Open Works was founded in 2016 with a mission to make tools, technology, and the knowledge to use them accessible to all. We fulfill this mission by providing four core services: access to tools, technical education, studio space, and contract fabrication services.
We evaluate our efforts by measuring progress in three main areas: economic development, technical education, and community resilience. We also track client demographics and facility use to ensure we are delivering services equitably, supporting our neighbors, and sustaining ourselves financially.
Through 2023, Open Works has created 351 jobs; enrolled 7,535 adults and 749 K-12 youth in fabrication, design, and art classes; graduated 34 workforce trainees; and facilitated 338 small business starts.
In 2022, we successfully advocated for the passage of SB453, the "Maryland Makerspace Initiative Program," which provides $5M over 5 years (FY'23-'28) to "expand or establish" makerspaces throughout the state. TEDCO now administers that grant, with an annual application cycle each spring . We released an open-source advocacy toolkit and free e-book about the process in 2023.
¶ Annual Reports
Download our annual reports to learn more about our work.
| Year | Downloadable Report |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 2024 Report |
| 2023 | 2023 Report |
| 2022 | 2022 Report |
| 2021 | 2021 Report |
| 2020 | 2020 Report |
| 2019 | 2019 Report |
| 2018 | 2018 Report |
| 2017 | 2017 Report |
¶ Education
¶ Adult Education & Workforce Development
Open Works offers ~340 open enrollment adult classes per year.
Open Works has offered two workforce development programs over the years.
The Baltimore Sewn Trades Training Program (BSTTP) was a collaboration between SewLab USA, Made in Baltimore, and the Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center (ISAIC). After piloting a curriculum in 2017, the BSTTP ran 5 12-week cohorts from 2022-24. Graduates received a nationally-recognized credential for Industrial Sewing Machine Operators.
The Makers Unite CAD/CNC Training Program (MUCNC) ran 6 12-week cohorts from 2022-24. Graduates sat for the Mechanical Design Pathway exam in AutoDesk Fusion 360.
¶ Youth Programs
Open Works has offered a variety of different programs for young people through our history.
From 2016-2020, we operated Open Works Mobile, a van with mobile tools and activities that we deployed to events, schools, and community centers.
From 2016-2019, we operated Youth Maker Shop (YMS) in partnership with the Greenmount West Community Center.
From 2017-present (excepting 2020), we have offered up to 6 weeks of summer Maker Camp.
From 2017-present, we have run Teen Maker Shop (TMS) (OWM) an immersive after-school program for young people ages 16-21.
From 2022-present, we have been incubating the Baltimore Youth Architecture and Design Collabroative (BYADC).
¶ Economic Development
Every year, Open Works contributes $37.2M to Maryland’s economy. Our economic impact was quantified in 2019 and 2023 by the Coppin State University Center for Strategic Entrepreneurship . Download the full studies or the fact sheet.
48% of the 338 small businesses founded at Open Works are BIPOC-owned, more than double the rate of minority business ownership in Maryland and more than 5X the national average .
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¶ Mom Maker Academy
From 2017-2020, Open Works partnered with the "National Association of Mom Entrepreneurs" to run six 12-week cohorts of the Mom Maker Academy (MMA). The MMA program combined classes in business, marketing, fabrication, and product photography. The program launched a total of 42 mom-owned businesses.
¶ EnterpRISE
Open Works has held an annual business competition for manufacturing startups called EnterpRISE since 2017. In that time, we have had 70 companies compete; awarded $123,000 in direct funding; and granted $67,200 of in-kind memberships to participating companies. 71% of 1st place winners are Black woman-founded companies.
¶ Community Resilience
In 2020, Open Works pivoted to address community needs by manfucturing PPE. That kicked off myriad community support efforts, including being a free Covid test distribution site, installing free outdoor wi-fi, regularly stocking our Beat Box out front with free pantry items, becoming a CSA drop off site, and becoming a heating/cooling center for extreme weather emergencies.
In recognition of these efforts, OW was designated as a resiliency hub by the Baltimore City Office of Sustainability in 2023.
¶ Makers Unite: Face Shields
At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, Open Works organized a community-based emergency manufacturing effort that produced 28,270 face shields using digital fabrication.
Open Works partnered with We the Builders to use their part-tracking software to track intake of donated face shield frames from our volunteer printers. We partnered with Innovation Works Baltimore to set up a purchasing portal and organize distribution. Open Works sanitized, assembled, and packed the finished units. Face shields were sold at cost. Revenue was used to support OW operations and distributed back to volunteer printers in the form of 3D filament vouchers and other rewards.
Learn more about the project and download printing and assembly files here .
Coppin State University completed a case study of our efforts entitled "A Makerspace's Rapid Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic." : It is available for free download here .
¶ Makers Unite: Desks
In 2021, Open Works manufactured 860 flat-pack plywood desks for Baltimore City students struggling with remote learning. With help from partners including Stanley Black and Decker, the National Aquarium, Baltimore Gas and Electric, and the Baltimore City School System, we ultimately manufactured and distributed 860 free desks to 40 schools and community centers.
Learn more about the project and download CNC and assembly files here . YouTube assembly instructions available in English and subtitled Spanish .
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¶ Makers Unite: Tourniquets
In 2022, Open Works was contacted by the Baltimore-Odessa Sister Cities Committee to prototype trauma tourniquets for use by Ukrainian refugees. Open Works partnered with Glia, an open-source tourniquet project; SewLab USA, a local manufacturer and OW sewing instructor; and Danae, a local rapid prototyping company. Together, we made 38 sample tourniquets with 3D printed ABS and SLS hardware. Samples were sent to Glia and the Maryland Department of Health for testing.
Ultimately, we did not make production units that went into use in Ukraine for a variety of regulatory reasons, but the project was another proof-of-concept demonstration of the potential for distributed manufacturing to fill supply-chain gaps.
Testing results from the Maryland Department of Health can be downloaded here¶ Facility Use
Open Works sees an average of 16 machine reservations per day. Only about 50% of our machines require a reservation for use.
Open Works sees an average of 57 facility check ins per day, representing members, resident members, day pass users, and students.
¶ Clients
Open Works has served 10,637 clients through classes, membership, studio rental, or day pass usage since 2016. Open Works has had 875 unique members and day pass users since 2017.
Membership is tracked through autopay contracts for membership access to workshops, storage space, or micro-studios. A member may hold more than one contract at a time.
¶ Geography
While most of our clients are local, we have registered clients from a total of 173 (5.6%) American counties. Clients from outside of Maryland primarily attended virtual programs during Covid.
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The majority of our audience is from Baltimore City and the adjacent counties.
¶ Demographics
National data is thin, but insofar as datasets exist, our user community is one of the most diverse makerspaces in the United States. Our user community is 44% BIPOC, 42% female, and 8% non-binary – far more diverse than the national average of makerspace users, which is 18% BIPOC and 39% female according to the 2019 Nation of Makers Annual Survey of Makerspaces (most recent data available).
Ethnicity and gender data is self-reported by users; only about 60% of our audience has opted into reporting.
¶ Research
Since our founding, Open Works has participated in a number of research studies to advance public understanding of makerspaces and their potential for economic and educational impact.
If you are researching the maker movement, or are interested in collaborating on applied research at Open Works, contact us at frontdesk @ openworksbmore.com.
- Turning Makerspaces Into Greater Places (2019) / Coppin State University / Dr. Ron Williams et. al.
- A Makerspace's Rapid Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic (2020) / Coppin State University / Dr. Ron Williams et. al.
- Making the Future (2023) / Coppin State University / Dr. Ron Williams et. al.
- Baltimore’s Manufacturing History and the State of Urban Manufacturing Today (2018) / Urban Manufacturing Alliance / Edited by Katy Stanton and John Magdeleno
- Makerspaces In Action (2020) / Urban Manufacturing Alliance/ Edited by Katy Stanton and John Magdeleno
- An Ethnography of Maker and Hacker Spaces Achieving Diverse Participation (2017) / Virginia Polytechnic and State University/ Dr. Donna Riley, Dr. Lisa McNair, Adam Masters (Ph.D candidate)
- Taking Action: Positioning Low-Income Workers to Succeed in a Changing Economy (2019) / Annie E. Casey Foundation / ed. by Nancy Snyder and Loh-Sze Leung / feat. Essay “Makerspaces and the Future of Work” by Will Holman
- Makerspace: Toward a New Civic Infrastructure (2015) / Places Journal / Will Holman
- The Role of Makerspaces in Supporting Consumer Innovation and Diffusion: An Empirical Analysis (2018) / Policy Research / Maria Halbinger
- Design, Make Protect: A report on the Open Source and Manufacturer Response to the COVID-19 PPE Crisis (2020) / Open Source Medical Supplies
- The emergence of the maker movement: implications for entrepreneurship research (2019) / Journal of Business Venturing / Russell Browder, Howard Aldrich, Stephen Bradley
- Entrepreneurial research, makers, and the maker movement (2017) / Academy of Management / Russell Browder, Howard Aldrich, Stephen Bradley
- Makerspaces and Entrepreneurship: Colocation and Collaboration in the Digital Era (2019) / Academy of Management Proceedings / Russell Browder, Letizia Mortara, Ludmila Striukova, Joel West
- Pandemic makers: How citizen groups mobilized resources to meet local needs in a global health crisis (2023) / Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice / Russell Browder, Stella Seyb, Angela Forgues, Howard Aldrich