The Illinois Manufacturers Association, inspired by college basketball’s NCAA March Madness Tournament, sought to put on a contest to determine the coolest thing made in Illinois. They had a list of requirements and parameters but were unable to find a platform that could fulfill all of those requirements. They approached me to solve the problem, and I designed both the website and put together the platform that powers the contest.

In its inaugural year, the public submitted over 200 products for consideration and around 75,000 votes were cast. The contest has become an annual event bringing businesses, elected officials, media personalities, and the public together in a celebration of everything made in Illinois. In 2024, over 300,000 votes were cast.