SARASOTA COUNTY (WSNN) – A Suncoast student continues to gain national attention from a solar invention that is reaching new heights.
New College of Florida student Antonia Ginsberg-Klemmt does it again!
“I remember having you here for the OZY Genius award, that was $10,000,” Ginsberg-Klemmt said.
SNN covered the story when she first received national recognition for the OZY Genius award.
But she keeps climbing the ladder. Ginsberg-Klemmt received two more national awards for GismoPower, an invention using mobile solar panels to power an electric car.
“It’s definitely a great feeling and a very rewarding feeling that hard work does pay off,” Ginsberg-Klemmt said.
She’s become a semi-finalist in the American-Made Solar challenge. This is a contest the U.S. Department of Energy created to spark solar energy innovation across the country.
“We are so proud of Antonia, she’s an amazing student, she’s had such an impact on this place,” New College of Florida President Dr. Pat Okker said.
Out of more than 100 teams, the Gismo Power team became one of 40 semi-finalists that received a 50,000-dollar grant. If selected for the next stage of the competition, Ginsberg-Klemmt has an opportunity for a 100,000-dollar award. The Winner takes home $500,000.
“If we are able to get that, then that means we would be able to get factories and higher welders and really start getting these gismo powers made,” Ginsberg-Klemmt said.
GismoPower also received a VentureWell E-Team Grant of $5,000 recognizing the potential it has to create a positive environmental impact. Ginsberg-Klemmt will take part in the Pioneer workshop in mid-January. This is part of the nationally-recognized Early-Stage Innovator Training Program that provides coaching and peer networking opportunities.
“She really embodies so much of what we hold to be central to what we do here in New College,” Okker said.
The ultimate goal?
“Make it more affordable to anyone and everyone, lower-class families or homes who would have never seen solar as a twinkle in their eye,” Ginsberg-Klemmt said.
The next phase of the American-Made Solar is set for April.
Stay tuned with SNN as we plan to continue to follow her journey.
