Meet Krista
Krista Jones is the founder of Whimsically You, a local wedding experience company. Krista is an artisan of many talents who has experience on a wide range of equipment at Generator. She spends the most time working with our laser cutters and in the woodshop; though, she is also well versed in the electronic studio and with the 3D printers.
From a Veterinarian to a Maker
Krista is originally from Concord, Massachusetts and comes from a scientific background. Her journey as a maker began with her work as an ecologist and veterinarian. Throughout her career, Krista specialized in a range of areas from wildlife health and behavior to exotic pets and veterinary medicine. “I would have to craft radio-collars or jerry rig little parts to make things work out in the field,” she says. Krista’s need to make and repurpose equipment expanded her creative thinking and sharpened her problem-solving abilities. She continued to develop these important skills as she worked all around the world, spending time in California, Louisiana, Vermont, Norway, and Australia. Though she didn’t know it at the time, these endeavors as a scientist and budding maker helped prepare her to create Whimsically You.
Path to Generator
Whimsically You was born from Krista’s experience planning her own wedding. “When we first started, I knew that there were a lot of things that we wanted to be very personalized and unique. I liked the idea of making things myself and having that as part of the wedding,” she says. Krista began searching for local makerspaces. That’s when she found Generator. “I was really impressed,” she says. “As someone coming in with basically no experience, and as a woman in what we sometimes think of as a male-dominated space, I was really happy with how welcoming it was here. Everyone is always happy to help. I always feel super comfortable and supported. It was just a really nice environment off the bat.” By the time her wedding rolled around, she knew she wanted to continue this work. “When we finished that process, I realized how much I loved it and also how much there was a gap in the market. That’s when we decided to launch Whimsically You.”
JumpStart
After deciding to launch the business, Krista applied for JumpStart – Generator’s 12-week entrepreneurial program that pairs group learning and one-on-one support to guide new entrepreneurs through the process. Krista especially appreciates the community she found through Jumpstart. “We get this cohort of other new entrepreneurs who are local, who we can have that connection with for support and for bouncing ideas off of. Even though JumpStart ended back in May, our cohort is still meeting every two weeks to continue to support each other and talk through stuff. That’s been fantastic.” Krista is also grateful to have presented her work at the program’s culmination, JumpStart Expo Night. “We got some business out of that night, as well as just getting some word of mouth out there, which at the beginning is so important.” Krista encourages anyone who is thinking about starting a business to apply for JumpStart.
Advice to New Makers
For new makers, Krista emphasized the importance of experimentation and flexibility. “The biggest thing I would say is to just go try and play around. Be prepared for the fact that a lot of things aren’t going to work, she says. “You’re going to need a lot more materials than you think to begin with because things will mess up.” Krista recommends Reddit and YouTube to help new makers learn. You can get support and information, ask questions, and get tips and answers,” she says. More specific to Generator, she recommended, “Come and take the tool trainings here! That will get you everything you need to just get started. From there, it’s really just up to you to figure out what you want to make and try and make it. It’s a fun process, and I encourage people just to give it a try.”
