MAKO Ryerson Student Invention / Industrial Design Awards

It is with great pleasure that the MAKO Design + Invent team congratulates all those that participated in the inaugural Mako Ryerson Invention and Industrial Design Awards at the Digitial Media Zone, Ryerson University.  With 35 applicants, 16 finalists, and 10 presenters, all competing in the first award of its kind in Canada, the highly successful event was truly a showcase of student entrepreneurial spirit and ingenuity.

The MAKO Ryerson Invention Awards were created to showcase and accelerate Toronto’s young entrepreneurs by giving students an opportunity to compete in a campus wide consumer product invention competition.  The students’ fields of study represented a diversity of programs offered at Ryerson; however, the participants demonstrated that best of breed in industrial design, innovation, and invention development.  These participants are proof that inventors come from all different walks of life and areas of specialty.

“Today’s young professional is not relying on companies to manage their careers. They are graduating with the desire to take control of their futures and create their own success. Regardless of whether they desire to run a small business or create the next big start up to sell for $100 million dollars, they are students from majors as diverse as physics, community development and interior design who show the courage to put themselves and their products out there for everyone to see. It is only because of the great support from key partners like the Digital Media Zone, Ryerson University and industry leaders RBC, Samsung, Canadian Tire, Home Depot, Lowes and Walmart that events like this can succeed. We thank all of them for their support and role in making this event the great success it was.” – James Chalmers, Vice President, MAKO Invent.

In the media Q&A following the event Kevin Mako, President, MAKO Invent was quoted as saying “I was blown away by the quality of products that these students have created and the sound rationale in which they are founded. We would be proud to call any of these students, clients” … “We are extremely pleased by how this first event rolled out and are looking forward to once again run this event next year with our partners at the Digital Media Zone, Ryerson University, and the major consumer product retailers”.

While all finalists are going to be receiving complimentary preparation and submission of their provisional patents, only 3 groups could be awarded . MAKO Invent, in conjunction with its partners, rewarded entrants with $500 cash and $5000 in services for 1^st Place, $300 cash and $3000 in services for 2^nd Place, and $200 cash and $2000 in services for 3^rd Place.

And the award finalists are:

1^st Place: “Snack Cup” by Sivan Glazberg & Julia Mozheyko
2^nd Place: “Hap-Taps” by Rawan Ibrahem & Hazra Sokoli
3^rd Place: “Bloom” by Agnes Chow

The full press speeches and awards footage can be seen if you click here or in the embedded video below:

Laura Richard, Vice President of Business Development, Lang Marketing said following the event, “It’s really exciting to see how well the students competing were prepared. When Lang Marketing learned about this event, it was an easy decision to want to support it. The MAKO Ryerson Invention Awards represents a phenomenal opportunity to support and align with the greatest in grassroots innovation.”

About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, 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. Click HERE to learn more about MAKO Design + Invent!