If you’ve been to your local hackerspace/makerspace and noticed there weren’t many woman, did you stop to wonder why? Unfortunately a common reaction is to think, โI guess women just arenโt into hacking or building stuff.โ As one of the few female directors of a U.S. makerspace, I know this just isnโt true. Hereโs my perspective on the problem and what can be done about it.
Face it, you may never have all the tools you want or need. Some may be too big and heavy to fit inside your home or workspace, others too expensive or infrequently needed to make sense. Makerspaces, however, give makers access to those less-than-convenient tools to build projects that might otherwise be impossible.
Anything is possible with the right mix of brains and brawn. And we all know thatย when we get togetherย with our best buds, thingsย often take a hilarious turnย towards the ludicrous.ย Some of the oversized,ย outlandish projects comingย out of makerspaces proveย just how true โ andย fun โ that is.
Makerspaces aren’t just a good source of camaraderie and hobby level one-off projects. They also occasionallyย create and manufacture pro-levelย consumer products and services.ย Here are a few notable items thatย you can purchase, which haveย come from makerspaces aroundย the country.
So you’re going to rally your local makers into a collaborative, community-based workplace. Youโll need a location ranging from a mobile pop-up stored in your van toย an 80,000-square-foot warehouse. Youโll need tools,ย which can be borrowed from members, donated byย sponsors, or purchased. Youโll need a business plan.
Home of the three-time Power Racing Series champions, Sector67 is a well-organized hackerspace near the state capitol in Madison, Wisconsin.
What makes a makerspace interesting? Itสผs not just the size of the shop or the number of active members. Nor is it the selection of tools. Sure, those pieces count, but itสผs how a makerspace slots into its community โ elevating and inspiring the makers โ that makes it stand out.
