The last stop on my trip this summer was the Hacker Consortium in Nashville TN. The Hacker Consortium has been around since late 2007 after acquiring a building that had been abandoned for several years. They had quite the task ahead of them, since parts of the roof had caved in and the building was in a general state of disrepair. The price was right though, so they set out to make it habitable. They did a great job too. We found the space to be pretty cool. They’ve got tools for wood working, metal working, collaboration, etc. They also have a nice little kitchen area, a classroom, and a laser cutter. Unlike the other spaces we visited where anyone willing to pay the monthly fee can be a member, these guys tend to be a little more concerned with how you can contribute to the group. You don’t necessarily have to bring a new skill to the table, but you have to be an active part of the team somehow.
The members that were there were very hospitable and were happy to show us around. They even took my kids outside and made a shadow box for viewing the sun with them! If you would like to check out the space, you’ll have to contact [skydog] directly. There were some really cool projects going on there and I wouldn’t be surprised if we were sharing some of them with you very soon.
All these introductions are making me rather envious. Though spaces ‘abound’ in the SF Bay Area, here in Sacramento the best we have is a group called ‘Open Shop’ that doesn’t actually… have a shop. :p They can’t get organized enough to put anything together, the guys in charge are more interested in coming up with the mousetrap of the future to fund the thing.
I am in sacramento as well and can’t find any hackerspaces either. I just want to use a cnc machine sometimes to make my arcades
Have you tried http://hackerlab.org/
Location: 1715 I st
Sacramento, Ca 95814
Hours: Mon-Fri 9am to 6pm
Phone: 916.514.7044
Email: info@hackerlab.org
Had just looked this up after seeing the Chattanooga write up so glad to see it featured. Hoping to check it out when I move back to Nashville next month – guess I will have to rehearse for the “talent” portion, not sure I’d pass muster
I can say, from being a previous member, these are a great group of guys! Skydog is a born teacher and very encouraging
Watching these tours through hacker spaces just makes me so jealous. I’m from Muncie, IN.. A University Town and there just isn’t crap here.. I’ve even Tried to locate local groups of people with such interests. Muncie, Indiana Has a serious lack of Tech Geeks…..Surely, I’m not alone here Come out of your Caves!!! lol
Have you tried Club Cyberia http://clubcyberia.org/index.php/Main_Page
6800 E. 30th street
Indianapolis, IN 46219
That’s an interesting thought. You’d think that ‘geekyness’ is randomly distributed. However some areas have very successful hackerspaces while others don’t. What are the factors that go into making a successful hackerspace ?
Is the missing link a central organizing charismatic character?
I’ve seen some geek groups fail due to power grabs, control issues, funding, losing a location. What makes them succeed?
Apparently, People who give a crap and lots of money. I guess some area’s have some of one and none of the other. Which of which I’d suppose varies.
Just an update: The Hacker Consortium was done in by rising property prices and a landowner eager to cash in. There is, however, about to be a new makerspace in town that will be run as a co-op by Make Nashville. You can find out more about it at makenashville.com and if you’re interested in supporting us please consider becoming a Founder: http://makenashville.com/100-founders