Mission

To provide resources that speed the integration of design, innovation, making, and entrepreneurship within universities and the innovation ecosystems that surround them. We work with our members to define and practice better ways to Make Impact.

Working on a project in the MITERS space

Vision

To build a global consortium that defines the needs - and helps establish infrastructure - to build university-wide and regional environments that attract, educate, support, employ, and deploy the next generation of innovative and entrepreneurial makers. We are creating a new paradigm for the smart deployment and use of resources - people, process, content, and technology - in innovation ecosystems.

A student and makerspace manager work on a lathe

Values

We believe these values are central to developing university and regional ecosystems, where students convert passion, classroom learning, and skill-building into world-changing ideas.

• The marriage of making and entrepreneurship has a key role in skill development, and the perspectives needed to seed entrepreneurial activities, that solve real-worldproblems.
• Innovation ecosystems thrive when they have “making literate” entrepreneurs and “entrepreneurial literate” makers.
• Universities have an indispensable role in creating and supporting regional, national, and international innovation, making, and entrepreneurial ecosystems.
• University networks can speed impact by sharing best practices, including technology, process, programming, and knowledge.
• Ongoing assessment and improvement of makerspaces - and the environments that support them - leads to more impactful making and entrepreneurship programs.

Make Impact bootcamp teaching about essential makerspace tools