Make:able 2024 Judging Panel

The 2024 Make:able Challenge submission deadline (15th May) is fast approaching, and we cannot wait to see the 3D printed assistive devices created by students and makers all around the world! In the meantime, we are delighted to introduce you to this year's judging panel, which includes a diverse group of experts in the fields of design, assistive technology, education and 3D printing.

Collage of headshots of the 2024 Make:able Challenge judging panel.

7th May 2024 • Make:able

Let’s begin with a quick reminder of the judging dates and process:

• 15th May – 31st May 2024: Team PrintLab will review all submissions and create a finalist shortlist of 3-6 entries per award category in each of the 3 age groups. The finalist shortlist will be announced by email and on our Twitter page on the 31st May and consist of the entries that excelled the most in the design criteria relating to the award category.

• 1st June – 30th June 2024: The expert panel of judges will be invited to review the finalist submission videos. Each judge will be allocated a specific award category and will cast votes for a 1st and 2nd place. 1st place will receive 2 points and 2nd place will receive 1 point. An online voting platform will be used where judges can view submissions, cast votes and make comments. You can view last year’s judging platform here.

• 1st July 2024: Once all judges have cast their votes, they will be counted and a winner will be selected for each category and age group. Winners will be announced by email on the 1st July and soon after, prizes will be delivered!

And now, let’s meet the amazing Make:able 2024 judging panel..

Best Showcase of Empathy

Collage of headshots showing the Empathy judging panel for the Make:able Challenge.

Andy Lin – Rehabilitation Engineer at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center
Neal McKenzie – Assistive Technology Specialist at Sonoma County Office of Education
Grace Ambroze – Accessibility Lead at Rehab Tech Summit
Ruba Hasan – Additive Manufacturing Expert and Sustainability Enthusiast
Ian Matty – Director of Mountain Lakes Public Library Makerspace
Lindsay DeLong – Co-Founder of EquipMeOT

Best Creative Idea

Collage of headshots showing the Best Creative Idea judging panel for the Make:able Challenge.

Adam Hecht – Co-Founder and Designer at DiveDesign
Phil Holton – Senior Qualification Manager at Pearson
Jo Barnard – Founder of Morrama
MeiLi Carling – Graphic Designer & Illustrator
Noam Platt – Founder of MakeGood
Loreto Dumitrescu – Co-Founder of Zero Day Camp

Best Use of Autodesk Software

Collage of headshots showing the Autodesk judging panel for the Make:able Challenge.

Steven Parkinson – Principal Experience Design Operations Manager at Autodesk
Ed Charlwood – Autodesk Learning Partner / Secondary Curriculum Lead
Alexander Meub – Product Engineering Manager at Autodesk
Guillermo Melantoni – Head of Tinkercad
Christian Pramuk – Product Manager at Autodesk
Josh Manley – Founder of CADClass
Kevin Kennedy – Founder of Product Design Online

Best Showcase of Customisation

Collage of headshots showing the Customisation judging panel for the Make:able Challenge.

Josie Versloot – Jr. Mechanical Engineer at Makers Making Change
Brad Wellington – Jr. Mechanical Engineer at Makers Making Change
Reed Schrad – Web Product Owner & BC Outreach at Makers Making Change
Mark Fuglevand – Founder of abilitease
Jaemie Gyurik – Web and Development Projects Manager
Dacia Volz – Assistive Technology User

Best Use of 3D Printing

Collage of headshots showing the 3D Printing judging panel for the Make:able Challenge.

Daniel Koren – B2B Team Lead at Prusa Research
Pavel Pelcak – Prusa Education coordinator at Prusa Research
Christina Perla – Co-Founder & CEO at Makelab
Vicente Gasco – Fab Lab Director / 3D Printing Professor at Atlantic University
David Randolph – CEO of Printed Solid
Allie Katz – Creative Technologist

Best Showcase of Iterative Design

Collage of headshots showing the Iterative Design judging panel for the Make:able Challenge.

Tony Ryan – CEO at The Design and Technology Association
Dave Gaylord – VP of Products and Technology at MatterHackers
Alanna Raffel – Assistive Technology Specialist and Occupational Therapist at TechOWL
Thomas Matthew Diagostino – Senior Assistive Technology Program Coordinator at TechOWL
Sam Booth – Design and Technology Subject Lead at Oak National Academy
Cathy Chen – Executive Director at Fab Lab El Paso

—

A huge thank you to all our judges, who have given up their time to support the challenge. As mentioned above, we’ll be announcing the finalists on the 31st May so keep an eye on your emails and our Twitter feed!