, 2025) – "We need women at all levels, including the top, to change the dynamic, reshape the conversation, to make sure women’s voices are heard and heeded, not overlooked and ignored." While Sheryl Sandberg wasn't at Make48 this past weekend, her words perfectly encapsulated the spirit of the Women in STEM competition. Witnessing these incredible women exceed expectations was truly inspiring!

The energy was high as seven all-female teams faced each other at the Kansas City Art Institute for our latest Make48 event. The challenge? To design a physical product for a modern "She Shed" – a personalized sanctuary where women can relax, work, create, or entertain. The product needed to either enhance the interior experience or be physically attached to the exterior of the She Shed.

After an intense 48 hours of innovation, collaboration, and female empowerment, the results are in! 

First Place: The Dream Makers! (The Kansas State School for the Blind) 

Congratulations to Vivi Petelin, Sydney Parcell, Heaven Gabrielson, and Lydia Moreno (Team Captain). 

Second Place: CTEC CAPS Creators (DeSoto, KS/Cedar Trails Exploration Center)

Aurora Straight, Crosby Taylor, Madeline Hillaire, Nancy Taliaferro (Team Captain), and Jaimee Berry (Co-Team Captain). 

Agilities in Action Award: Southern Heat (Alief Middle School from Houston, TX)

Keira Smith, Charity Wilson, Autumn Williams, and Kizzy Caesar (Team Captain).

A massive shout-out to all the parents, schools, and organizations who supported these young women on their journey to Make48. This commitment to nurturing emerging talent is what will drive the next wave of innovation.

To all our tool techs, mentors, sponsors, and cheerleaders, you truly created a memorable experience for every team. Together, you fostered an environment where creativity flourished and potential was unleashed, truly making this competition a landmark event. We are incredibly grateful and in awe of the amount of support and talent that surrounded the competitors. 

And a HUGE thank you to the teams themselves! You took a chance on a challenging 48-hour competition and absolutely knocked it out of the park. If you know these schools or team members, please give them a well-deserved pat on the back for championing STEM and nurturing the next generation of STEM ambassadors.

Lady Jacket Innovators from Center School District (Sponsored by SportingKC)

Team Members: Miranda Young, Savanna Scruggs, Veronica Hudson, Savannah Frank

WomEngineers from Columbia MO Public Schools (Sponsored by Reinhardt & S.M. Wilson, MEM, and SOA Architecture)

Team Members: Hester Russell, Amelia Renaldi, Amaya Payne, and Aaliyah (Milo) Walters-Leake

Raiders in Construction from the Milwaukee School of Engineering (Sponsored by Women Developing WI & BioForward & Sunset Investors)

Team Members: Alexis Fleegel, Tahlia Fish, Amelia Brandt, and Olivia Beals

The Dream Makers from The Kansas State for the Blind and Visually Impaired community (Sponsored by Heartland Black Chamber of Commerce & KC Blind All-Stars)

Team Members: Lydia Moreno, Vivi Petelin, Sydney Parcell, and Heaven Gabrielson

CTEC CAPS Creators from DeSoto, KS/Cedar Trails Exploration Center (Sponsored by Neighbors Construction)

Team Members: Nancy Taliaferro, Aurora Straight, Crosby Taylor, and Madeline Hillaire

WeCode KC representing Kansas City (Sponsored by JE Dunn)

Team Members: Shineta Horton, Trinity Karim, Ramya Bowen, and Kamryn Harris

Southern Heat from Alief Middle School in Houston, TX (Sponsored by Fervo Energy, Kiewit & Journeys Managing Group)

Team Members: Kizzy Caesar, Keira Smith, Charity Wilson, Autumn Williams

Stay tuned next week for a full recap, including all the incredible behind-the-scenes action from the competition!