Meg has been a leader in community arts and education in Vermont for the last 20 years.

Meg was founder of the Langdon Street Café, the collectively run art and music venue in Montpelier that that Seven Days named “the crown jewel of the Montpelier arts community.”

Hammond came to Generator in January 2020 from Goddard College where she was Director of Development. At Goddard she led a successful campaign for a multi-phase renovation of the historic Haybarn Theatre in 2014 and produced the Haybarn Theatre Concert Series featuring world-class performers. Hammond was costume designer and stage manager for the original Vermont productions of Hadestown which went on to Broadway to win 8 Tony awards in 2019. Hammond holds a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Arts. She is here to empower entrepreneurs, artists, and makers of all kinds and increasing educational opportunities in STEAM pathways.

Contact Meg here.

Veronica is a lifelong learner with a knack for inquiry. She brings to Generator seventeen years of experience in the education sector with a focus on advancing equity of access to authentic opportunities that are relevant to the learner and serve the broader community. For the past seven years, she worked for the Vermont Agency of Education to provide systems level support for the implementation of Act 77, Flexible Pathways initiative through student-centered policy and program development for statewide dual enrollment, early college, and work-based learning programs. Prior to the Agency, Veronica taught secondary English in Boston and Lawrence, MA where she co-designed multidisciplinary performance tasks with academic and CTE instructors in order to help students make the connection between academic principles and real-world applications.

Veronica grew up in a small town in southern NH, spending summers in coastal Maine. Her inquisitive nature led her to studying abroad, traveling the USA, then eventually, settling in Vermont with her family. Veronica holds an Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a BA from the University of New Hampshire.

Contact Veronica here.

A Vermont Native with a career spanning multiple art and maintenance industries over the last decade and a half, Mason is a person who has worn many hats in his life. After getting his B.A in Theater, he moved to NYC to work as a freelance carpenter off-Broadway. He was the technician in charge of humidity control on a traveling exhibit of The Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Foreman of a scene shop in Brooklyn where he supervised the creation of stages for product launches, helped Nike put a traveling skatepark on a barge, and oversaw the build out of multiple sets for off-broadway productions.

Returning to Vermont in 2014, where lucrative theater work is hard to come by, Mason began his journey as a maintenance technician. Working first for the Burlington Housing Authority, and then the UVM Medical Center, he put his natural curiosity and enjoyment of taking things apart to work in a new way. At the medical center, Mason took every opportunity to learn new skills and increase his knowledge, working on large HVAC Systems, chillers and 600hp boilers in order to keep the hospital running and helping to keep people comfortable while they healed.

Mason loves to take things apart, see how they work and then put them back together. He’s always discovering new ways to fix things and working on his family’s homes or his truck. When he’s not working or fixing things, he’s fishing, camping, seeking out delicious food, or playing Dungeons and Dragons with his brother and their friends.

Contact Mason here.

Greg comes to Generator after a decade of work as the Communications Director at the Catamount Trail Association, and has over 20 years experience building communities and connecting individuals in the outdoor industry.

Greg has always been a tinkerer, a modifier, and an aspiring maker. His most recent endeavor has been learning to sew in support of his bikepacking addiction. So far he has outfitted four of his own bikes, both of his son’s bikes, and a number of friends with a variety of bags. He also started turning his fabric scraps into wallets and selling those via Etsy to help pay for this newfound habit!

When not at Generator, Greg calls Burlington home and spends his time with his wife, his two sons, and his cat Fred. They like to be outside as much as possible, and can most often be found on their skis or bikes somewhere in the woods of Vermont.

Have an idea for a story, event, or promotion that involves Generator… or want to go bikepacking? Get in touch with Greg!

Contact Greg here.

Alex is a freelance maker and teacher who specializes in metal fabrication. He grew up in the idyllic suburbs of northern Virginia and went on to get a degree in geography from the University of Kansas. After a subsequent career as a pizza artist, he hit the road and found himself working as a commercial fisherman on the coast of Maine. Now in Burlington, Generator is where Alex spends most of his time. His goal in life is to learn how to do everything, or at least everything that interests him.

Need help with something tool or workshop related?

Contact Alex here.

Ben comes to Generator with 14 years’ experience as a mathematics teacher. During his career he has focused on creating an engaging environment that puts the students at the heart of the classroom.  Ben is a big believer in learning through mistakes, projects, discussion and having students be the ones to investigate and answer their own questions as a team. During his seven-year career at Spaulding High School in Barre, he helped to create a STEAM program in coordination with the Work Based Learning program that was already in place.  He also taught and developed an engineering course, robotics course and various mathematics classes.

Ben loves a project and being in the outdoors. Whether it’s renovating his 1930s colonial, installing solar panels on his camper, baking pies from scratch, or using his 3D printer to make board games, he’ll jump at the opportunity to get creative. He is one hoopy frood who really knows where his towel is at!

Ben lives in Barre with his wife and two dogs.

Contact Ben here.

Jake is a passionate and versatile maker from Colchester, Vermont. While starting his career in software implementation, Jake honed his technical skills but always yearned for a more hands-on, innovative, and local role. He is a self described “serial hobbyist”, always jumping from one tool or medium to the next to expand the ways his ideas can be brought to life. When not creating, Jake can be found relaxing at the beach and playing yard games with his friends.

Have an idea for a new workshop, event, or partnership? Reach out to Jake to explore the possibilities.

Contact Jake here.

Growing up on the North Shore of Massachusetts, Lucy enjoys long beach days coupled with iced coffee and a sci-fi novel. She moved to Vermont to attend the University of Vermont where she studied Communications and Entrepreneurship. During this time, she ran a small business from her dorm room selling up-cycled clothing designs.

Lucy is passionate about offsetting the global clothing waste crisis by repurposing damaged garments into wearable pieces of art. She specializes in outerwear pieces- designing jackets made from old jeans and blankets.

As a fellow artist, Lucy is always excited to learn about the projects others are working on and seeing if she can help in any way.

Have any torn jeans to donate or questions about the Generator community? Get in touch with Lucy!

Contact Lucy here.

SHOP LEADS

Seamus Hannan

Wood Shop & CNC Router

Seamus Hannan is a Burlington-based woodworker juggling dozens of custom projects at any given time. His personal work often involves combining fine hardwoods and veneers with LED lighting into light boxes. Seamus is one of our wood shop’s Volunteer Shop Leads and his studio is here at Generator, so there’s no better person to connect with if you’re considering joining Generator for access to the wood shop — he’s in it all the time! Seamus is also an audio engineer and live music lover. You can check out Seamus’s work here.

Juju Lobo

Wood Shop & CNC Router

Juju/Julianny here! Being a part of Generator has been an experience of much growth and learning. From an ‘artisanal’ background and nature lover, I joined the space with many ideas and very little experience. Fast forward a few years and now I’m now woodshop lead and tool training instructor, and yours truly member rep! Here I was able to network, get trained, exchange ideas, work, collaborate, make friends and much more – I really enjoy this community! If you see me around, and want to say ‘hi’ or bounce ideas around, don’t be shy!

Sara Skloss

3D Printers

Sara likes to experiment with small electronics and 3D printing projects. She recently designed and built an amplified crystal radio – with all the resistors and capacitors 3D-printed using a graphene-filled filament. She is currently working on an equatorial platform for a Serrurier truss Dobsonian telescope that she designed and machined over the summer. Sara received a B.S. in Engineering Physics with an emphasis in Materials Science and Nanotechnology Systems from University of Wisconsin Platteville. She is currently employed by GlobalFoundries as a Process Engineer.

Justin Heininger

Jewelry

Justin Heininger is a former Web Developer and artist living Hinesburg, Vermont. Born and raised in Vermont, Justin graduated from Champlain Valley Union High School in 1990, and the University of Vermont with a B.A. in Studio Art in 1994. He enjoys cooking, listening to music, and relaxing next to campfire in the summertime.

Greg Kuchyt

Metal Shop & CNC Router

Greg spent 14 years working as a Linux jack of all trades for a SUNY campus and the University of Vermont before stumbling into the world of machining and manufacturing. Greg entered the realm of machining on manual machines as a means to produce custom tools for volunteer work in the Vermont rock climbing community. On the way he discovered a whole world of manufacturing technology that has captured his interest ever since. Greg is excited by the idea of applying his experience programming and working on complex IT systems to the modern computer aided manufacturing environment. He works as a developer for a manufacturing applications engineering group that specializes in developing post-processors and digital twins for complex CNC machine tools.

Sam Damphousse

Laser Cutter &

Adobe CC

Sam is a graphic designer in the outdoor industry, currently working at Anon Optics here in Burlington. Sam is also a maker who enjoys bringing a deep understanding of illustrator to making the leap into digital manufacturing and rapid prototyping. Sam’s favorite part about the laser cutter is how quick you can identify a problem and work through multiple iterations to find a solution as well as the ability to make 3d artwork. Current projects include making a catan board, holiday ornaments, and making a set of small custom tool holders for his home shop.

When not around Generator you can find Sam outside Mountain biking or skiing.

Ryan Shanley

Sewing Studio

Ryan has a diverse skill set in fixing things, primarily to keep them out of a landfill, but also as a useful pastime. He began sewing 8 years ago when he wanted a hammock and did not want to buy one. This interest has grown, allowing him to fabricate a variety of things, including lightweight backpacking tarps, chalk bags, and hundreds of hammocks. He also does gear patchwork and repair, including zippers! Ryan is an active backcountry skier, rock climber, mountain biker, backpacker, and anything outdoorsy – activities that often result in him needing to fix or fabricate something. Ryan is excited to share his passion for making cool and useful things with others!

Tommy Waters

Electronics

Tommy is a life tourist, constantly exploring new ways of creating and interacting with the world. Professionally he is a software and electronics engineer, but has a variety of interests ranging from drawing and woodworking to fiber crafts and origami. Tommy’s curiosity takes him in many different directions and Generator has enabled this passion by giving him access to a wide array of tools allowing him to constantly be pushing his skills. When not in Generator, you may find him rock climbing in the area or rollerblading down by the waterfront.

Lizzie Maklad

Sewing Studio

Lizzie has a love for all things fashion and sustainable consumption. She first started sewing at 8 years old and hasn’t stopped since. After spending a year at fashion tech school at SCAD she joined Generator. When not sewing Lizzie is working at a local thrift store in the clothing department, gaining experience as she hopes to open her own nonprofit thrift store in the future. Lizzie has experience in tailoring, garment construction, patterning, and machine repair. Lizzie is excited to share her experience and passion for clothing with others!

TBD

Metal Shop

We’re currently recruiting a Vinyl Cutter and Learning Lab Shop Lead!

Interested? Email us!

TBD

Vinyl Cutter &

Adobe CC

We’re currently recruiting a Vinyl Cutter and Learning Lab Shop Lead!

Interested? Email us!