Creativity and Entrepreneurship Meet at Maker Faire

Do-It-Yourselfers Descend on the Bay Area

This year marked the sixth annual Maker Faire in the California Bay Area. Begun six years as an offshoot of Make Magazine, the Faire brings together all breeds from the "Do-It-Yourself" (DIY) clan: Makers, tinkerers, crafters, fixers, hackers, artists, electronic wizards, mad scientists, robotics masters, steampunk performance artists, musicians, Burning Man art collectives, and,
yes -- entrepreneurs.

"[Many makers] are 'accidental' entrepreneurs; they discover that their passion leads to new business opportunities," said Dale Dougherty, Make Magazine founding editor and publisher. "At Maker Faire, they show their work and get positive feedback from others that leads them to believe what they make has commercial potential."

Meet some of the "makers" who are turning their creativity and passion into real small businesses, and having a lot of fun at the same time.

-- Laura Tiffany