Colorado Makerspace Summit set for July 14-16

Tuesday June 27, 2017 Tags: Colorado Springs, Colorado Maker Hub, Elise VanDyne, Rocky Mountain Makerspace Summit

DENVER -- Colorado Maker Hub, a non-profit organization committed to empowering the Maker Movement by connecting, showcasing, and educating Colorado makers, announced the second annual Rocky Mountain Makerspace Summit to be held in Colorado Springs July 14-16.

Event organizers said leaders of makerspaces, cities and economic development organizations across the U.S. attend to network, collaborate on new pilot programs, share best practices, and analyze challenges and successes of past-year programs.

The Makerspace Summit is the only leadership event in the region that focuses entirely on engaging and empowering the maker movement, which adds more than $29 billion to the U.S. economy. The 2016 event resulted in several initiatives, including a makerspace passport program, a community network forum, the start of makerspace-driven workforce training and outreach programs, and joint fundraising efforts.

This year’s schedule includes:

•  Maker Cities Keynote and Workshops -- Discussing how to create thriving Maker Cities in the Rocky Mountain region. Regional makerspace leaders will present cases of companies launched and maker economic impact. Keynote speakers include Dorothy Jones-Davis, executive director of the Nation of Makers, and Bertie Lynch, executive director of Made Right Here, to talk about programs rolling out nationwide including workforce development in makerspaces. 

•  Art Walk -- Happy hour networking event with makers and artists hosted by the Colorado Springs Downtown Partnership.

•  Global Makerspace Community Days -- Hosted by Library 21C and the Pikes Peak Makerspace with workshops and speakers discussing RFID tracking, makerspace IoT, Passport program between spaces, membership practices and more. Sparkfun Electronics will host a hands-on electronics workshop. 

•  Manitou Art Center -- BBQ dinner and networking event. 


“Makerspaces are community based resources for entrepreneurship, workforce training, and creative expression,” said Elise VanDyne, Colorado Maker Hub executive director.

“The Summit brings together leaders from makerspaces, economic development, and educational institutions to learn from each other and grow the impact of the maker movement.”

Tickets range from $30 to $65, depending on organization type, and include all agenda items except the Art Walk. For more information, visit www.comakerhub.org .