Mission Statement
“Benefitting people and enterprises through collaboration”
The mission of LaunchSpace, Inc. (LSI) is to support innovative economic development in post-industrial, semi-rural communities by providing opportunities to explore and develop hands-on skills in support of enhanced personal satisfaction, increased employment value, and business incubation to benefit individuals, schools, businesses and the broader community.
Vision Statement
LaunchSpace, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation committed to innovative economic development in post-industrial, semi-rural communities, has created a makerspace in Orange, Massachusetts to serve the North Quabbin and surrounding community by providing space and equipment for:
Creation
by providing workshop space and equipment for local craftspeople to produce their work, collaborate with other makers, and take classes that teach members and non-members maker-based skills.
Education
by operating a training center that serves as a satellite campus for community colleges to provide workforce development opportunities, offer job training certificates, “micro” credit courses, and access to higher education and online learning; and to serve as an extension of partnering organizations for educational events.
Incubation
by providing physical space and other supportive resources for entrepreneurs launching businesses with a focus on the creative economy or the value-added food economy.
In more detail, these three tiers are:
- A member-based, multi-skill, collaborative and diverse shop environment providing tools, equipment, education and support to people who want to create and learn skills but don’t have the desire, space or means to build a shop of their own;
- Instruction, both practical and theoretical, for development of a skilled workforce for both increased employment value for individuals, and as a critical part of attracting new employers to the region as well as improving the capabilities of existing employers; and,
- A business incubator supporting development of the value-added food and creative economy, specifically, for those who would like to start an arts and/or making-based business but who don’t have the capital to invest in a fully equipped shop and storage facility.
This creative and collaborative ecosystem for innovation serves different community stakeholders: makers, artists, unemployed, small businesses, entrepreneurs, remote workers, and other independent professionals. The curated environment of creativity and self-starter energy gives rise to organic networking for entrepreneurs to share ideas and collaborate. More tangibly, the space provides access to resources such as super fast high-speed internet not readily available in this rural area but sorely needed to develop business—especially those in the high-tech industries.
Our History
LaunchSpace is a 501c3 nonprofit organization founded in January 2017 by Brianna Drohen and Alec MacLeod. In 2017 LaunchSpace was awarded a planning grant from the MassDevelopment Collaborative Workplace program to conduct community outreach and a feasibility study. In 2018 LaunchSpace was awarded another grant from the same program to renovate the makerspace and purchase equipment. The buildout of the space was completed in 2019 and community events were held in the space in the fall to bring attention to the project.
In March 2020 the makerspace closed due to the pandemic and pivoted to The MassK Project where Brianna and Alec secured material donations and linked to a national network of sewists that helped make and donate 5,000 masks for the community. There are still masks available in case of another emergency in our direct community.
Our Team
Our Leadership Team: Fueling Innovation and Growth
Welcome to LaunchSpace, where a dynamic team of leaders is dedicated to nurturing creativity, fostering community, and driving entrepreneurial success. Meet the key individuals who form the backbone of our organization, steering us toward new heights of innovation and impact.
Brianna Drohen
President, Chief Executive Officer & Co-founder - Guiding Vision and Strategic Leadership
At the helm of LaunchSpace is our visionary leader, Brianna Drohen. As a Wendell native, she is passionate about building community projects that enhance local economic growth and development, such as makerspaces and the Orange Innovation Center. Since returning to the area has focused on bringing real change to the North Quabbin region. She has been involved with international education and resource development with the goal of bringing the LaunchSpace platform into other communities around the world.
Sid Nordstrom
Director of Programs & Memberships - Architect of Engaging Experiences
Sid Nordstrom is the founder of NorthStream Collective which develops creative, challenging, and enlightening educational programs, and provides grant writing and consultation services to non-profit organizations. She studied Psychology at the University of Massachusetts and began her career developing creative social/emotional behavioral programs for children and their families focused on accessing kids’ strengths through multiple modalities. Sid founded NorthStream in 2015 and has successfully established and funded multiple creative programs for cultural and educational organizations.
Erica Goulding
CSSP Program Coordinator - Empowering the Future, One Youth at a Time
Erica Goulding is a farmer, former educator, and a lifelong maker and crafter. She lives in Orange and co-owns Crooked Trail Farm where she and her partner raise chickens, sheep, goats, and pigs. Never one to turn down learning something new even when she’s buried in projects, Erica has a broad range of skills and works with all sorts of media from clay to glass to wood to create art and construct functional items. Erica is the Program Coordinator at LaunchSpace, Inc.
Ava Nordstrom-Learnard
CSPP Program Assistant - Supporting Youth, Inspiring Potential
Ava is a multimedia artist and writer whose work explores the intersection between the self, the body, and the environment. She is currently finishing her last semester of school. When not preserving bird skeletons, or accidentally covering herself in clay, she enjoys taking apart old electronics to ‘see just what’s going on in there’, and going to Home Depot to observe the lighting section.
Michelle Gillman
Food Access Manager - Creating Food Security through Education
Since graduating from UMass Amherst in 2013, Michelle has lived and worked in a variety of settings including English education in Colombia, bilingual community nutrition throughout MA, international development in Washington DC, and piloting Food Fluency in Liberia. In 2019 she received her Master’s degree in Global Public Health Nutrition at the University of Westminster in London, which included a dissertation on school gardens for nutrition security in Nicaragua. She is now happily back in Western MA experiencing the region through a new lens and immersing herself in local community food webs and related initiatives.
Meet Our Team of Stewards
Shop Stewards are dedicated volunteers who play a key role at LaunchSpace by helping with maintenance and cleaning of specific LaunchSpace areas and equipment, assisting in the Tool Training and Testing process (qualifying new members to grant them access to LaunchSpace tools and equipment). Serving as an in-house mentor and helper who can answer questions about specific tools, processes and crafts to help members better their skills, use of equipment and improve the quality of their projects.
Art & Design
Percival Burch, Fiber Art
Erica Goulding, Stained Glass
Melissa Mallett, Leatherworking
Bill Dolan & Thomas Ratte, Mixed Media
Robotics & IT
Forrest England, Electronics
CA Sizemore, 3D Printing
Wood Shop
Laura Pepper
Alec MacLeod
Neil Mack
Pottery
Lydia Grey
Julie Steinberg
Zoe Burch
Meet Our Visionary Board of Directors
Brianna Drohen, President
LaunchSpace Co-founder
Alec MacLeod, Vice President
LaunchSpace Co-founder
Courtney Fifield, Board Chair
Members First Credit Union
Mark Wright, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer
Drawn By Fire Consulting
Seth Kelley, Board Member
Melissa Rancourt, Secretary
Rancourt Consulting
Sarah Adams, Board Member
Sarah Adams Art
Tanya Quinn, Board Member
Fidelity Bank
Kristin Leu, Board Member
Leu Design
Alan MacLeod, Board Member
Capstone National Partners
Interested in supporting our mission as a board member?
Fill out our Board Member Interest Form or contact Brianna Drohen at brianna@launchspace-range.com