Submitted by The Hive
Filed under the category of ‘no risk, no reward,’ founder Kendall Dodd unveiled The Hive, a new maker space project, with the launch of a Kickstarter funding campaign on in late June. Maker spaces come in many different shapes and sizes but the one thing they all have in common is right there in the name – they are places that enable making by bringing together people, tools and projects. Maker spaces are gaining in popularity throughout the country, and are even the subject of a new White House initiative to spur innovation and domestic manufacturing at the grassroots level.
The Hive will be a place where members can come to use tools, space and equipment to work on projects, learn and share skills. Starting with woodworking tools, sewing machines, sinks and large worktables, it will grow and adapt over time based on the needs and interests of the membership. “Bellingham needs a place like The Hive. This is a creative and self-reliant community that already has so many great resources for makers, tinkerers and artists of all kinds,” Dodd said, “but unless you are lucky enough to have both room to work at home (or in a studio) and money for tools and equipment of your own, there aren’t any other options for you.”
The funds raised through Kickstarter will be used to establish a physical space for The Hive as well as to attract further investment. Not only does a platform like Kickstarter offer a way for project creators to raise money, it also galvanizes support for new ideas by allowing backers to participate in the creative process, which dovetails perfectly with the community-building mission of The Hive.
According to their website, “Kickstarter.com is a new way to fund creative ideas and ambitious endeavors… [and] is powered by a unique all-or-nothing funding method where a project must be fully-funded or no money changes hands.” Taking this mantra to heart, Dodd compiled an ambitious campaign to raise all of the seed capital for The Hive in just four weeks.
“In Bellingham, people often find themselves inventing the job they would be best at, and for me, this is it.” Dodd said. “I am a maker at heart and I want to create a place where people can do projects, tinker, make art, repair things, practice and build their skills.”
Three days into the campaign, The Hive had already raised 25% of its goal from a small handful of generous backers. While many Kickstarter metrics point to statistics like these as indicators of likely success, the project still needs to gather support from a broad base of local backers in order to meet its goal.
The Kickstarter campaign for The Hive runs through July 19 at 11:59pm PDT. If the goal is not met by this deadline, no backers will be charged and the project will receive no funding. Those interested in supporting the project should visit www.makedolearn.org to learn more.
