- Organization
- Med City Makerspace
- What it is
- A community makerspace in development: a shared workshop offering tools, training, workspace, classes, and community for makers, artists, hobbyists, students, and entrepreneurs.
- Location
- Rochester, Minnesota
- Founded
- February 2026
- Legal status
- IRS-approved 501(c)(3) nonprofit; donations are tax-deductible. EIN 42-1900006. (IRS exemption effective April 14, 2026.)
- Co-founders and board
- Jimena Jiménez, David Razidlo, Emilio Rodríguez
- Mission
- “This will be a space for makers, built by makers. Anyone who creates is a maker. By connecting people so they can mentor, repair, teach, and make together, we strengthen the community around us.”
- Approach
- Community and education first; start small and grow as demand and funding allow; partner with existing organizations rather than compete.
- Timeline
- 2026: build the maker community through events and workshops. 2027: open a first physical space after reaching 75 founding members (people who commit to a monthly or yearly membership before the space opens).
- Planned first space
- A modest starter space. Likely first areas: woodshop, electronics lab, 3D printing area, and a fiber and creative arts studio.
- Community interest
- Interest survey, 85 responses (Mar. 30 to Oct. 4, 2026). 69 of 85 (81%) said yes to becoming a member of a small starter space focused on community, classes, and training; 76 of 85 (89%) said yes to joining a fully equipped makerspace.
- Reach
- Over 100 newsletter subscribers and 475 Instagram followers; 20 to 30 active people at monthly planning sessions (as of September 2026).
- Activities to date
- Maker Meetups; monthly volunteer and planning meetings; tabling at Thursdays Downtown, The Artery, and Castle Con; button making; a linocut workshop with Griot Arts (Sept. 26, 2026); visits to Twin Cities Maker and Leonardo’s Basement to learn from established spaces.
- Upcoming
- Electronics workshop with Threshold Arts (October 2026); 3D printing and cross-stitch trinket-box workshop with Morph Creative Reuse (December 2026).
- Local partners and collaborators
- Threshold Arts, Griot Arts, Morph Creative Reuse
- Fundraising
- Planning a crowdfunding campaign with a $30,000 goal.
