Building More Than Inventions: Rylee Blair's Journey from Invention Convention to MIT
For Rylee Blair, invention didn’t begin with a single idea. It began with a mindset — one rooted in curiosity, observation and a constant drive to make things better. “I feel like I come up with 10 ideas a day,” Rylee says. “I have an idea notebook that I’m constantly adding to.”
Today, Rylee is a sophomore at MIT studying mechanical engineering with a concentration in robotics and a minor in management. But long before MIT, her journey as an inventor was shaped through hands-on problem solving — and through two team-created inventions that reflect both her creativity and her practical approach to real-world challenges.
Solving Problems, One Idea at a Time
Rylee’s first invention, developed in collaboration with classmates during her sophomore year of high school, came from a simple but frustrating experience in a workshop setting. The problem: After sweeping up debris, students were left sitting on the floor, sorting through dust, dirt and scrap materials by hand to separate reusable pieces.
Their solution was the Recycle Vac — an attachment for a shop vacuum that uses magnets to collect ferrous materials while allowing smaller debris to be suctioned through a mesh filter. “It made cleanup faster and less messy,” she explains — a small but meaningful improvement to an everyday process.
The following year, Rylee partnered with two other students to develop Dawsonite Diver, a more complex project that she and her teammates presented at both science fair and Invention Convention. The invention is a mobile carbon sequestration mechanism designed to be attached to the back of cargo boats to extract the mineral dawsonite from ocean water using electrolytic processes as a means to capture carbon and address ocean acidification. Dawsonite Diver earned national recognition, receiving the prestigious Most Innovative Award at the 2023 RTX Invention Convention U.S. Nationals — a testament to both the originality of the idea and the strength of its execution.
Rylee accepting the Most Innovative Award at RTX Invention Convention U.S. Nationals 2023 with her teammates. Pictured left to right: Kristy Becerra (RTX); Disha Mudenur, Dylan Striek, Rylee Blair, Mary Lombardo.
Together, these two inventions highlight a defining trait of Rylee’s approach: Whether the problem is simple or complex, it’s worth solving.
The Freedom to Invent
Through her experiences in robotics, science fair and Invention Convention, Rylee began to recognize what made inventing uniquely powerful. “Robotics gives you a set number of parts,” she says. “But with Invention Convention, you have the whole world.” That openness allowed her to explore ideas more creatively — and to pursue solutions without predefined constraints.
And while science fair emphasized technical precision, Invention Convention offered something different: the opportunity to design, build and communicate a product in a way that felt dynamic and engaging. “It’s much more about talking about your design and your product — and honestly, it’s more fun,” she says.
Better Together: The Role of Collaboration
Through Invention Convention, students have the opportunity to navigate the invention process in ways that best suit their ideas — whether working independently or as part of a team. For Rylee, collaboration became an essential part of the experience.
Working as a team didn’t just improve the final inventions — it transformed the experience itself. “You can say something that sounds completely ridiculous,” Rylee says, “and then realize there’s a part of it you can actually use.”
Those moments of shared creativity — brainstorming, iterating, even laughing through long work sessions — made the process both productive and memorable. “It was a lot of work,” she says, “but doing it with friends made it feel totally doable.” Through collaboration, Rylee learned a critical lesson: Innovation thrives when ideas are shared, challenged and built upon together.
Confidence Through Creation
While Rylee developed technical skills through her inventions, one of the most lasting impacts was personal growth. “I learned how to explain my ideas to people of all different ages and backgrounds,” she says. From judges to younger students, those interactions helped her build confidence — not just in her work, but in her ability to communicate it.
That growth didn’t come without challenges. Rylee openly reflects on experiencing social anxiety, particularly when it came to sharing ideas in group settings. But through supportive environments — like her robotics classroom and invention teams — she gradually found her voice.
“If you can get over that fear of sharing your ideas, you realize you do have good ideas,” she says. Today, that confidence carries into her work at MIT, where she continues to tackle open-ended design challenges.
Training Your Mind to See Problems
At the heart of Rylee’s invention process is a habit anyone can learn: paying attention. “People complain about things all the time,” she says. “That’s where the problems are.”
Her approach often begins with observation — noticing inefficiencies, frustrations or unmet needs in everyday life. From there, she generates a wide range of ideas before narrowing them down into something actionable.
Over time, this way of thinking becomes instinctive. “Once you train yourself to look for problems,” she says, “you see them everywhere.”
Giving Back to the Next Generation of Inventors
Even as she pursues her studies, Rylee remains deeply connected to the invention education community. She has returned to support educator workshops, helping teachers learn how to guide students through the invention process — a role that reflects her passion for both innovation and education. “I want to inspire as many students as I can,” she says.
Her motivation is rooted in her own experience — particularly the moments when others took the time to listen, engage and encourage her work. “When someone came up and wanted to hear about our idea, it felt so exciting,” she recalls. “It made us feel like what we were doing mattered.” Now, she’s helping create those moments for others.
More Than an Invention
For Rylee, Invention Convention was never just about building a product. It was about building a mindset — one that combines curiosity, resilience and a belief in your own ideas. “You learn skills you’ll use for the rest of your life,” she says. From problem solving and communication to confidence and collaboration, those skills continue to shape her path forward.
Her long-term goal is to start her own company — bringing her ideas to life while creating space to keep inventing. “I want to build things,” she says. “And I want to turn those ideas into something real.” And with two inventions already behind her — and countless more in her notebook — she’s well on her way.
Learn more about Rylee here on her website.
And for more information about Dawsonite Diver, click here.
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