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Iowa Makers collaborate to develop statewide innovation ecosystem

Iowa Makers collaborate to develop statewide innovation ecosystem

We ended our final Iowa Maker Tweet-Up of the summer on a sweet note… featuring cooking studios, die-cut chocolate, 3-D printed treats and more! Our final #iamakerchat of the season focused on Making in Iowa and how local Makers can collaborate to develop the state’s innovation ecosystem.

Here are a few of our favorite tweets from Tuesday’s conversation:

First, we brainstormed ways to invite new Makers to join the movement while supporting Iowa’s existing Maker community.

How can we show the world that everyone is a Maker? #iamakerchat -@SCIOWA

Programs like yours, and make sure we keep bringing people into the conversation from different backgrounds. #iamakerchat -@Area515DSM

How can Makers support Makers as we work to develop Iowa’s innovation ecosystem? #iamakerchat -@SCIOWA

SHARE. And then share some more. Go to a Maker Space or your library or a meetup or your existing clubs and SHARE. #iamakerchat -@Area515DSM

We brainstormed how Maker Faires can better serve the local Maker community and inspire new Makers.

What role do Maker Faires play in developing Maker culture/bringing it to pop culture? #iamakerchat -@SCIOWA

That whole “not connected” thing. That’s what they could be doing. Also, inspiring the young’uns. #iamakerchat -@Area515DSM

Then, high-tech cuisine came up…

How do we encourage Makers to collaborate on new ideas? #iamakerchat -@SCIOWA

We’d also like to have some like-minded neighbors. We can’t be the entire village, e.g., a cooking studio would be GREAT! #iamakerchat -@Area515DSM

Food art/cooking is a key part of Making, but it’s often left out of the discussion. How do we bring that to light? #iamakerchat -@SCIOWA

But those ties are happening! They’re just not as obvious as wearables, for instance. But hey, 3-D printed food! #iamakerchat -@Area515DSM

Finally, we said farewell to an inspiring summer of tweet-ups with this question:

How would you describe the Maker movement in one sentence (or two)? #iamakerchat -@SCIOWA

Making something will almost always involve learning something. Might be something different than you expected as well! #iamakerchat -@MichaelELandon

It’s about us reclaiming our confidence as producers and agents of change in our lives. (And making cool stuff.) #iamakerchat -@Area515DSM

Join us next summer!

Thanks for following along and joining in the Iowa Maker conversation! Stay tuned in June 2016 for another summer of #iamakerchat, featuring new topics, new technology and new ways to expand your Maker mindset!