Saanich’s Ann Makosinski is in the national news again for her inventive ways.
The 19-year-old has been named to the Forbes Magazine 30 Under 30 in the energy category, chiefly for the hollow flashlight (which powers the light by converting the body’s thermal heat as energy) and her eDrink, a reusable coffee mug that converts the heat into power and can charge a phone or similar appliance.
As a Saint Michaels University School student, the flashlight won Makosinski the Google Science Fair prize for students aged 15-16 in 2013, and placed first at the Canada Wide Science Fair.
The second-year University of B.C. student is in English literature but spends most of her time researching and working on bringing her inventions to fruition.
“Somebody nominated me and I got an email in November saying I’d been nominated, but there’s 15,000 on the list and they only choose 600 names [30 per category] so I didn’t expect to make it,” Makosinski said.
She earned a similar accolade in 2014 when she was included in Time magazine’s 30 Under 30.
“The award helps my personal brand, and it’s a nice thing to add to my resumé and it carries weight in the business world but so far I’m not taking the titles too seriously,” Makosinski said. “I’m concentrated more on my work.”
Makosinski presented the hollow flashlight and eDrink on Jimmy Fallon (twice) and has presented at 5 TEDx talks and the Red Bull Glimpses event.
“The flashlight will come to market first. I’m still negotiating licensing with a manufacturer based in Victoria, which is a lot closer than the previous manufacturers I was talking to.”
The flashlight will likely be built in China, with no release date as of yet.