VANCOUVER — A University of B.C. student from Saanich has won a $50,000 grant for her latest invention, a coffee mug that charges a smartphone using the heat from the beverage.
Ann Makosinski, an 18-year old student inventor and Google Science Fair winner, has won Shell Canada’s 2015 Quest Climate Grant, an award given to seven Canadian start-ups and entrepreneurs to recognize their efforts in creating climate change- oriented businesses.
Makosinski is already known for another invention called the Hollow Flashlight, a flashlight that runs off the heat of the human hand.
The St. Michaels University School alumna is now working on plans for her latest invention, the eDrink — a mobile phone-charging travel mug for which she won the grant.
“I now have a real opportunity to seek out partners to further the development of my product design and bring my technology to market,” Makosinki said in a statement.
The Quest Climate Grant is awarded to seven entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 35, working on a total of six projects. Each project received a grant of $50,000.
Other winners included: Michael Nemeth of Saskatoon for his company Bright Buildings, which is creating an affordable cohabitation housing project, and Hop Compost of Calgary, a firm that collects food waste from select Calgary and Vancouver restaurants and transforms it into a high-nutrient organic fertilizer alternative.
Solar for Life, a not-for-profit organization that aims to provide access to clean and affordable energy to developing communities, and Ungalli Clothing, which uses ethical and sustainable materials, were also among this year’s recipients.
