Good Neighbor Podcast: Fort Collins
Bringing together local businesses and neighbors of Fort Collins. Good Neighbor Podcast hosted by Nick George helps residents discover and connect with your local business owners in and around Fort Collins, Colorado.
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Good Neighbor Podcast: Fort Collins
E10: Inside Fort Collins Creator Hub: Building Community Through Creation
Ever dreamed of creating something amazing but lacked the tools, space, or know-how to make it happen? That's exactly where Ellen Pickman found herself six years ago, scrolling through YouTube videos of beautiful epoxy river tables and thinking, "I could make that"—if only she had access to thousands of dollars worth of equipment.
Enter Fort Collins Creator Hub, a 6,400-square-foot volunteer-run nonprofit makerspace that transformed Ellen from complete novice to organization president. This episode takes you inside a thriving community workshop where 200+ members share professional-grade equipment including full wood and metal shops, laser engravers, electronics stations, and 3D printers. Ellen explains how the Hub operates entirely through volunteer effort, providing 24/7 access to members after proper training while maintaining some of the most affordable rates among Colorado makerspaces.
Beyond the impressive arsenal of tools, what truly distinguishes Creator Hub is its culture of mentorship and community engagement. Members freely share knowledge and skills, helping newcomers navigate equipment they've never used before. The organization extends its mission through STEM-focused summer camps for youth ages 11-16, teaching everything from rocket building to welding. Whether you're a seasoned maker, a curious beginner, or somewhere in between, this conversation highlights a valuable community resource where creativity, learning, and connection flourish under one roof. Ready to unleash your inner maker? Visit fortcollinscreatorhub.org to book a free tour and discover what you might create.
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Nick George.
Speaker 2:Hi Fort Collins, Welcome to Good Neighbor Podcast. Are you considering donating to a meaningful charitable organization? One might be closer than you think. Today I have the pleasure of introducing your good neighbor, ellen Pickman, with Fort Collins Creator Hub. Ellen, how's it going?
Speaker 3:Great Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2:We're excited to learn all about you and your business. Tell us about your organization.
Speaker 3:Okay, well, first of all, it's really not my personal business. We are a nonprofit organization. We run a makerspace here in northern part of Fort Collins and if you're not familiar with what a makerspace is, it's a community of makers. Basically, we have about 6,400 square feet and we've got all kinds of things for people to get involved in. So we have a full wood shop and that's one of the main draws a full metal shop. We have two big laser engravers, crafting, sewing, electronics and a bunch of 3D printers and a bunch of 3D printers. So there's a wide range of interest and of people that have different skills. So that's pretty much it.
Speaker 2:How did you get into this volunteer work?
Speaker 3:Well, it started about six years ago, I guess I was sitting at work I'm retired. I guess I was sitting at work, I'm retired now. But I was sitting at work scrolling through YouTube and I stumbled upon these beautiful epoxy river tables and I thought to myself, I think I can make that. But I had no means. And I talked to my husband and I said you know, okay, well, I'm going to need a table saw and I'm going to need, you know, a drill press and I'm going to need all kinds of stuff. And he said you know what? There's a maker space. They have it all. We don't need to spend thousands of dollars, just go up there. And, amazingly enough, it is so true. Amazingly enough, it is so true and it's a great opportunity to meet other makers, people that I've made two great mentors that help me personally. So I started down that road. I joined the makerspace knowing absolutely nothing and one of my first mentors there was the woodshop boss, and every time I had a question I would go to him and he'd stop what he was doing and help me and show me. And now I do that for other new members. I became the president of the organization just last year. So now I'm involved in, you know, just every aspect of running the place.
Speaker 3:We have no employees, we're a 100% volunteer run. So we have, oh gosh, about 12 or 15-ish people volunteers that will conduct tours and orientations and trainings. So a new member comes in and they say well, what is this all about? They'll come in for a tour, We'll show them around and if they're interested, then they can join and do their orientation. Everything's online. After that they come in for training. Well, training's online too. They go through the online training and then come in and demonstrate that you know they're proficient and then they get their permissions. They can come in and out and anytime, 24, seven, yeah, so start making stuff.
Speaker 3:We also try to get involved in the community. We are running a summer camp for kids between like ages of 11 and 16 or something like that. We've got 10 kids signed up, which is great, and it's all about STEM programs. You know, we they might do. Last year they built a rocket and launched it on the last day and they did woodworking and they could do soldering, I don't know. We also have a welding area, so there's all kinds of things. You know. We try to get the kids involved and go to community events as well. Nice.
Speaker 2:What are some myths or misconceptions in your line of work?
Speaker 3:Well, I guess that's a good one. I don't know. I'm mostly involved in the wood shop and maybe one of the myths is maybe the equipment is not the greatest. However, we do maintain that equipment once a week religiously. Yes, there are a lot of people using it. We have about 200 members, so things will break, and that's just par for the course. So we're constantly, you know, making sure everything is really in good working order.
Speaker 2:Who are your target support or your target donors and your main base of supporters, and how do you attract them?
Speaker 3:Well, our main operating income comes from our membership. It is one of the cheap. If we research makerspaces around Colorado, we are one of the cheapest ones and one with the most flexible, full access. So, members, we also have some corporate donors we try to encourage people to. You know, put us down as a beneficiary at the grocery store. You know they donate to us as as well.
Speaker 2:Outside of work. Outside of work, what do you do for fun?
Speaker 3:We ski, we hike bike, we like to do outdoors stuff. Yeah, and it's funny. You should ask that because before I got involved in this we would go hiking all the time, all the time, and my husband says you're at the shop all the time we, my husband says you're, you're at the shop all the time. We never hike anymore and I think that's pretty funny. So I do have to prioritize, you know, and um it's good that you're passionate about your work.
Speaker 2:Let's switch gears. Can you describe a hardship or a life challenge that you overcame and how it made you stronger? What comes to mind?
Speaker 3:oh, that's a hard question. You mean in my life personally, or if you're in the business sure, um, what's the difference?
Speaker 2:you know you pick one that you. You think that fits the bill for the challenge that, the challenge that you had to overcome, that made you a stronger person from that point on.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think just being in charge of running this organization is a challenge in itself, you know. It's because we're all 100% volunteer and people do work. I mean, we're not all retired. It's hard sometimes to get people to commit and do what they, you know, said they would do. So you do have to have a thick skin. You know, not everybody's going to like you, and I think that's true in life in general. So that's what I'm learning as I'm, you know, making some decisions here that need to be made.
Speaker 2:Right. Tell the listeners something that they should remember about Fort Collins. Creator Hub.
Speaker 3:Well, it's just a wonderful place to get involved, to meet people. I mean, if you want to volunteer, we will gladly, you know, put you to work. And I just love the community aspect of it, the camaraderie. We have other just kind of group things we do throughout the year. We're probably going to run a picnic in June and then we did a soup cook-off in December, just little things like that to bring everybody together.
Speaker 2:How can listeners learn more about Fort Collins? Creator Hub.
Speaker 3:They can go to the website fortcollinscreatorhuborg and book a tour. It's all free and you can ask the docents. They're very knowledgeable about everything that goes on there and that would be the best way.
Speaker 2:Well, Ellen, I really appreciate you being on the show. We wish you and your business the best moving forward.
Speaker 3:Thank you, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnpfortcollinscom. That's gnpfortcollinscom, or call 970-438-0825.