Introduction
The 3D Retail Coalition (3DRC) Grand Challenge, established in 2018, is an annual competition that recognises innovators leveraging 3D technology to transform the retail and apparel industry. Organised in collaboration with the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE), PI Apparel and Kalypso, the challenge provides a platform for start-ups, researchers, and technology pioneers to showcase solutions that enhance digital product creation, automation, and consumer experiences. The challenge has played a crucial role in accelerating industry adoption of 3D, offering winners visibility, mentorship, and credibility to scale their innovations.
As we head into its 7th year, in this series we interview past winners and explore where they were then, where they are today, and how the challenge helped them scale for success.
2018 Grand Challenge Winner
Today, we sit down with Sarah Krasley, Founder & CEO of Shimmy, as she shares her journey from leading emerging technology at Autodesk to pioneering workforce upskilling in the apparel industry. Sarah won the 3D Grand Challenge in 2018 with a ground-breaking SaaS-based training platform that leverages 3D models and AI-driven education to train factory workers.
Don’t have time to watch the full video on-demand? Scroll down for a summary of the session’s key takeaways…
🔑 Key Takeaways
- Sarah’s Background
Sarah has built her career at the intersection of digital transformation and manufacturing. Prior to founding Shimmy, she led an emerging technology group at Autodesk, where she focused on applying 3D modeling in innovative ways across various design and manufacturing sectors. Recognizing that the apparel industry was only just beginning its digital journey, Sarah saw a unique opportunity to bring her expertise into a space ripe for transformation. - Challenges in Industry Adoption
While many brands were already struggling to get their vendors to adopt 3D modelling software, Sarah recognized that the deeper challenge lay in scaling digital literacy among factory workers. Without the skills to operate advanced tools, meaningful adoption would always lag. She also pointed out how the industry’s traditionally slow pace makes it especially difficult to convince decision-makers to invest in new technologies, even when the long-term value is clear. - Winning the 3D Grand Challenge
Sarah and her team entered the challenge with a solution that focused on leveraging existing 3D garment models for workforce training. Their idea was simple yet powerful—if a digital model already exists, why not repurpose it to train workers more efficiently? Shimmy’s approach aimed to make training more cost-effective, adaptable, and scalable, especially in an industry where traditional methods were often manual and inflexible. - Shimmy’s Growth & Impact
Shimmy began with early pilots, experimenting with AI-driven and touchscreen-based solutions designed to make training accessible to low-literacy workers. Since those initial trials, the platform has expanded significantly—training nearly 12,000 workers across 25 factories. The impact has been far-reaching: workers have gained promotions, paid off debt, and secured new job opportunities; factories have reported up to a 20% boost in efficiency, delivering major cost savings; and outdated training centres have been able to modernize their methods, helping bridge the digital skills gap across the industry. - Lessons from the Journey
Sarah built Shimmy without the backing of venture capital, instead relying on customer revenue and strategic opportunities for exposure. Competitions like the 3DRC Grand Challenge played a crucial role in establishing early credibility and opening doors to key industry connections. Throughout the journey, Sarah has emphasized the importance of long-term thinking—particularly in industries like apparel, where adoption of new technologies tends to move at a slower pace. - Advice for Start-ups & Innovators
For innovators entering the space, Sarah encourages applying to competitions like the 3DRC Grand Challenge, which offer vital visibility and connection to industry decision-makers. She also stresses the importance of being genuinely passionate about the problem you’re solving—because in a slow-moving industry like apparel, lasting change takes time and long-term commitment. Finally, her journey is proof that success doesn’t always require outside funding; by focusing on customer-driven growth, companies can bootstrap their way to meaningful impact.
🗣️ Noteworthy Quotes
On the journey:
- “It’s a difficult go-to-market in this industry. You have a new idea that will save people money, but convincing decision-makers to take that first step is the hardest part.”
- “We’ve only grown through customer revenue. We’re not venture-backed, and that has shaped our approach to scaling.”
- “Our work has helped factories achieve 20% efficiency gains and given workers the skills they need for better jobs and promotions.”
- “It’s been eight years, and this is still the problem I love to think about every day with my team.”
On the 3DRC Grand Challenge:
“The competition was so helpful in the beginning to give me visibility and get in front of the Jami Dunbars and Alexis Kantors of the world to share my perspective on what the industry needs.”
“We weren’t venture-backed, so the challenge gave us an opportunity to be seen, to get on stage, and to connect with decision-makers in the industry.”
“IEEE is an amazing stamp of credibility. Being recognized by such a respected scientific and technical body helped us gain trust and opened doors for new opportunities.”
“The Grand Challenge was invaluable – not just for the exposure, but for the mentorship and the validation that we were onto something real.”
“It was a leap of faith to put our thesis in front of that audience, but the response was overwhelmingly receptive. It helped us build relationships that I deeply treasure.”
“If you’re considering entering the challenge – do it. It’s a long road to change this industry, and visibility is everything.”
The 2025 Grand Challenge is now LIVE!
The 7th Annual 3DRC Grand Challenge is back with a bold new theme for 2025: harnessing the transformative power of data-driven AI and 3D technology to revolutionize the product development lifecycle.
This year, we invite visionary minds to push the boundaries of innovation and reimagine how retailers and brands discover, design, make, and sell products!
Want to know more? Click on the image below…
