Three years ago today I walked into TechShop SF for the first time ever. All I wanted was fucking pair of shoes and a chance to make myself. It should be so easy. It wasn't easy, however I got my shoes and a whole lot more.

Today I have spent more than 10,000 hours inside of TechShop.

My first days spent not making cool shit, rather sending out resumes and cover letters trying to find a job to get back on my feet.

Today I’m still using the computers (I’m on DESIGN-SOMA-C2 writing this right now). I’ve since founded two companies, one that is successful and currently rents space from and operates out of TechShop as a co-working space. In the interim I have become a maker, an instructor, a part of a community, and a leader in the maker movement.

Monetarily I went from taking $59 a month in welfare cash and buying a Christmas Special deal for a one month membership plus two jump-start classes with my general assistance cash of $59 to bringing in a gross income of around $150,000.

As many people know, I did start The Learning Shelter, a maker space for homeless shelter residents to turn their personal potential into creative new ways to live a full and filling life. Although I started it, I didn't make it happen. 100's of amazing people that decided to get behind this project have made it happen and continue to make it happen.

My 3 year anniversary as a bonafide member at TechShop actually starts on the 19th of December. All I did 3 years ago today = Walk into TechShop and take a tour. A “DC” named Danny was the guy who gave me the guided tour. Noah was at the front desk when I first walked in. I came back the 1 day later and met Matt who I would later hire as the General Manager for my start-up. That was when I saw the Christmas special deal offering a way to join for $49. He and I discussed if I could pay in cash. I wouldn’t have that cash until the 19th. I know that because within half an hour of finding out that I had the cash on my Cal Fresh card, I walked in the front door and I joined. It was the day that my approved application for San Francisco’s General Assistance (welfare) kicked in.

What makes today more interesting to me than the 19th is this. I searched my e-mail last night wondering when my 3 year anniversary was exactly (I thought it was closer to the 15th).

Now, as the story goes — I came up with the idea for The Learning Shelter a few weeks after I joined TechShop while I was living in a homeless shelter. The truth — though I did not realize this truth until last night when I scrubbed my e-mail. I came up with the idea 6 days before I joined. The first time I ever mentioned TechShop in an e-mail was 2 days before I joined. So naturally I opened up my e-mail to see what it was about.

Holy Shit!!!

Not only did I come up with the idea that became The Learning Shelter before I even joined, although I called it CozyLap I was asking Swords To Plowshares if they had the wherewithal and willingness to start this thing and make me the first member. I didn't have enough money to join. I had about $2 in my personal checking account and wasn't even approved for CAAP/GA money yet nor could I be sure I was going to be approved. So there I was — searching for a way to join. All of this was forgotten until last night when I started digging through my old e-mails. I was also wondering how many times in 3 years I had seen or written TechShop in my e-mails. Answer 2,334 so far.

What was in that first e-mail 3 years ago today though???

Here is the first idea I ever had about changing homelessness, articulated as an e-mail to Dave who was my case worker at STP. This is word for word. Neither Dave nor Carmen or anyone that I forwarded this to ever responded. Apparently that did NOT stop me from moving forward.

No edits, not even spell check (it badly needs it, but you can only do so much when you’re on a library computer that locks you out after 1 hour of usage), and albeit not my best writing, the rest of this post is a copy of that e-mail with no edits.

Hey there Dave,

I was just wondering if there is any way to get resources that I might be able to create my own job.

Not 150 block numbers from STP there is a place called TechShop (926 Howard) which is a Mind gym and real resource lab for inventors smashed into one.

To get started I would need $120 approximately in order to sign up and get certified on their industrial sewing machine (one that can be used to sew hide) and use their computers with advanced software. The ongoing cost is $125 a month. They are open from 9am-Midnight and Matt who works there is a former worker from Walden House so he is vaguely familiar with STP and it’s intent. The reason I mention this is that beyond just getting me, one member, access, maybe STP could co-op something with them and get a corporate or student rate agreement for those few Vets who are looking to venture out into their own endeavours.

I ultimately would like to move into a full blow product with my patent(able) invention called the Cozy Lap. I already own www.cozylap.com and the idea is a soft cozy holder for your iPad or Kindle (Samsung or other tablet…) which will hold it snug when you’re not using it and keep it firmly planet in your lap with two sided technology one to grip your leg the other to grip your tablet.

I have prototypes in my backpack if you’d like to see a live demo.

I want to market it with a grassroots effort through an infomercial on YouTube and Vimeo to get enough levity for the company to fund itself. They I will take hand stenciled banners on old sheets and hang them liberally along the CalTrain route regularly so that the 100,000 tech savvy folks that migrate from the Peninsula to the City 5 days a week will be saturated in exposure.

I have a secondary vision of using this proof of concept to show that Homeless Vet’s and even outside of our circle prove that even non-vets can become the catalyst to fresh new ideas that are marketable and create jobs for others of their same ilk. IE. If this gets off the ground and STP can be a part of this or not I will still prefer to call on our own pool of candidates for the jobs of tomorrow, but if STP could be a resource in helping me file the provisional patent, getting me going in Tech Shop hanging out and having brainstorming sessions etc… then even better I say.

If you follow this tangent to an extreme I see an incubator 5 years from now that is a 5 story building 4 floors of residential, a basement for half parking half storage and the ground floor is a big TechShop for Vets. All we would need is a couple of small successes and some give back to get something like that started and then it’s a controlled taste of the good life for those who take the risk of failing in an environment geared to mitigate their risks.

If it makes it 1/10 of the way there it’s a success, if it goes nowhere it’s not even visible on the radar as a real cost to try on for size. I’d say go for it. What do you think?

Oh yeah and Any luck finding me some size 11 boots? I’m walking around in crocs because my shoes couldn’t hang on anymore. I have a pair of used shoes but the hurt my feet and don’t smell so awesome. The crocs are fine when it’s not raining, but I just look like a dumb ass.

Thanks,

Marc