Jan 16 - Kurt Westerlund, the Generator

The Generator is a 36,000sf makerspace dedicated to engaging EVERYONE in the joy of creativity through mentorship, community, education, and access to every tool needed to build or create anything one can imagine.

Kurt will be telling us about their capital campaign to buy a professional-level CNC machine that, like all our other shops, tools and training, will be offered to the public. A bunch of our goals with this machine overlap with Rotary’s commitment to public service so I’d like your group to know about it.

I’ll be telling you about the type of machine we want, why it’s in demand as both a service and a workforce skillset, and what we’d intend to do with it. In a nutshell:

·        - Access for the entire community to an amazing fabrication technology.

·        - Free training to the community on the basics of CNC fabrication, a skillset in high demand in the Reno/Sparks area.

·        - Training program will use opendesk designs that will be given to other non-profits). As an example, we envision the Boy Scouts wanting to make a bench or desk for a homeless shelter or Animal Ark. We’ll provide all the material for free and our students will use an opendesk design and our machine to cut it. The Boy Scouts would likely come watch the last pieces being cut, then assemble the product and deliver it to their client.

·        - We’ll make The Generator more self-sustaining by cutting Burning Man projects for both the Burning Man organization and for visiting artist groups.