You never know when you're going to make a connection

Twice today, we made important connections in networking to build a stronger user and presenter base for our Makerspace re-branding.

Once in the morning with a business leader in the community with whom we met to help us create a mobile web site presence. After our initial discussion, our director, Carol Jankowski, steered the conversation to, "we are interested finding out what your business association members need and how we can meet them here at the library." We showed him the Innisfil Digital Media Lab footage, with the caveat that we are not there yet but we hope to get there eventually, and he was VERY enthusiastic! He told us about the frustrations local entrepreneurs face in getting beyond the initial stages of launch into stable growth and success. They need resources, feel alone, and don't have time or money to spend on a lot of skill-building.  Can we help out? We are going to explore the possibilities...!

Then, in the evening, I had a set of parents come by early to pick up their daughter from our Game Night event. I chatted with them about my plans to include an engineering program in my summer reading program using a simple micro-processor (Arduino) and a pencil (the fable "Drawdio" project) and the father sat up and said, "I am an electrical engineer who has worked with the Arduino and I know exactly what you are talking about! I'd love to help you get this off the ground!"

This just shows how talking about tentative ideas and possible plans can draw out the talents and interests in your local community!   Try this in your location and see what amazing connections come about.