The new TBS reality show “America’s Greatest Makers,” which airs 9 p.m. Tuesdays, will feature Michigan State University College of Law student John Mohyi, who’s competing against other inventors from around the country to be “America’s Greatest Maker” and win a $1 million grand prize.
Mohyi is a member of The Hatch, MSU’s startup incubator, and the CEO and founder of Mohyi Labs.
At 8:45 p.m. EST Tuesday at The Hive, 219 Wilson Road in East Lansing, the Hive and MSU College of Law’s Legal RnD will sponsor a campus watch party to see Mohyi pitch his cutting-edge technology on national television. Food and beverages will be provided and attendees can RSVP on Eventbrite.
The Hive is an “idea laboratory” designed to get students engaged in entrepreneurship while learning how to create and innovate early in their college career. And LegalRnD is dedicated to improving legal service delivery and access across the legal industry through research and development.
“Spartan startups have talent and great ideas for making a difference on a global level,” said Paul Jaques, director of student and community engagement at Spartan Innovations. “From setting records at South by Southwest to ‘America’s Greatest Makers,’ we’re proud to see so many student entrepreneurs in the national spotlight this year.”
Mohyi graduated from Wayne State University in 2011 with bachelor’s degrees in economics and psychology, receiving honors for both. He has founded or co-founded three different companies apart from Mohyi Labs: Black Ice Beverages LLC, Michigan Central Station Preservation Society and American Organ Foundation.
“America’s Greatest Makers” is a reality show created through a partnership between TBS and Intel, which will run for eight episodes consisting of three rounds of competition. In the first round, 24 teams pitched their ideas for “wearable or smart devices,” the best of which advanced to the next round. The final five teams from round two will be guaranteed $100,000 each in prize money as they move on to the final round, improving their products further and perfecting their pitches in an effort to become the show’s first winner.
The show will feature the following judges:
• Massimo Manzi
• Mayim Bialik
• Brian Krzanich
• Shaquille O’Neal
• Kevin Pereira
• Carol Roth
• Mike Rowe
• Kenny Smith
Follow John Mohyi on Twitter and learn more about Mohyi Labs on Facebook.
The MSU Innovation Center combines innovation, technology transfer, start-up support and a portfolio of dedicated business and community partnerships to bring cutting-edge ideas to the marketplace. Comprising MSU Technologies, Business-CONNECT and Spartan Innovations, the MSU Innovation Center stewards ideas from concept to product, launching more than 120 discoveries into patented products and start-up businesses annually.