Facility to foster local entrepreneurship preps to open in mid-January

Tinkering around in the garage, burning the midnight oil on a computer, experimenting in the kitchen — all are often done in private, and that means limited resources for tools and input.

Not at the MakerSpace.

The MakerSpace is a 21st century community workshop for technology education, said Christine Bekes, Powell Economic Partnership’s executive director.  

“It is essentially community education, with a tech emphasis,” Bekes said. 

A MakerSpace is sort of like a public workshop for people of all ages and skill-levels to come together and build, share, innovate, invent, make and learn from each other and technical experts.

“If you build it, they will come” works both ways at MakerSpace. Those who like to build are welcome to come and build more, and now that the MakerSpace is being established, locals will have somewhere to get together and create.

“One of the biggest things I learned is, you aren’t hoarding the information to yourself, the community makes the MakerSpace — they come and share and teach,” Bekes said, noting that there will be educational programs and classes.

The Powell MakerSpace is located inside The Cottage, across the street from Powell City Hall on the corner of Third and Clark streets. Bekes anticipated the facility will be ready in mid-January.

The Powell MakerSpace will have two volunteers from AmeriCorps VISTA on hand to help people get started.

“It is such a technological world — it is fun to experiment with these things and be able to share information,” said MakerSpace board secretary Faith Johnson. “I love the idea of someone who is woodworking for years coming in and teaching someone to do it.”

Powell MakerSpace areas will be available for a fee, possibly a tradeoff if a person volunteers to teach some classes, Johnson said.

Earlier this year, the Powell Economic Partnership was awarded a $49,974 grant from U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development program to help purchase innovation equipment that will be leased to the Powell MakerSpace, a local non-profit.

The grant was matched by a donation from Rick and Judith LaPlante through a gift to the PEP Foundation.

Those funds went toward a $15,000 CNC (computer numeric control) machine, a $3,000 CNC embroidery machine, a $2,175 3-D printer as well as a 3-D scanner, and computers with expensive software for programming and learning CAD (computer assisted drafting).

“That was the catalyst, and now we have some equipment coming. And then the school district stepped up and understood the potential and the opportunities for the kids to expand on what they do in school,” Bekes said. “They stepped up as a major partner, that was a big help in making this building possible.”

More partners are being sought, she said. Part of the PEP tour on Tuesday was to show potential stakeholders what the MakerSpace could do.

“We would be the only one in the area, which gives access to tools and training they may not be able to get on their own,” Johnson said, noting it’s hard to describe the MakerSpace. “It is more of a come-in-and-see-it.”

Powell High School sophomore Rhett Pimentel’s robot that decorates Easter eggs, and his cellphone charger that generates power from heat, were some of the examples shown to PEP members during their tour of the MakerSpace.

“I have always been interested in technology,” Pimentel said. “We have libraries, but not much of a tech place.”

Pimentel is involved with the high school’s robotics club. He said it helps build students’ interest in technology and opens up career opportunities after graduation.

“I could see them coming to classes (at the MakerSpace) for 3-D printing,” Pimentel said. “This is all stuff other people could do with the tools here.”

The MakerSpace would also foster networking among entrepreneurs.

“We need an outlet for the Rhetts out there and others, anyone in the community,” Bekes said.

The MakerSpace isn’t limited to just robotics and computers, there’s also a commercial kitchen available for culinary endeavors.

“This MakerSpace has a ton of potential,” Bekes said, noting that the equipment provides the next step up for entrepreneurs who aren’t quite ready to start their own businesses.

Aspiring chefs aren’t supposed to sell food prepared in home kitchens, but the kitchen at the MakerSpace would allow for it without buying an entire restaurant.

Members may be working from home and want to get their project “off the kitchen table,” she said.

Before diving in, they could rent some space and have a professional environment while they iron out the details.

“It’s not meant to be long-term, it’s just meant to help incubate businesses,” Bekes said.

Powell’s ties to the oil industry mean it’s likely some residents could have ideas on how to be more efficient and productive, and the MakerSpace would provide a place and the tools to create those solutions, said David Gilliatt, PEP member and agent/owner at Farm Bureau Financial Services.

“That could benefit worldwide,” Gilliatt said. “Connecting with the schools could get kids excited about engineering and innovation.”

“I thought it was very cool to have a resource like this, especially for a small town like Powell,” Gilliatt said. “It doesn’t matter where the ideas originate, with modern technology you can export ideas and products to anywhere in the world and some of the best ideas come from all over, so why not Powell. This just makes it possible.”

Finalizing the building’s lease with Park County School District No. 1, lining up insurance and setting up the equipment is all that’s left to do before the MakerSpace is ready to go.

“I can’t see anything negative, to me it is all positive,” Gilliatt said. “You can’t help start spinning wheels to come up with something to do here — encouraging free thought is a good thing.”

For more information about the MakerSpace and how to get involved, contact Bekes at 754-6094, or go to www.powellmakerspace.org.