3DRC Grand Challenge

🔑 Key Takeaways

🧬 1. 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 modelling 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.

🥊 2. 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.

🏆 3. 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.

📈 4. 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new job opportunities; factories have reported up to a 20% boost in efficiency, delivering major cost savings; and outdated training centres have been able to modernize their methods, helping bridge the digital skills gap across the industry.

🧭 5. 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.

💡 6. 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.