Castlemakers Inc., a nonprofit makerspace in Greencastle has created an initiative designed to help area residents learn how to make and sell their products.
The organization is partnering with Main Street Greencastle to launch the Entrepreneurial Fellowship program, which targets aspiring entrepreneurs who want to start a business and bring their ideas to reality but aren’t sure where to begin or don’t have access to the right tools or equipment.
“Being in a smaller community here in west central Indiana, there’s not necessarily all the support structure that you get in a larger city,” Castlemakers President Chris Hebb told Inside INdiana Business.
The first cohort will be comprised of about eight fellows, Hebb said, who will receive hands-on training and guidance from experts being brought in by the local chapter of the Indiana Small Business Development Center.
They will also have full access to the Castlemakers makerspace, where they can use equipment such as 3D printers, CNC machines, laser cutters and engravers, and electronic software.
Hebb, who previously worked for Rose-Hulman Ventures, said he sees the program as a grassroots-level approach to entrepreneurship.
“When I worked at Ventures…we were taking people that knew they wanted to be entrepreneurs, and we certainly won’t turn those kind of people down,” he said. “But what we’re targeting is people that maybe have a product idea and have thought about it, but are not quite sure how to go about it. So what we’re going to do is give them the advice and mentorship they need to make that happen.”
Hebb said the partnership with Main Street Greencastle will give participants additional opportunities to grow their ideas.
“We’re going to have an opportunity for people to be able to sell things that they perhaps make in a local market. So we’re expecting a few artisans and craftspeople and makers that will do this,” he said. “However, there I also expect to see some more technology-based businesses and some other things that will occur out of this. It’s not just limited to artisans or makers.”
Kate Knaul, executive director of Main Street Greencastle, said the program celebrates and strengthens the creative, artistic and entrepreneurial spirit of the city and Putnam County.
“By empowering local makers and entrepreneurs, this fellowship has the potential to bring new energy, ideas, and small businesses into our downtown, enriching the heart of our community,” Knaul said in written remarks.
Hebb said there will also be opportunities for a select number of area high school students to participate in the program as well. He added that he hopes the large number of makers in the region will help bolster the program in future cohorts.
“I’ve worked in both academia and business, and one of the things I like about the makerspace mentality is you try something, iterate, redo it, and you don’t have to have it perfect the first time. And that’s what it takes to be successful in business today.”
Applications for the first cohort are expected to open this week, and interested individuals can find more information by clicking here or contacting Castlemakers via email.