Around-the-Clock Creatives: Macathon 2024

Macathon 2024, one of Macalester’s most anticipated entrepreneurship events of the year, put the innovation and creativity of Macalester students to the test. Participating teams had twenty-four hours to identify a real-world issue, sacrificing their sleep schedules to develop a revolutionary idea and turn it into a reality. Macathon puts a liberal arts education into action, providing students with first-hand experience in solving problems on a global scale.

Teams are paired with and seek mentorship from alumni judges to fine-tune their ideas. After the twenty-four hours are up, they have seven minutes to present their concept to the judging panel. The three highest scoring teams are rewarded with cash prizes.

“One of the most powerful things you’ve demonstrated over the past twenty-four hours is that the solutions you’re working on extend far beyond Macathon, beyond Macalester, beyond the Twin Cities, and even beyond the United States,” said Macathon judge Kiante Miles ʼ20 during the final team presentations on November 9.

““Macathon and entrepreneurship at Macalester are truly something special.”

In third place, winning $500, “Pirate Solutions” with “Hawa Wala”

Aahanaa Tibrewal ʼ25, Luke Rowley ʼ27, Kari Vivar-Cortez ʼ27, and Basir Talayee ʼ25 created window installations entitled “Hawa Wala” or “of the wind.” These screens combat the high costs attributed to space cooling, serving as an alternative to air conditioning systems. The injection-molded screens, which pop in and out of windows with ease, cool indoor spaces through traditional knowledge of geometry and wind.

In second place, winning $750, “Gear 5” with “Safe and Sexy”

Pema Dolkar ʼ26, Alexis Prathammanon ʼ25, Elizabeth Zewdu ʼ26, and Isam Hussaini ʼ26 tackled the pressing issue of sexual assault by developing a unique underwear garment called “Safe and Sexy.” Their garment features an inward-facing zipper and hard-to-rip fabric that serves as a protective resistance barrier. The goal of their product is to simultaneously promote self-confidence and safety.

In first place, winning $1000, “Visionary Change Makers” with “Lumakick”

Laurice Jimu ʼ27, Shakthi Palraj ʼ27, Aditya Choubal ʼ27, John Makol Chuol ʼ27, Maggie Walker ʼ27, and Rocky Slaymaker ʼ27 targeted the lack of light available to children in refugee camps, which prevents students from completing their studies. Their invention “Lumakick” is a soccer ball that converts kinetic energy to light through an internal battery-operated mechanism. The goal of their invention was to “combine education and play.”