By David Fleet

Editor

Goodrich

-Benjamin Hodsdon is a marker on a mission.

The 16-year-old Brandon Township resident recently launched a GoFundMe campaign (gofundme.com/a-building-for-make-initiative) to raise funds to purchase an historic 130-year-old building located at 10241 Hegel Road. If successful, Hodsdon and other area makers will convert the 4,000 square foot structure to the area’s first co-working Makerspace/Fab Lab, open to the public.

“We aim to inspire local micro-manufacturers, makers and aspiring entrepreneurs of all ages by providing tools, resources, and support from like-minded doers,” said Hodsdon, who currently attends high school at Virtual Academy. “Makerspaces are a lot like a fitness club in the way that people pay a monthly membership in order to have access to the big equipment they can’t fit in their homes,” he said. “They join a community of people with like-minded goals to keep themselves motivated, informed and on track. Makerspaces are the same thing except, the tools we share are for production and manufacturing.”

Hodsdon emphasizes the Automation Alley— Genesee-Oakland County M-15 corridor as not only historically significant from a manufacturing perspective, but also the talented individuals that reside in the area.

“The concentration of science technology engineering, arts and mathematics based school programs including FIRST robotics coupled with the wisdom of a retiring population of engineers, innovators, and craftspeople looking for ways to monetize their experience and transfer their skills in meaningful ways, is an indicator of incredible potential,” he said. “Look, our area could use an economic boost and nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd. Making is contagious and productive environments are the catalyst for innovation.”

Hodsdon set an arbitrary two-week window to raise the funds to purchase the buildings outright.

The non-profit organization will provide each person who donates a free class and recognition as a founding sponsor both in the building and on the website. Check out the floor plans, a preliminary business plan outline on the GoFundMe.com/a-building-for-make-initiative campaign page. For more information, contact Ben Hodsdon at makeinitiative@hushmail.com.