There is something about the end of summer that causes the creative juices to flow. Maybe it’s because of the back-to-school vibe in the air. I’m not sure what it is. If you know why projects that you have been working on all summer suddenly gain new clarity around Labor Day, drop me a line. … MD101: Welcome to the Retooling of MakerspaceDevelopment.comRead More »

Welcome to the 100th episode of the Makerspace Development podcast. I’d like to thank you, the listener, for supporting us over the years. We started this podcast conversation talking about empowering a larger American creative class. Now we are talking about contingent professionals. This episode takes us to a new stage in our podcast conversation.  … MD:100 Taking Stock of Where We Are with Makerspace DevelopmentRead More »

In this episode, we’ll be talking about American Job Centers or AJC’s. The reason is because the WIOA could provide future funding opportunities for struggling makerspaces. And the website WorkforceGPS.org announced an event called the “Future of American Job Centers.” Tech workers understand that waves have both peaks and valleys. They learn to read the … MD099: From AJC to Augmented Makerspace ServicesRead More »

In this episode, we are going to talk about enterprise zones and how they can be used to help lesser industrialized communities with contingent professionals. Regulations alone will not solve this problem. However, Contingent Enterprise Zones just might. This is an all hands-on deck moment in American history. Workforce50/50 is coming. It’s coming for us … MD098: Highlighting the need for Contingent Enterprise ZonesRead More »

The National Urban League should be commended for their recent report that describes the  “State of Black America.” And if this were any other year that would be subject of this episode. The challenge is that Workforce50/50 is coming for us all. The real issue for 2018 and 2020 is not that so few black … MD097: Workforce50/50 is coming for “State of Black America”Read More »

The hype surrounding Virtual Reality is dissipating. In fact, the only recent ray of hope for VR has been the announcement that Plex now supports Gear VR. Plex is a media serving application that allows consumers to create a fairly sophisticated entertainment experience at a minimum cost. And Gear VR is my personal platform of … MD096: A Very Plexing Situation for Makerspace DevelopmentRead More »

In this episode, let’s talk about how Creative Enterprise Zones in London could lead to a 21st Century land rush here in the United States. You could easily make the case that workforce-scale makerspace development should be doing the same thing as Creative Enterprise Zones. Most Economic Developers will find it difficult to make the … MD095: Centering Creative Enterprise Zones around MakerspacesRead More »

In this episode, we talk about the excitement of applying new technologies to makerspace development. You can see this process in motion on the Makerspace Development Pinterest Page. If you happen to be on Pinterest, checkout the Creative Equipment board. Workforce50/50 is coming. And as it gets closer, the potential increases that some natural disaster … MD094: How work on Makerspace Peering led to MongoDBRead More »

In this episode, we talk about who we should be as makerspace developers. In Game of Thrones, John Snow wants to be a Ranger. He’s trained his entire life to master the skills necessary to survive north of the wall. He wants to be a Superman. Unexpectedly, he is forced by necessity to be a … MD093: Comparing the Pioneering Cadre to RangersRead More »

In this episode, we will talk about what to do if some local disaster forces the balance to tip overnight in favor of contingent workers. Also, what do you do if a major employer decides that the grass is greener somewhere else or maybe just the next county over? Do you simply ignore those members … MD092: Extending the range for Makerspace DevelopmentRead More »