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Generator is a combination of artist studios, classroom, and business incubator at the intersection of art, science, and technology.

 

We provide tools, expertise, education, and opportunity – to enable all members of our community to create, collaborate, and to make their ideas reality.

11,500 square feet of work space.

400+ Members

Over 2,000 participants in our classes, lectures, and events.

7 Workshops including wood, metal, and virtual reality, and rapid prototyping.

22 individual studios and work spaces for makers, artists, and entrepreneurs

8 businesses launched this year

Here are some program highlights from 2018:

DESIGN LAB

Design Lab offers innovative STEM workshops for 7th-12th grade students.

Working closely with area teachers Generator has developed programming that offers students unique hands-on learning experiences that focus on collaboration, prototyping, and flexible thinking.

Design Lab workshops start with design thinking, a creative problem-solving method that embraces human-centered design.

When it’s time to prototype, students head to Generator where they will build and test their projects.

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"I see maker education as a way to engage all kinds of learners in STEM, especially those who have struggled with science or math, by exposing them to a new kind of creative problem-solving."

Rachel HooperDirector of Community Outreach
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"We have been able to foster an environment that enables our students to gain the necessary skills and knowledge around new technologies emerging in the 21st century... these experiences have built relationships and inspired our students; as Evan Kerin, a Sophomore noted, "I am among my people."

Michelle LeFrancisWork Based Learning Coordinator, Spaulding High School in Barre, VT
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"Generator provided our students with excitement for creating and failing. Making the connection between student passions and real world examples of individuals who use those passions every day for their careers was inspiring for our students."

Lindsay CoxEducator at Winooski iLab

JUMP START

Jump Start empowers maker-entrepreneurs with great product ideas to start their business.

Jump/Start entrepreneurs are given free 24/7 access to Generator, a $1,000 stipend, and free tool training classes to help them refine their product prototype aided by Generator’s expert shop leads.

Jump/Start entrepreneurs attend six bi-weekly guest speaker workshops and receive 1:1 mentoring on subjects ranging from market analysis, revenue generation, financial management, business formation, intellectual property protection, brand development, and financing.

At the end of the program entrepreneurs present their business plans and products. They’re prepared to apply for LaunchVT’s early stage acceleration program and other funding opportunities.

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"Jump Start has been a big stepping stone for me in my personal growth, in saying, 'Okay, I'm doing this now.'"

Clay MohrmanJump Start Participant, founder of Clay Mohr Lighting
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"Meeting with manufacturing experts gave me confidence in managing the product-related challenges of my business. Meeting with business professionals gave me confidence in managing the rest. Jump Start made me feel like running a small business was possible and that my community was there to support me."

Christine HillJump Start participant, founder of Tender Warrior Co.
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“We have an internationally recognized brand expert do a workshop with very early stage entrepreneurs, and ... someone who has been running a venture capital fund for years talk about how you raise capital at a very early stage...One doesn’t tend to have access to these experts at such an early stage. That’s a very important part about this program.”

John AnnotucciLaunch VT

MAKER IN RESIDENCE

The Maker in Residence program enables artists, designers and entrepreneurs to advance and realize innovative new ideas at Generator.

Makers in Residence receive a studio, stipend and access to Generator’s 11,000+ square foot co-working/fabrication space in the heart of Burlington, Vermont’s South End Arts District.

Generator awards six Maker in Residence opportunities per year through a rolling application process.

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"We focused on [building a] Hollander beater, the machine that transforms the old textiles (rags) into paper pulp... Since there are so few individuals making these machines, they are extremely expensive; which presents challenges to Peace Paper Project operations when setting up studios in countries that are often disaster-torn... So with our time at the Generator, we set out to design & build a DIY Hollander beater... The finished result will be published as an open source file on Peace Paper Project's website, with a complete step-by-step to the process...The staff were incredibly helpful and the maker community offered fresh insight, inspiration and were always willing to lend a hand."

Drew MatottMaker In Resident, Peace Paper Project
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"I was amazed at the wealth of material knowledge and expertise found within Generator's member community. Multiple people were so generous with their time, helping me figure out new skills and answering my questions. The concept of open source knowledge was put into practice in tangible way. I learned fabrication skills that have supported current projects and inspired future ones."

Lydia KernMaker in Resident, artist
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"Generator's space is different than many artist residencies I encountered during the last years, as technological disciplines, scientific research and all forms of creative and inventive approaches are combined. Innovative tools as well as guided workshops shifted my artistic skillset and influenced my current project "Anatomy of a Storm," which will be displayed in an exhibition during Berlin Science Week."

Jana SchumacherMaker in Resident

MORE IMPACTFUL PROGRAMS AND EVENTS

Over 420 people attended 6 Reckless Ideas lectures from Burlington’s top thinkers and innovators at the intersection of design and science.

We hosted two Pitch It, Fab It pitch competitions and partnered with UVM’s Instrumentation and Modeling Facility to give away over $10,000 of in-kind prototyping and engineering consulting and materials to two early-stage entrepreneur teams with winning product ideas.

We hosted 20 people in our Somali Sewing Circle program designed to teach Somali-Bantu women basic garment sewing skills.

97% of Burlington Middle Schoolers benefited from our Marker in the Classroom program which provides local teachers maker skills and curriculum to integrate into their lessons in public schools.

500+ people participated in 200+ classes and workshops including wood shop, welding, sew-your-own-clothes, electronics, knife-making, and more.

OUR PARTNERS

FINANCIALS

THE FUTURE

GIVE THE GIFT OF CREATIVITY

 

Support our community think tank by making a contribution now!


MONTHLY

$ 5-80

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ONE TIME

$ 20-500

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PAY BY CHECK

$ 20-500

One Time Contribution

  • You can mail your check to:
    Generator
    P.O. Box 64853
    Burlington, VT 05406
    Our tax ID # is 46-3848431