By SHANA SLOMA
shana@readthereporter.com
May 3 to 5, eight Indiana high school FFA teams competed in the national invention competition, Make48, at Maker Playground, 8100 E. 106th St., Fishers, with Hamilton Southeastern FFA emerging victorious.
The four-person teams, comprised of three students and one adult team leader, were tasked with creating a working prototype related to agricultural education, recording a promotional video, drafting a sales sheet, and pitching their idea to a panel of judges – all within 48 hours.
Though each foursome spent numerous hours working with dedicated professionals to assist them in completing their creative vision, it was Hamilton Southeastern FFA’s interactive model about pollination that earned their team $2,000, a handmade trophy, and the opportunity to represent Indiana and HSE at Make48’s national competition in Kansas City, Mo., in November.
Last Sunday, the Hamilton Southeastern FFA Team won first place for Best Innovation and Best Pitch against six other FFA chapter teams at the Make48 invention competition held at Maker Playground, 8100 E. 106th St., Fishers. (From left) Sam Uliczny (mentor), Eliza Uliczny, Ellie Taylor, and Meghan Haws. (Photo provided)
Make48 CEO, co-creator, and co-executive producer Tom Gray has been challenging innovators and budding entrepreneurs since the show’s inception in 2015. Gray has used his production background coupled with the design background of his counterparts to create an inspiring, interactive documentary where ideas become tangible.
“My background was product development,” Gray said. “I was the guy who could take a prototype all the way to the consumer. My co-founders were crazy inventors that could build anything. Together we knew how hard it was. We think that about 5 percent of the population can make something and the other 95 percent, including me, have ideas. Until you have a prototype you can’t really communicate it to the world.”
Gray and his partners knew that some people would struggle to create a prototype, but they did not want that to inhibit innovation. Gray chose to level the playing field by giving every competitor the same tools and support to bring their inventions to life.
Reporter photo by Shana Sloma
“We thought, why not do a fun event but give people the access to a makerspace and the tool technicians to help them build it?” Gray said. “The teams themselves don’t have to do any engineering. They don’t have to operate any equipment. They just have to come up with the ideas. It’s all their vision. They have to collaborate, divide, and conquer all within 48 hours.”
The Make48 docuseries, currently in its eighth season, showcases a series of individual competitions throughout the U.S. in which diverse teams are given a broad topic and the means to design and build their innovation regardless of legal knowledge or skill level. Patent attorneys, Tool Techs, and mentors are on hand to support the teams during the entire competition. Not only does this support give inventors of all skill levels a fair chance at winning, it also reduces the chance of injury.
Although the competition is marked by a 48-hour countdown clock, the health and safety of the competitors remains a priority. The competition site is closed and the clock paused from midnight to 6 a.m. both nights to allow for all parties to have a mandatory rest period.
The Indiana Make48 competition, sponsored by Indiana FFA and Corteva Agriscience, marks the fourth of the 2024 Make48 season. The Indiana teams were comprised of Fishers High School FFA (Fishers), Hamilton Heights FFA (Arcadia), Agricadabra (Purdue Polytechnic High School – Broad Ripple), Low Fidelity (Purdue Polytechnic High School), Eastern Hancock FFA, Mud Flaps FFA (Frankton), Clever Connersville FFA (Connersville), and winner, Hamilton Southeastern FFA (Fishers).
Reporter photo by Shana Sloma
While each team worked hard to create a prototype capable of sharing agricultural knowledge with various target audiences, Hamilton Southeastern FFA’s focus on educating young children about how more than just bees can pollinate, helped to solidify their win.
The four HSE FFA team members, Sam Uliczny (team captain), Eliza Uliczny, Ellie Taylor, and Meghan Haws won first place for Best Innovation and Best Pitch. They each come to the table with competition experience but admit that the unique design of Make48 is part of the allure of this competition.
“I think for all of us, it’s the experience behind it,” said Eliza, speaking for the group. “We’ve done marketing and competed nationally for FFA. We’ve had some experience in creating a product and marketing it, but we’ve never done it in a weekend time or made a prototype. Transitioning those skills and doing something that is more hands on drew me in and drew in the others, as well. And it’s just really fun.”