Ppm wiki:About
About
- We are a membership composed of Builders, Tinkerers, Engineers, Artist, Entrepreneurs, Designers, Educators all mashed up and revolutionizing creativity in the Pikes Peak Region. It is to provide a facility with space and equipment for people to create physical items for fun and for education. It also is a place to gather interested people for all manner of classes and instruction.
- We are happy our first location is a mash-up of Tech, Art, Teaching, Metal, Wood, Electronics and Community… The Manitou Art Center.
- We plan to have 3 locations in 2015. Our current partner with our downtown Clean space, Epicentral. This is also our mailing location.
- We are tapped into and support the Colorado Springs startup community.
- We are a fiscally sponsored project under the Pikes Peak Community Foundation. www.PPCF.org All funds run in and out of PPCF.
Bios
Chris Vestal
Hello my name is Chris Vestal,
President of the Pikes Peak Makerspace.
I currently run 2 companies. Concept Vision LLC & MotoMinded LLC
Started tinkering in the garage and restoring classic autos with my father since 11 years old.
Restored and sold classic cars until leaving for college.
AS in Mechanical Design
- 1994 Forward and rear lighting designer for General Motors (my start in 3D Printing)
- 1997 Mechanical Engineering firm where I developed a curriculum & trained 30 designers to draw in 3D.
- 1997 to Present. I founded and still operate Concept Vision LLC. A Digital 3D Computer Animation company, specializing in product visualizations. I have 3 employees with the company.
- 1999 I taught an AutoCAD 3D night class. Group of 20, age range 13 – 50 years old. First time beginners to intermediate.
- 2013 I started MotoMinded LLC. A motorcycle accessory company. I design, manufacture, promote ship products. Current products are produced from additive manufacturing (3D Printers)
- 2013 I started the Colorado Springs 3D Printing Community and the Pikes Peak Makerspace Communities, both on Meetup.com.
I have been tinkering, designing, building for as long as I can remember. I enjoy teaching and inspiring new products and companies.
My wife and I have restored and sold several homes over the last 15 years.
- Proficient in: Woodworking, Metal Fabrication, 3D Printing, Computer Assembly, 3D Modeling, 3D Animation, Graphic Design, HD Video Recording, Video Editing.
- Dabble in: Motorcycle Racing, Robotics, Home Improvement,
George Ott
Hello I’m George Ott,
Treasurer of the Pikes Peak Makerspace
Electrical engineer by trade, have worked in semiconductor industry locally, currently with Aeroflex
Have run a small consulting engineering business
Have taught at Intellitec & Colorado Technical University
Eagle Scout, currently troop committee chair (ask me about Seabase sometime)
Masters of Science in Electrical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Interested in electronics, speculative fiction, blacksmithing, woodwork, welding, landmine detection, sustainable civilization, boat building, films, storytelling, steam engines, rockets, gardening, using organization and thought to do good things, teaching, learning and doing stuff not just talking about it.
Maker, builder, hacker, dreamer by inclination, big fan of whiteboards really big fan of turning ideas into clever arrangements of atoms.
Board of Advisers
- Natalie Johnson – Executive Director of the Manitou Art center
- Kimberly Sherwood – President of Third Sector Group
- Lisa Tessarowicz – President of Epicentral Coworking
- Clay Gullory – Titan Robotics
- Sarah Harris – Development Manager at Downtown Partnership of Colorado Springs