In the glow of the floor-to-ceiling ballistic blue foam pyramid at the Ryerson Sandbox DMZ, the Mako Student Innovation Award contestants excitedly discuss each other’s presentations. They await the decision of the eight judges who have been sequestered behind an adjacent glass door. The contestants discuss anything from force-sensing medical products to post #MeToo artificial intelligence trauma software.
Behind the dazzling glass facade of the newly constructed Ryerson Student Centre, the Sandbox is the community arm to the DMZ – North America’s leading business incubator, and is an open and collaborative space that provides access to creative, digital and entrepreneurial skills and opportunities to students and the community.
The participants are competing for the $10,500 Mako Student New Innovation Award. An award designed to help the winning team to take their inventions from the prototype stage to market-ready products.
“The Student New Innovation Award is designed to nurture the creators and purposeful thinkers behind new product innovations,” says Kevin Mako, CEO of Mako Design. “It provides the necessary tools and the right strategic guidance to help prepare these young individuals to become the successful inventors and new innovators that will positively transform our society.”
The prize money represents a significant and meaningful prize to the contestants. By their nature, start-ups are forced to operate on a shoestring budget, and these teams of contestants are no exception. As a student award, at least one team member must be part of the Ryerson Zone network and in good academic standing. The teams are not only staffed by students but also PhDs, engineers and scientists.
“These presentations were something I would expect from full-on start-ups,” says Kevin Mako. “It’s impressive”.
The 2018 new innovation award entries:
- Medical Diagnostic Imaging Device For Smart Phones
- Force-sensing Medical Suturing Device
- Multi-tenant, Electric Vehicle Charging Management System
- Psychoacoustic, AI Driven, Mental Health App
- Online Marketplace to Rent and Lend Clothing
- Online Size and Style Suggestion Software for Women (Size 12 – 32)
- Post #MeToo Artificial Intelligence Trauma Software
The Winner!:
Shinny Yang & Leon Nsengiyumva of Odessu.co – Online Size and Style Suggestion Software For Women!
Congratulations to Shinny and Leon, we look forward to following you as you continue to grow your new innovation.
Are you a member of a student team that has a invention idea? Start preparing your prototypes and business plans for the 2019 Mako Student Innovation Award.
About Us: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to small businesses, startups, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry’s leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Feel free to Contact Us anytime for help with your project.
Denise ann White
June 9, 2019 at 12:19 pmi have read you web page and seen your video can you MAKO help me.
MAKO Design + Invent
June 21, 2019 at 10:58 amHi Denise, Thanks for contacting us! Yes, we would be more than happy to help. We will send you an email to discuss next steps. Cheers!