Ann Makosinski

Ann Makosinski – Life, Invention, and Inspiring Thoughts

Discover the life of Ann Makosinski, the Canadian inventor born October 3, 1997, famed for her thermoelectric flashlight and sustainable inventions. Explore her biography, innovations, leadership journey, and notable quotations.

Introduction

Ann Makosinski (born October 3, 1997) is a Canadian inventor, entrepreneur, and speaker. She earned worldwide attention as a teenager when she invented a flashlight that runs on the heat of the human hand. Over time, she has expanded her work into sustainable energy inventions, media, and advocacy around creativity and innovation.

Her trajectory shows how curiosity, persistence, and multidisciplinary thinking can turn even simple ideas into impactful creations. In this article, we trace her early life, her inventions, her evolution as a creator and communicator, her legacy, some meaningful quotes, and the lessons her journey offers today.

Early Life and Family

Ann Makosinski is of Filipino, Polish, and Armenian descent. Her family resides in Saanich, British Columbia, Canada.

From a young age, Ann was drawn to taking things apart and understanding how they worked. One of her first toys was a box of transistors, and she began soldering circuits by age 9. She also showed interest in nature, insects, and mechanisms—collecting bugs, dissecting objects, exploring the internal workings of everyday appliances.

In middle school, she began entering science fairs. In her 7th grade, she invented a radio powered by the heat of a candle; later, while still in school, she created a piezoelectric flashlight.

She attended St. Michaels University School for part of her secondary education.

For higher education, she initially enrolled at the University of British Columbia (UBC), studying English Literature, before transferring to the University of Victoria and completing her BA in 2021.

Beyond her technical and scientific interests, she later also studied acting in New York at Herbert Berghof Studios.

Journey into Innovation & Career

The Breakthrough: Hollow Flashlight

Ann’s most celebrated early invention is the Hollow Flashlight (also known as the thermoelectric flashlight). This device operates without batteries; instead, it harvests heat from the user’s hand using Peltier tiles (thermoelectric modules) and a hollow core to maximize convection.

The inspiration came partly from a friend in the Philippines who struggled to study at night due to lack of electricity—Ann sought a self-powered light source that might help in such circumstances.

In 2013, she won the Google Science Fair for this invention, and also earned recognition at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.

She presented the flashlight on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and gave talks through TEDx events.

Expanding the Portfolio: eDrink Mug, Toys & More

Ann then developed eDrink (or e-Drink), a coffee mug that converts the thermal energy from a hot beverage into electricity—intended to charge devices like phones.

She also worked on toys powered by sustainable energy, and has filed multiple patents under her company Makotronics Enterprises.

By 2016, she won a Quest Climate Grant (CAD $50,000) for innovations in body-heat powered devices, and became a global brand ambassador for Uniqlo.

She has also served as a public speaker, keynote across many forums, and appeared in media roles beyond invention (e.g. as a face for Maybelline’s “Green ion” line).

Her website describes her as a “Renaissance Woman,” blending innovation, storytelling, and art.

Presently she is writing a book titled The Inventing Mindset, projected for release.

Historical & Cultural Context

• Ann belongs to a new wave of inventors who merge sustainability, accessibility, and creativity. Her inventions, while simple in concept, embody the principle of harvesting wasted energy (thermoelectric or heat) for practical use.

• Her career reflects the blurring of boundaries between STEM and arts, and between invention and media presence: she is not just an inventor in a workshop but also a public figure, storyteller, and creative entrepreneur.

• Having Filipino heritage and Canadian upbringing, she also serves as a role model for underrepresented communities in science and technology.

• Her public persona illustrates how young innovators today must often juggle invention, branding, public speaking, and content creation to gain traction.

Legacy and Influence

Though still early in her career, Ann Makosinski’s influence is visible in multiple domains:

• Inspiration for young inventors: Her journey demonstrates that age need not be a barrier, and that creative problem-solving can begin with humble materials.

• Sustainable design ethos: Her focus on green energy, energy harvesting, and minimizing battery waste highlights ecological consciousness in engineering.

• Interdisciplinary model: Her blending of science, art, storytelling, and media shows that modern inventors often must wear many hats.

• Cultural representation: As a woman of mixed heritage in STEM, she adds visibility and voice to groups underrepresented in engineering.

• Thought leadership: Through her speaking, brand partnerships, and forthcoming book, she is shaping conversations about creativity, innovation, and why the inventor mindset matters for everyday life.

Personality, Traits & Style

Ann is often described as curious, multi-passionate, and driven. She refers to herself less as an inventor and more as someone who “creates things”, whether physical or narrative.

She embraces exploration across domains: science, performance, media, writing. She expresses confusion sometimes about labels, but values flexibility.

Her style is reflective — she speaks candidly about failures, struggles, and the importance of consistency. She often frames ideas in terms of experimentation, iteration, and playful curiosity.

Notable Quotes

Here are several memorable quotes from Ann Makosinski:

“What I kind of want to spread as my message to all kinds of youth that I get to reach out to is, you can do cool stuff; you’ve just got to put in time and be dedicated.”

“Creativity was born out of necessity because I didn’t have many things to play with.”

“Not being given everything encourages you to create … That was one of the first steps for me learning to invent things.”

“If I don’t do something constructive every day, I feel like I have wasted my time, and I almost feel guilty for not doing something I could have learned from.”

“I have lots of different interests. Any of my friends will know I'm interested both in science and in art.”

“I just think we need to find a way … maybe start at a small step with eliminating batteries perhaps in small electronic devices, and then possibly … go bigger.”

These shed light on her mindset: that invention often comes from constraint, that passion and repetition matter, and that small steps can scale in impact.

Lessons from Ann Makosinski

1. Begin small, think big
   Her first inventions used modest materials (transistors, scrap, waste heat). But the concepts scale to broader themes (sustainable energy).

2. Persist even with constraints
   Lack of resources or “not being given everything” can fuel creativity instead of stifling it.

3. Explore interdisciplinarity
   She shows that crossing arts, science, storytelling, and media allows ideas to reach more places.

4. Build identity, not labels
   She doesn’t confine herself to “inventor” or “artist” — she exists in the overlap.

5. Invest in consistency over perfection
   Her quote about doing something constructive daily points to incremental growth rather than waiting for big breakthroughs.

6. Focus on meaningful problems
   Her motivation was grounded in helping people who lack reliable electricity, reminding us that invention rooted in real need often resonates deeper and endures.

Conclusion

Ann Makosinski’s journey reminds us that even in a world of giants, curiosity, play, and persistence can lead to inventions that matter. From her childhood tinkering to global recognition, she continues to expand her voice beyond hardware.

Her path challenges us to ask: what small constraints in our life could become the seeds of creative breakthroughs? Whether you see yourself as a scientist, an artist, or neither, Ann’s story suggests that the “inventing mindset” — a curiosity to ask why and what if — can be a lifelong companion.