Andini Makosinski is a Filipino-Polish-Armenian “Renaissance Woman”. inventor, STEM, UN Youth ambassador, writer, and influencer.
When Ann was fourteen years old, she found out that her friend Maria in the Philippines failed a grade in school because her family couldn’t afford electricity. Maria therefore had no light to study with when darkness hit at 6 pm, so Ann set about finding a solution. Ann ended up inventing the Hollow Flashlight, a flashlight that runs off the heat of the human hand. During the beginning of her grade 11 year, the flashlight went viral online and Ann won in her age category at the Google Science Fair in Mountainview, California.
Ann Makosinski then invented another device – the eDrink. The eDrink harvests the excess heat of one’s hot drink and converts it into electricity, giving one’s phone a boost of energy.
More awards and interviews followed, and Ann with her father set up Makotronics Enterprises Incorporated in Victoria BC to manage the patenting and licensing of her inventions.
Ann’s gift of speech and presentation launched her into becoming one of the most sought-after keynote speakers of her generation. She has spoken at places and events ranging from Peter Diamandis’ Singularity University, 5 TEDx , Dubai, Iceland, Chile, Argentina, Berlin, Armenia, etc.
Ann Makosinski was then named on Forbes Magazine’s 30 Under 30 list in the Energy sector, and in Time Magazine’s 30 Under 30 World Changers.
Contact Great British Speakers today to book sustainability inventor, influencer, TEDx speaker Andini Makosinski for your next event.
Ann Makosinski was named one of Glamour Magazine’s top ten College Women of the Year, one of seven of Teen Vogue Global Earth Angels, one of Entrepreneur Magazine‘s “Young Millionaires”, and Popular Science’s “Breakout Young Inventor of the Year.” Ann appeared with Miley Cyrus for Converse, was named the global brand ambassador for the clothing brand Uniqlo and their unique heat-retaining fleece technology, in addition to endorsing many other brands including the Google Pixel 2, where she worked with Vice to create the campaign. She is also part of executive Julia Middleton’s global expedition to find a definition of leadership that resonates with women.
Since 2023, Andini has been presenting her own online show titled, ‘Your World On Money’; a series that focusses on financial literacy for Gen Z’ers. Particular topics discussed include money anxiety, budgeting, investment, homeownership, retirement, salary negotiations, building good credit, and taxes, amongst many others.
She recently hosted the BBC Radio 1 series Hedy Lamarr: Untold Legends, about the Hollywood actress and inventor behind the modern-day Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. She also directs music videos for sitarist Anoushka Shankar, and pop artist Cati Landry. Ann has been working on The Inventor’s Mindset, a book exploring how thinking like an investor can help positively shape your professional and personal life.
Ann has frequently travelled the world delivering keynote talks, ranging from events hosted by McCann Erickson in NYC for their major clients, a private event at the Pictet Bank in Geneva, and the King Abdullah’s University for Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia where she presented talks to the university students, as well as local high school students.
She also had the honour of being invited as a Youth Ambassador on the Canada C3 Expedition, where she sailed through the NorthWest Passage on an icebreaker, while talking to the students in remote Inuit communities. Ann was honoured to be one of Canada’s five chosen representatives at the I7 in Turin, Italy, an innovation focused committee that reported their feedback on the Future of Work to the annual G7 conference. She also spoke at the Y20 Summit in Cordoba, Argentina, which was held in conjunction with the G20 conference.
Ann’s role as a speaker has led her all over the world, ranging from the AtlanTec Festival in Ireland, an EF Leadership Summit in Berlin, Forbes Impact Summit in NYC, the Congreso Futuro in Chile and an innovation summit in Timisoara, Romania. Ann received the Rising Star of the Year award at the first Greentech Festival, which was held in Berlin by F1 race car driver Nico Rosberg, and she returned in June 2022 to speak on a panel and interview other companies exhibiting at the event.
She has also worked with a variety of brands, ranging from the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) in their Future Launch Campaign, Hewlett Packard Enterprises on their supercomputers, Tradlands’ sustainable clothing line, and most recently Ann became one of the faces of Maybelline New York’s new Green Edition makeup line, a step forward towards more eco friendly packaging.
Andini has been a campaign ambassador and model for many brands, including Maybelline New York, Converse, Uniqlo, Five Star, Merrell Korea, Google Pixel etc.., and she most recently walked her first New York Fashion Week at the United Nations.
During 2019 and 2020, Ann worked on a collection of children’s toys that all ran off of green energy, which was profiled on CNN. She also studied acting for a year at the prestigious Herbert Berghof (HB) Studio. Right before the COVID-19 pandemic began, Ann managed to speak for the Lili’uokalani Fund in Honolulu, a Girl Scouts event in Omaha, at the International Project Management Forum in Dubai, the final event for Red Bull Basement University in Toronto, and at Zurich International School (ZIS).
“In general I tell the story of my life as a young inventor, my passion for tinkering beginning quite early, loving both the sciences and arts, alternative energy, how to make an idea in your head into a physical invention in front of you etc. I am very flexible and can cover many topics or whatever the client has in mind”.
The Inventor’s Mindset: Unlocking Creativity & Innovation: In a world that demands problem-solvers, but often fosters passivity through social media and digital distractions, how do we reclaim our creativity? Ann draws upon her journey as a young inventor and creative to share practical strategies for cultivating curiosity, innovative thinking, and resilience, in business, education, and everyday life.
Bridging Science and Art: Why the Future Belongs to Multidisciplinary Thinkers From designing energy-harvesting inventions to directing music videos, Andini’s career defies traditional label In this talk, she explores why true innovation happens at the intersection of science and the arts—and how embracing both can lead to breakthrough ideas, stronger teams, and a more dynamic future.
Reinventing Education: Nurturing Young Inventors & Problem-Solvers Traditional education often prioritizes memorization over creativity, leaving little room for hands-on learning and real-world problem-solving. Andini advocates for a fresh approach—one that fuses storytelling, experimentation, and interdisciplinary thinking to prepare the next generation for a rapidly changing world
The Viral Effect: Storytelling, Personal Branding & Influence in the Digital Age At 15, Andini’s invention went viral, launching her into an unexpected career in public speaking, media, and brand collaborations. But what really makes an idea, product, or person capture global attention? In this keynote, she breaks down the key elements of compelling storytelling, building an authentic brand, and navigating influence in a digital-first world
The Future of Work: How Gen Z is Reshaping Innovation & Entrepreneurship Gen Z isn’t following the old career playbook—they’re rewriting it. Andini explores how this generation’s focus on sustainability, purpose-driven work, and digital fluency is reshaping industries, from entrepreneurship to corporate innovation. This talk offers key insights for companies looking to stay relevant in an era of rapid change.
Hedy Lamarr & The Untold Stories of Women in Innovation Hedy Lamarr was more than a Hollywood star—her inventions paved the way for modern Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Inspired by her BBC Radio 1 podcast Hedy Lamarr: Untold Legend, Andini shares the hidden stories of pioneering women in STEM, the systemic barriers they faced, and why representation in innovation still matters today.
The Power of Play: How Curiosity Fuels Breakthrough Ideas Innovation doesn’t start in a boardroom—it starts with play! From childhood experiments with hot glue guns and household junk to award-winning inventions, Andini explains why curiosity and a playful, improvisational mindset are the ultimate tools for problem-solving. This talk is a call to rediscover creativity and an open approach to work, education, and everyday life
– Andini’s Life Story
– Project-Based Learning
– STEAM Education
– Communicating Your Ideas
– Tech: Tool or Terror
– Give Your Kid Garbage
Feeling inspired to be creative in whatever fields of interest or hobbies they have (that aren’t their jobs, just yet!), feeling empowered to take ideas in their head and actually follow through and make it into something physical in front of them, more knowledge on the crucial yet often overlooked combination of science and art – and how they can incorporate these areas more in their own lives, feeling inspired that they (the audience member) can invent and create a positive impact in the world – no matter what age, race, education or socioeconomic background. EXCITED FOR LIFE!!