Watch: The Founder’s Vision—Dale Dougherty on the DNA of the Maker Movement
Before Dale Dougherty’s keynote at Maker Faire Bay Area in September, the crowd was silent. As Dale stood at the podium and looked out on the packed audience, there was a collective “ohhhh” in the air, a deep breath of, “we are home.” Dale is not only the founder of this event and this magazine, but also this community. His keynote was a history lesson, but not just a history lesson. Dale was telling our community’s origin story.
If you were there, it was a beautiful moment to be reminded of the big picture. If you weren’t, we’re happy to report that the keynote video is now available. Check out the video below for a dose of inspiration.
Origins Story
Dale started with some genealogy. He demonstrated how DIY spirit and early computing’s radical knowledge-sharing are built into open-source and personal computing. From there, Dale made his case: making is one of the fundamental things that make us human. Making isn’t a hobby. Making isn’t a fad. Making isn’t a new technology. Making is one of the core things that we do as human beings: to solve problems, to create, to express, and to have fun.
It’s about what we do with the incredible technology at our fingertips. Make: magazine started when Dale believed there was an audience that wanted to know how to take apart the technology around them and reassemble it in new and interesting ways. It turns out he was right. And Maker Faire is the manifestation of that ethos: a modern-day agora where people come to show, to learn, to be inspired, and to celebrate.
Maker Faire’s Wow Factor
A large part of Dale’s talk was a walk down memory lane, taking in some of the amazing memories from the Faire’s history. Maker Faire, after all, is a living museum to the creativity of the maker movement and its amazing participants. Dale demonstrated that while Maker Faire has been around for over two decades, there is always something new to be amazed about: from kite aerial photography to 3D printing that’s a plaything of the people. Dale demonstrated a new generation of AI-powered robots, highlighting that makers share more in common than the tools they use. It’s that maker curiosity and creativity are alive and well in the newest, most expressive medium.
More than just An Event
Above all, Dale made the point that Maker Faire has never really just been an event. Dale and our crew have been working hard to push Maker Faire into new regions of the world to connect new kinds of makers. But more than that, Dale reminded us that Maker Faire is about that electricity in the air at that moment between a welder from Mexico and a programmer from Turkey, a knitter from New Jersey, and a student from Maine. All are standing next to each other at Maker Faire to celebrate the same thing: the power of making.
Make Education
If there was one strong thread through the talk, it was making sure to never lose focus on that next generation. Dale drove home that it’s crucial for us to help build a new generation of kids (and adults) to have the courage to make. Dale understands best that young people need freedom to explore, fail, and create with technology. Dale’s case is simple: the maker community is helping to raise a generation of makers who know that life is not about waiting to be given solutions. The maker movement is all about re-learning how to be empowered agents of our own lives, creativity, and problem-solving.
Inspiration and History for the Movement
At the end of the day, Dale Dougherty’s keynote was about the origin story of our community and our movement, and a look at the future.
Watch it, share it with a friend, and then go make something amazing. It’s what keeps the movement going.
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