Miami Mini Maker Faire, a Flickr set by Michael Bolden

Knight Foundation supports the Miami Mini Maker Faire and Maker Saturdays to connect talented people in a creative environment that stimulates new ideas. Below, organizer Ric Herrero, co-founder of MIAMade, writes about the maker movement here in South Florida.

Miami is a DIY town. It’s long tradition of do-it-yourself ingenuity and tinkering is part of the reason why Kauffman Foundation ranks the city No.1 in the country in per capita entrepreneurial activity.

A growing number of local entrepreneurs young and old are starting businesses making things, either embracing classic craftsmanship or using technology to hack traditionally “non-tech” goods into something new. 3-D printing has become more present; former hobbyists and do-it-yourselfers now call themselves makers; and schools around the county are seeking creative ways to integrate experiential STEAM learning into their curriculums.

Yet it remains difficult for makers and innovators to build their ideas here. It is harder than it should be for them to connect with their peers and find valuable mentorship opportunities and support services.   

We at MIAMade seek to bring this community of makers together and introduce their wonderful creations to consumers and the wider community. Through the Miami Mini Maker Faire supported by Knight Foundation, we provided makers with a highly visible, annual platform that they can coalesce around, eagerly anticipate together, and begin to build community. But that’s just the beginning.

In 2014 we are launching several initiatives to help foster a sustainable maker culture in the Greater Miami area.  Knight is helping kick things off on Saturday, March 15, with support for Maker Saturdays at The LAB Miami. Maker Saturdays will be a yearlong series of interactive workshops where local innovators will demonstrate what they make and share what they’ve learned with anyone interested in learning more about cutting-edge STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art + design, Mathematics) disciplines.

The series will start with “Learn How to Choose Between the Different 3-D Printing Technologies,” an introductory class led by local prototyping firm WB Engineering. This class will be the first of an ongoing monthly workshop at The LAB solely devoted to 3-D printing.

In addition to the 3-D printing classes, Maker Saturdays will feature workshops on a wide variety of fields, including computer-aided design, robotics, electronic sensors and microcontrollers, hardware development, craft food and drink, furniture and apparel making, and more, all hosted by innovative local makers and educators.

We hope Maker Saturdays will inspire more local creatives to embrace STEAM disciplines and help foster a sustainable maker culture in Miami.

The March 15 3-D printing workshop is sold out. For updates on upcoming workshops and other MIAMade initiatives, please sign up for The LAB Miami and Refresh Miami newsletters, and follow MIAMade at @MIA_Made and facebook.com/miamimakers.