KCAI Hosts Make48’s First Women in STEM 48-Hour Innovation Challenge
07.17.2025
Seven all-women teams from across the country competed over 48 hours to design, prototype, and pitch innovative products inspired by the theme “The Great Escape” at a nationwide invention challenge hosted at KCAI.
Make48 recently returned to the Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI) to host its first-ever Women in STEM event. Throughout the weekend, participants worked inside the David T. Beals III Studio for Art & Technology, a fully equipped tech lab that Make48 called “a makerspace brimming with tools.”
Make48 is a nationwide invention competition and docuseries where teams have just 48 hours to design, prototype, and pitch a new product. During the three-day event, teams work within a set challenge, using a variety of tools, materials, and makerspaces. They also receive support from expert “Tool Techs,” who help bring their ideas to life using professional fabrication equipment.
According to a production press release, “Make48 is thrilled to return to KCAI, the location where the competition first launched seasons 1 and 2.”
Inaugural Women in STEM Competition
This marked Make48’s first-ever Women in STEM 48-hour competition, bringing together young women from across the country to take on a surprise challenge inspired by the theme “The Great Escape.” The event works to empower participants by guiding them through the full innovation process, from idea to prototype to pitch, offering hands-on experience in turning concepts into market-ready items.
The surprise challenge? Design a physical product for a modern "She Shed,” a personalized space where women can relax, work, create, or entertain. The product had to either enhance the interior experience or be something that could be attached to the outside of the shed.
Seven teams worked to build physical prototypes with support from expert technicians and access to advanced tools, while also creating a sales sheet, producing a one-minute marketing video, and pitching their big idea to a panel of judges. They were also competing for a spot in the national competition and a $2,000 prize.
Here are the teams who participated during the weekend, representing schools and organizations from Kansas City and beyond:
- Lady Jacket Innovators (Center School District) sponsored by SportingKC
- WomEngineers (Columbia MO Public Schools) sponsored by Reinhardt & S.M. Wilson, MEM, and SOA Architecture
- Raiders in Construction (Milwaukee School of Engineering) sponsored by Women Developing WI & BioForward & Sunset Investors
- The Dream Makers (The Kansas State for the Blind/Visually Impaired students) sponsored by Heartland Black Chamber of Commerce & KC Blind All-Stars
- CTEC CAPS Creators (DeSoto, KS/Cedar Trails Exploration Center) sponsored by Neighbors Construction
- Team WeCode KC (WeCode KC, KCMO) sponsored by JE Dunn
- Southern Heat (Alief Middle School, Houston, TX) sponsored by Fervo Energy, Kiewit & Journeys Managing Group
Make48 is a docuseries that captures how each team navigates the 48-hour invention challenge. This season features an all-women lineup for the first time. Recent episodes are available on Make48’s YouTube channel. For the past eight years, the series has aired nationally on PBS and is now also streaming on the This Old House Makers Channel on Roku for seasons six through eight.