Member Spotlight: Makerspace Central

Member Spotlight by [Makerspace Central]

Provide us with a brief summary of your business’ services

Makerspace Central is a Columbus, Ohio-based 501c3 nonprofit focused on providing high-quality STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) experiences to underserved & under-represented K-12 youth. The organization fosters hands-on learning to inspire creativity, innovation, and career readiness in STEAM fields. Through our pop-up makerspace events, student participants use foundational STEAM principles on a path of self-discovery, empowering the next generation of problem-solvers.

Describe your company in three words

STEAM, Hands-on, Education

Share a recent project, client success, or example of your work in action.

Our team was recently awarded a National Science Foundation grant, with our partners Dartmouth College and Ohio State University, focusing on best practices in deploying engineering curriculum to elementary school students. This project highlights our organization’s belief in collaboration, research, and working with experts from diverse disciplines to create solutions and products that work for all. This project leverages Makerspace Central’s industry-informed, culturally relevant, and hands-on focus when developing engaging STEAM experiences and curriculum. Additionally, our ongoing Superstars of STEAM™ program has placed experts from the Central Ohio region in front of young designers and engineers, leading to interest and discovery of new subjects, passions, and career pathways.

How do you stay engaged with trends that you see in your industry?

Our team stays informed on industry trends by leading youth-facing day-to-day work, quantifying the impact, and tracing how those impacts are directly affecting industry partners. Because Makerspace Central is a K-12 STEAM organization, the education industry is one of many industries we operate within. Our industry-informed approach sees our team interacting with experts and stakeholders across various industries, but leads to the goal of STEAM identity development at a young age. Engagements where we share these insights are invaluable, such as conferences, networking meetings, and face-to-face conversations with industry partners.

If you had to start over from scratch, what’s the first thing you’d do differently?

If Makerspace Central were built from scratch, our journey would have focused on inviting industry partners to our engagements to “see and believe” in our approach, our team, and our service.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received as a business owner?

As the founder and head of an organization, the best piece of advice that I’ve received is “if you want to go fast go by yourself, if you want to go far, go with a team”. This reinforced the concept of how to develop Makerspace Central. This has led to a team of experts who bring unique, invaluable perspectives to the table.

What makes a successful partnership at your company?

Successful partnerships at Makerspace Central are made possible when both we and the partner find alignment between one another’s visions, missions, and values – amplifying one another’s work.

What makes Columbus such a great place to do business?

Columbus is an incredibly inviting environment that encourages individuals or groups to pursue a goal, especially through collaboration. This coupled with the hard-work spirit of Ohio is what makes Columbus such a great place to do business and why Makerspace Central is proud to call Columbus home.

What do you want people to remember about your business five years from now?

Five years from now (and decades into the future), we want members of the community to know that Makerspace Central has always been an organization about breaking down the barriers to STEAM through truly innovative approaches. We want them to know that our programming is built with the input and needs of the community in mind and that we always collaborate and strive towards developing a robust ecosystem for young makers, engineers, and designers – no matter their background.

Social Media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Makerspace-Central/61586447602931/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/makerspace-central/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makerspace.central
Website: https://www.makerspacecentral.org