Make48 Invention Competition is Coming to Connecticut in October

MakerspaceCT in downtown Hartford will host the Make48 flagship event this October, the first time the popular national competition will take place in Connecticut. The competition for residents of the Greater Hartford area will see Stanley Black & Decker as the Challenge Sponsor, crafting the teams’ objective during the competition, to be held October 7-9.

Make48 is a nationwide, invention-competition docuseries that gives teams a challenge at the start of a two-day event. In just 48 hours, teams must create a prototype, promotional video, and sales sheet and present their idea to a panel of judges.

MakerspaceCT, located at 960 Main Street in the historic G. Fox building in downtown Hartford, is the largest Makerspace in Connecticut and the second largest in New England.

During the competition, the teams have access to a makerspace and numerous Tool Techs that can make almost anything, thus allowing everyone to have a level playing field and the chance to win.

This year’s challenge theme will be Outdoor Lifestyle.

“Stanley Black & Decker is proud to share in the vision and purpose of the Make48 program. As we aim to educate and inspire those who build and invent to make a better world, we are proud to be the Hartford challenge sponsor,” said Diane Cantello, Vice President of Social Impact, Stanley Black & Decker.

“Our CRAFTSMAN team commissioned the Built@Home Survey which told us that the top project Americans wanted to tackle in 2021 was a garden overhaul,” added Christopher Woolley, Vice President of Product Management at Stanley Black & Decker. “We’re excited to see what types of innovative ideas these Make48 teams can come up with in the ‘Outdoor Lifestyle’ category, a very timely and relevant theme.”

Eight teams from the Greater Hartford area will be chosen to compete at MakerspaceCT. The winning team from the event will advance to compete at the Nationals competition, slated for March 2022, where one team can win $10,000.

Teams can apply on the Hartford competition webpage at www.make48.com/hartford.

Applications are now open and will close Friday, July 30th. Teams that apply will be invited to a casting call at MakerspaceCT on July 31, when the competing teams will be selected.

“We’re thrilled to continue our tradition of inventive making and provide our facility to these creative teams for this competition,” said Devra Sisitsky, Executive Director, MakerspaceCT. “Our environment, with innovative workshops and high-tech equipment, helps bring maker’s big ideas to life. It will be exciting to see what is possible in 48 hours at this unique competition.”

Some of the nation’s most innovative cities – including Hartford - will compete in their own 48-hour prototyping events throughout 2021. Teams can be from all backgrounds, ages, and skill levels who are interested in innovation and invention. No building experience necessary! Families, co-workers, friends, and students are encouraged to apply.

MakerspaceCT, which launched in April 2019, features nearly 30,000 square feet of workshops that house nine shops with specialized manufacturing equipment, including wood, wielding, textiles, plastics, 3D manufacturing and more.

MakerspaceCT supports an almost limitless variety of material types and fabrication processes—CNC Machining, Metal Fabrication, 3D Printing, Laser Engraving, Vacuum Forming and much more—equipment that is, in many cases, too expensive or too large for a home or small business to accommodate. MakerspaceCT provides opportunities not only entrepreneurs and small businesses, but also local hobbyists, crafters, students and artists, providing training for individuals seeking to expand their skills and companies looking to expand their product lines.

A trusted brand of tools and innovative solutions since 1843, Stanley Black & Decker is recognized around the world as the company for makers and innovators, the craftsmen and the caregivers, and those doing the hard work to make the world a better place.

Click here to watch the announcement video! Learn more at www.makerspaceCT.com