As the nation pushes for higher academic standards with an emphasis on science, technology, engineering and math, entrepreneurs and city leaders in Danbury are taking it a step further by getting the community involved in STEM-related innovation projects. The common goal is to spark new business ventures and spur job growth.
For more than two years, Danbury Hackerspace co-founders Jon Gatrell and Mike Kaltschnee envisioned opening a hacker space in Fairfield County.
Hacker spaces, which serve as gathering places for people interested in collaborating on innovative projects, began as a movement in Europe, said Bruce Tuomala, Danbury”™s economic development director. The idea recently gained popularity in Connecticut with the opening of shared workspaces such as the Stamford Innovation Center.
When Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton approached Gatrell and Kaltschnee about opening a hacker space in the city, the entrepreneurs responded with a technology fair and by inviting the public to bring their ideas to exploit the creative minds ”” young and old ”” Danbury has been nurturing.
Before long, the city of Danbury invested $600,000 to redevelop the former Union Bank space at the Danbury Library to make way for the Danbury Hackerspace. Gatrell and Kaltschnee”™s space received a $250,000 two-year grant from CTNext, the state”™s quasi-public venture that promotes Connecticut”™s so-called “innovation ecosystem.”
“The reason we”™re doing all of this is we want businesses to start, build, grow and stay in downtown Danbury,” Tuomala said. “We want to develop an economic base of startup businesses that flows out of the Hackerspace and future tech incubator.”
The recent MadHackers event, organized by the two entrepreneurs and city leaders, was designed to put Danbury on the map as an entrepreneur-friendly place, Tuomala said.
This is the second annual MadHackers event and the number of booths doubled compared with last year, Kaltschnee said. Seasoned entrepreneurs and STEM Academy students displayed eye-catching visuals, drawing the attention of scientists and stay-at-home mothers alike.
The booths showcased the likes of 3-D printers designed to cut through wood and metal and varnishes made of the recycled wood once used for Coney Island”™s storied boardwalk. The sixth- and seventh-graders at the STEM Academy in Rogers Park Middle School in Danbury brought in projects they”™ve worked on all year, including a window sensor prototype and an innovative guitar capo.
“The students approached me about attending this event,” said Frank LaBanca, principal of Westside Middle School Academy, a new magnet school that will absorb the Rogers Park Middle School STEM Academy and start a global studies program when it opens in Danbury this fall. “The training we”™re doing with them in STEM Academy is valuable and worth showcasing and seeing what the hacker community at large is interested in.”
Innovation and education were the pillars of the organizers”™ event held at the CityCenter Danbury Green. It featured a technology fair, social media workshops, live bands and food. “Our hope is we”™ll see a lot of businesses and startups come out of this,” Tuomala said. “It”™s designed to generate business and economic development. The components of that come out of what we”™re doing to benefit the community. This event is also exposing our kids to opportunities to make something, develop something and see how cool that is.”
The Danbury Hackerspace, which is scheduled to open at the end of this month, will be housed in whatӪs now called the Danbury Innovation Center at 158 Main St. It will be the anchor tenant, with the co-tenants including SCORE, a nonprofit focused on helping small businesses start and grow via executive input, and an Internet caf̩.
“The Hackerspace is a community,” Kaltschnee said. “We”™ve been without a building for two years. Now that we have a building, we”™ll have more activities and staff. The Hackerspace is a community resource. You don”™t have to be a member to benefit from this. As part of CTNext, we”™re an outpost for entrepreneurs. We thought since there has been no state activity in the western part of Connecticut, and all the entrepreneurs are based in Hartford, New Haven, Stamford and Fairfield, Danbury needed some action.”
