Snapping into STEM: Engineering Student's Startup Wins Big at Business Competition
An education startup founded by University of California, Davis, electrical engineering major Kavya Khare won more than a gold star at the 25th annual Big Bang! Business Competition, an event organized by the Mike and Renee Child Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship to support budding companies with an affiliation to a college or university in California.
The judges awarded Khare's The Make Box the Education and Educational Tools Sector Award, which includes a $12,500 prize, as well as a $5,000 residency award to use lab space at Davis-based startup incubator Inventopia to further her company idea.
The Make Box creates do-it-yourself robotics kits designed for entry-level STEM learners and experienced STEM enthusiasts.
The company is the result of Khare's passion for hands-on STEM learning that began during her middle school years. She realized that most children lack access to accessible, creative and engaging learning tools, especially when they don't see themselves represented in traditional STEM pathways.
To address this, Khare assembled a team of fellow UC Davis undergraduate students, spanning electrical, mechanical and computer engineering to mathematics and design, to create The Make Box's flagship product, SnapBots.
SnapBots is a modular robotics kit that includes programmable cubes with different functions, such as light sensing and sound activation. Children can follow instructions to build standard bots, such as an alarm bot, or invent new creations with the drag-and-drop coding interface. The cubes also snap together with magnetic connectors, allowing for play and creativity with robot design.
"We're incredibly grateful to receive two awards that will support our mission through the development of our modular robotics kit, SnapBots," Khare said.
"Entry to STEM can be seen as intimidating or exclusive, but I believe it can be a fun, creative, and hands-on experience for all students. By making electronics and programming concepts more intuitive and interactive, students are more likely to gain interest and explore STEM pathways in their future."
In addition to The Make Box, there were two other teams with UC Davis engineers that took home awards. Computer science undergraduates helped with Buzzit, which took home the Social Entrepreneurship Sector Award and $12,500 for an app that helps college students monetize their skills and find affordable, peer-provided services. Splash Tech, founded by electrical engineering graduate student Rain Sun, earned $12,500 and the Energy and Sustainability Sector Award for its automated pool management system.
