2016 In Review
10 January 2017
The breakdown of the year that was full of leaps into the unknown: 2016.
January:
- Attended 1st Maker Faire Producers’ Summit in SF
- Visited friends at Facebook
- Finally saw the Exploratorium in person
- Helped build & run social media for Airigami’s Balloon Adventure: Life on the Genesee
February:
- Attended Burning Man Equinox at The Yards in Rochester
- Started to brainstorm Fringe Festival projects
- Explored building that would become Made on State
- Ran LED Throwies experience at TEDxAllendaleColumbia School
March:
- Attended RMSC STEM Awards
- Volunteered at FIRST Robotics Finger Lakes Regional (9th year volunteering!)
- Started helping other NYS Mini Maker Faires & Makerspaces
April:
- Started new position at RIT (see announcement post)
- Visited the Tech Valley Center of Gravity Makerspace in Troy, NY for the first time
- Attended RMSC Uncorked & Untapped
- Celebrated CSH 40th Anniversary Weekend
- Attended Digital Rochester Technology Women of the Year Awards & RocCity Rising for the first time
- Led NASA Space Apps Hackathon at RIT
May:
- Talked with Middle School Students out in Sodus
- Participated as an exhibitor at Image RIT as staff for the first time
- Spoke at STEM Exploration Days for first time
- Built 3 Masquerade Masks with wearable technologies integrated within them
- RMSC After Dark: Makers Masquerade - led Duct Tape Flowers table with Becca and Pat
- Celebrated second anniversary with Becca
June:
- Was a Guest Bartender for Rochester’s Girl Develop It Chapter
- Helped host NMC conference with MAGIC
- Represented New York State’s Maker Movement for the Nation of Makers Kickoff Initiative at the White House (my write up on the experience)
- Attended the National Maker Faire
- 1st Wedding of the Year - Metzgers in Long Island
July:
- Family Cruise in the Pacific Northwest
- Jumped off a several story platform when experiencing a zwing (a zipline swing) - Becca did the same
- Interview with Democrat & Chronicle
- Fringe Festival Announcement for the Green Room - collecting of jugs started
- 2nd Wedding of the Year - Kennedys in Minnesota
August:
- Becca & I attended our first Regional Burning Man (PortalBurn)
- Prototype wall for Green Room built
- Collected hundreds and hundred of 1 gallon jugs from community
- Attended 1st Annual Troy Mini Maker Faire
September:
- Interview with Rochester Magazine
- Fringe Festival Green Room
- 1,150 1-gallon jugs donated by 75-100 individuals, organizations, events, non-profits
- Built chandelier in one weekend with Larry Moss, Kelly Cheatle, & Joel Byam
- Green Room walls built in one weekend
- 12 walls in total
- 20 builders (including 4 members of my family!)
- 30 Hot Glue Guns
- 12 walls in total35 Pounds of Hot Glue
- Ceremonial 1 gallon jug of champaign
- Up for 12 days
- Led Software Freedom Day Hackathon at RIT
October:
- Made a bigger trip to the World Maker Faire in NYC
- Visited Etsy & NYC Resistor
- Held NYS Maker Meetup at Collab in NYC
- Nation of Makers Meetup at World Maker Faire
- Moderator of Geek Talk! Panel at Rochester Tech Startup Expo
- Made paper circuits with the Rochester Boys & Girls Club
- 3rd Wedding of the Year - Emily & Aaron Schultz in Seattle
- Fredonia Mini Maker Faire
- Made PlayDough Pianos using Makey Makeys with Kindergarteners & 1st Graders at Lima Primary Mini Maker Faire
November:
- Barnes & Noble Maker Faire
- Led hands on activities at 3 different stores over 2 days
- Ran Election Night Election Hackathon at RIT
- Nation of Makers Non-Profit Announced
- Tabled at the Rochester Entrepreneur Expo
- 3rd Rochester Mini Maker Faire!
- Big success!
- 2,200 people in attendance
- 130+ Makers
- Added Flame Makers section this year!
December:
- Escaped to Niagara on the Lake with Becca for a weekend
- Gave Keynote at Digies Conference at Genesee Community College
- Started to figure out plans for a New York State Maker Summit