Ann Makosinski, the 19-year-old inventor from British Columbia, whose products now include a flashlight that runs off the heat of the human hand, and a mug that uses the heat from a drink to charge a phone, is one of several Canadians to make Forbes magazine’s annual 30 under 30 lists.
Originally from Victoria, Ann is now a second-year student at the University of British Columbia. She made the revered list in the energy category.
It all began with a glue gun
It all began with a hot-glue gun and stuff she found at home, at the age of 7. She says her parents didn’t provide many toys, but she had initiative.
“I’d take garbage and I’d glue them together and create inventions,” she told CBC News.
“Of course, they never worked, but the idea of taking the resources around me and piecing them together to make something better or to solve a problem was kind of there from the start.”
Now, Makosinski’s e-Drink mug is a functioning prototype, and if all goes well with her Hollow Flashlight, going into production later this year, she will have time to devote to the further development of the mug with the aid of some professional electrical engineers.
She says the fact that she is studying English literature at university comes as a surprise to some people.
“I think it is important to have a balance of science and arts to be able to be accessible in either fields,” she said. “It’s just that has interested me, but I still do all my science and business outside of school.”
The business outside of school also includes having been named to Time’s 30 Under 30 list for 2013, and the win in her age group, at the 2013 Google Science Fair.
Makosinski has also delivered five TEDx talks, but for some the best honour of all, may have been her debut appearance on Jimmy Fallon’s late-night television show.
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