If you attended Maker Faire Bay Area earlier this year you may have noticed Greathouse Labs in the West Lot. A collection of electric-powered projects – scooters, chairs, wheelchairs, and grills sans propane – the projects were located adjacent to the Serpent Twins (currently gracing the cover of MAKE Vol. 35) when they weren’t slithering around the event. The brainchild of Lance Greathouse, a Phoenix-based maker, Greathouse Labs was also the winner of the 2nd Road to Maker Faire Challenge, presented by Esurance. Awarded $2,500 for his project, Lance eventually drove the near-800 mile journey to San Mateo with a filled-to-capacity trailer and a few assistants to help.
Now one lucky maker will win $2,500 to travel – by suitcase or trailer – to New York City for World Maker Faire on September 21st and 22nd. And that maker could be you! That’s right, the Road to Maker Faire Challenge is coming to NYC, and there’s still time left to apply. The deadline is Monday, August 5th, at 11:59pm Pacific Time.
“As long as you’re doing your own thing and it’s unique, go for it!”
Don’t despair if time seems fleeting. Like you, Lance was a last-minute entry, applying on the final day of the contest. Lance was only informed of the contest by a friend with little time remaining, and would have been unable to attend unless he won the grand prize. In the end Lance not only won but also brought along his son to experience his first Maker Faire, as well as visit nearby San Francisco for the first time. In a recent conversation with Lance he also mentioned how he looked at the pool of challengers and didn’t think he stood a chance of winning. But he decided to dive in, and won, describing his road trip and time at Maker Faire as a “great experience all in all.” His advice to fellow makers, “As long as you’re doing your own thing and it’s unique, go for it!”
Many makers have already applied to win. Shortly after the entry deadline, the round of public voting will begin. Apply now and then rally your troops to help draw support for your project. From the top ten projects with the most votes, a panel of judges will select the grand prize and runners-up winners. Even the two runners-up will win a Maker’s Notebook, one-year subscription to Make Magazine, and two weekend passes to World Maker Faire. You really have nothing to lose. So go for it!
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