Photos: Make48’s Women in STEM at KCAI

July 15, 2025

Shea McGraw,

Photo by Shea McGraw

Make48 hosted a Women in STEM event at the Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI) where seven teams are, according to the Make48 website, challenged to “build a physical prototype [with the help of expert technicians and advanced tools], create a sales sheet, produce a one-minute marketing video and pitch their big idea to a panel of judges” to compete for a spot a nationals and a $2,000 prize.

Each team is given 48 minutes at Ace Hardware and a $200 gift card to purchase any materials they may need to create their themed prototype. This year, the theme was “The Great Escape”, where each team was tasked with innovation for she-sheds and outdoor living.

By creating a fun space and allowing young women the opportunity to build almost anything, Make48’s Women in STEM event gives girls experience in the field and the opportunity to make innovative designs that help make a positive impact on the world.

Make48 is a docuseries. As such, they record the ins and outs of each team making their inventions during the 48-hour event. This season’s only change is featuring all-women teams. The episodes from last season are available on Make48’s YouTube channel and, “For the last 8 years, the series has been a nationally syndicated television program through PBS and has now partnered with This Old House Makers channel on Roku for seasons six through eight,” according to the organization’s website.

The winners are set to be announced at 5 p.m. today. The first- and second-place teams will move on to nationals in November.

Our photographer Shea McGraw was there to capture the event: