We're building a clubhouse for creative freelancers. Help us make shi(f)t happen in New York – LAST DAY! Read more
We're building a clubhouse for creative freelancers. Help us make shi(f)t happen in New York – LAST DAY!
About this project
WE DID IT! THANK YOU! Your support means everything and we even have a few more hours to fundraise for the creative tool library. We've put extra effort into designing great rewards that can be shipped anywhere, so you don't have to live in Brooklyn to support Makeshift Society. You'll be joining backers from Berlin, Tokyo, Helsinki, London, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Venice, Auckland, Chicago, and many points in between.
Makeshift Society is a community for creative freelancers and independent workers. We have a clubhouse in San Francisco, CA where people work, take classes, attend events and collaborate on projects. We opened a year ago and are ready to bring the Makeshift goodness to Brooklyn before the snow melts in early 2014.
Despite being one of the largest, most jam-packed cities in America, New York City can still be a lonely place, and a logistically difficult one to navigate. Tired of spending our time worrying about the preconditions for work and not enough time focusing on our passions, we created Makeshift for the freelancers working from their living rooms or fighting for power outlets at the corner café. Brooklyn has an enormously creative population that deserves a beautiful place to work, teach, learn and meet others. That’s exactly what we built in San Francisco, and what we are building in Brooklyn.
We’ve scoured the borough to find an incredible space in Williamsburg that’s very close to the L, G, J, M, Z trains, connecting us to many Brooklyn neighborhoods (including Greenpoint, Bushwick, DUMBO & Prospect Heights) and Manhattan. With so many great cafés and restaurants a short walk away, you can easily make a night of visiting Makeshift for a class or event.
Freelancers are the fastest-growing segment of the job market, with an estimated 40% of all US workers joining their ranks by 2020.* Makeshift supports that community by providing the camaraderie and accountability that freelancers often lack when they work alone. Our specific focus is on creative professionals. Photographers, architects, stylists, copy editors, chefs - all and more are welcome. No matter what your area of interest, we understand that creativity is at the core of what you do.
The clubhouse is the easiest thing to point to, but Makeshift is more than a workplace. We also offer classes, skills training, a library full of visual inspiration and business smarts, meeting space, a residency program, and evening events. The heart of Makeshift is our community of like-minded peers who work next to, collaborate with, and learn from one another.
The Makeshift community in San Francisco has had an incredible year, with 300 members and growing. Watch the video below to hear about the Makeshift experience directly from the community.
We found a beautiful two-level space in Williamsburg with soaring ceilings and great natural light. We will share more about the renovation throughout the campaign in the Updates. This work is being led by Dash Marshall, which is also offering a workplace consultation as one of our rewards.
The Makeshift Brooklyn train has left the station. Our location is set and the team is in place. We've turned to Kickstarter to engage our future neighbors early on, in hopes that you will help us make the Clubhouse even better. The more money raised now, the more we'll be able to do as we plan out the new Clubhouse. It will enable us to create a space that’s not just functional and beautiful, but one that is a vibrant center for creative business in Brooklyn.
The funds raised in this campaign will help us build a creative tool lending library for rental and onsite usage. A reference library of books and material samples, audio and video equipment for production and post-production, and art and design tools and supplies will help outfit the Clubhouse with shared, creative resources for making shi(f)t happen.
We've pulled together a fantastic collection of artwork and products by our friends, produced just for Makeshift and this Kickstarter campaign. We have more details about the rewards and the designers on our blog.
We also wanted to offer rewards that reflect our values and mission, so you can participate in office hours with one of our founders or advisors (see team profiles below), or sponsor our Maker-in-Residence program to help a community member fulfill a creative project at the Clubhouse.
Rena Tom is a strategist and matchmaker for independent business owners. She is deeply involved with many different communities - makers, designers, entrepreneurs - to encourage mentorship, resource sharing, and meaningful connections among creatives. Rena is also the Market Editor for Anthology Magazine and business columnist for UPPERCASE Magazine. She owned and operated the design store/art gallery Rare Device in Brooklyn and San Francisco, and is the visionary behind Makeshift. She will be managing strategic partnerships, programming efforts and community engagement.
Suzanne Shade has been a part of the changing landscape of brands for the past twenty years. She’s been a designer and art director for agencies like Goodby, Silverstein & Partners and Eleven, and is currently a ‘brand muse’ for Minted, a site for crowd-sourced design products. When she’s not busy shooting ads or making videos, Suzanne is also the Director/Curator for The Beholder, a marketplace for artists she founded in 2005.
Heather Lowe brings more than fifteen years of product development, economic analysis, and Silicon Valley startup experience to Makeshift. Heather’s passion is operating at the intersection of product development and business strategy. Her firm, Avenue Associates, provides UX, marketing, development, and financial advising to early stage ventures to help teams craft, finance, build, and launch their best product concepts.
Grace Bonney is a Brooklyn-based writer and the founder of the blog Design*Sponge. She loves anything related to design, animals, small business and chocolate. Her second book, Design*Sponge by Hand, will be published in Fall 2015 by Artisan Books.
Artist and illustrator Lisa Congdon is best known for her colorful paintings and collages. Since 2007, she has been illustrating for clients including The Museum of Modern Art, Martha Stewart Living Magazine, Chronicle Books, The Land of Nod, Harper Collins Publishing, The Obama Campaign and Simon & Schuster, among others. Lisa is also known for her intricate line drawings and pattern design and has licensed her work for fabric, kitchen linens, wallpaper and bedding. In addition to illustrating full time, Lisa maintains a thriving Etsy shop and writes a popular daily blog of her work, life and inspiration called "Today is Going to be Awesome." She is the author of Whatever You Are, Be a Good One and Art, Inc., both set to be released by Chronicle Books in 2014.
Sean Fletcher is a principal at Rhodes & Fletcher, LLC. He has over fifteen years of experience in financial services. Sean graduated from Rutgers University in 1992 and spent a year at the Anderson Business School at UCLA before moving to San Francisco to complete a Masters Degree in Fine Art and Critical Theory. He has appeared in the Washington Post, Flash Art International and on Public Radio International in New York and KALX in Berkeley, CA. Sean has taught workshops to students at CCA, Mills College, and taught a course called “Financial Basics for Creative Entrepreneurs” at the San Francisco Art Institute.
Anne Ho is managing attorney for Create Legal, offering services to creative industry individuals and organizations. She has developed her professional skills in the areas of research, analytics, and consulting with concentrations in international economic law, international development, and corporate governance. Anne worked for the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to examine rule of law developments in Asian countries.
Our Kickstarter campaign would not have been nearly as fun without the help of Jacob and Youngna of Wild Combination, who created the video; Pony Diver, who contributed the music for our video; Julia Kostreva, who made our beautiful graphics; Sarah Deragon, Victoria Smith and Jared Frazer, who kindly lent their photos and video of the SF clubhouse to this page; Nicole Delger for her sage advice on this campaign; and Gloria Catherine Waters who helped pull it all together.
Super thanks to the stars of our video, who spent a long, hot day at the space, expertly opening warm, flat beer on camera: Amy Azzarito, Janet Berman, Grace Bonney, Doug Johnston, Shayna Kulik, Jessica Leibowitz, Laura Lewis, Viki Peitchev, Sam Petersson, Julie Schneider.
And even more thanks to our friends who created fantastic artwork for us, working with short deadlines and vague instructions: Neal of Present and Correct, Lupi and Martin (TwoPoints.Net), Stewart Scott-Curran, Kate Bingaman-Burt, Lisa Congdon, Sarah and Ryan (Lab Partners SF), Jane Mount, Julia Rothman and Max Gunawan (Lumio).
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MakeshiftSocietyBrooklyn
Twitter: twitter.com/MakeshiftSocBK
Instagram: instagram.com/MakeshiftSocBK
Mailing list: eepurl.com/BlZpf
Press: Shareable, Core 77, Design Observer, Wall Street Journal, Dwell, GOOD (one, two), Remodelista, Archinect ...
Risks and challenges
As with any build-out, our biggest risk is the opening date. Our goal is early 2014, but delays are not uncommon in construction. Creating Makeshift Brooklyn involves the building of new walls, a brand-new kitchen and bathroom, and additional outlets, not to mention furniture, furnishings and equipment.
Even though we face an epic build-out, we are entering with relevant experience. Our team is led by Bryan Boyer, trained as an architect, and Rena Tom, the founder of Makeshift San Francisco and previously of Rare Device in Brooklyn and San Francisco. Combined, they’ve pretty much seen it all when it comes to getting the doors open on a business. We can’t predict everything, but we do promise to be open and transparent throughout the whole process.
Learn about accountability on KickstarterFAQ
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YES! We've added two rewards for our global friends. Look for the listings at $35 and $375 labeled INTERNATIONAL REWARD. We're sorry that we cannot add more of the individual options with international shipping, but this aspect of Kickstarter is not very refined and there's no way for us to account for the difference between shipping to, say, London, and that of shipping to Amundsen-Scott Station in Antarctica. We've read too many horror stories from other creators whose projects were negatively affected by international shipping hassles. Still, we added two packages that we think we can manage, so please check them out if you live outside the US.
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Yes! Our supporting membership ($100 level) means you're part of our community and will be privy to news as well as a chance to be featured on our site or newsletter. We also maintain a members-only mailing list that is a valuable source of information with job leads, event invites, tips and resources that are not always location-driven.
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Yes and yes. When you join Makeshift, you're part of a larger organization. In fact, we'll have reciprocal membership privileges between all of our locations.
Rewards
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Pledge $5 or more
30 backers
Thanks a million! Download a set of digital wallpapers for computer, tablet, and phone created by Present & Correct.
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $10 or more
36 backers
We'll mail you a postcard designed by our friends at TwoPoints.net, plus the digital download.
Estimated delivery:Ships anywhere in the world -
Pledge $25 or more
69 backers
Get a handkerchief designed specially for Makeshift Society by Stewart Scott-Curran, plus the postcard and digital download.
Estimated delivery:Only ships to: United States -
Pledge $25 or more
84 backers
Visit us to work or play! You get one ticket for our launch party (or use it later as a coworking day pass), plus the postcard and digital download.
Estimated delivery:Ships anywhere in the world -
Pledge $35 or more
10 backers
INTERNATIONAL REWARD Special offering for friends outside the US. Get the handkerchief plus the postcard and digital download. (Shipping is included)
Estimated delivery:Ships anywhere in the world -
Pledge $50 or more
37 backers
Party (or work)! You get two tickets for our launch party...or use them later as coworking day passes, plus the postcard and digital download.
Estimated delivery:Ships anywhere in the world -
Pledge $50 or more
26 backers Limited (124 left of 150)
Receive an exclusive silkscreened poster by Kate Bingaman-Burt, plus the handkerchief, postcard and digital download.
Estimated delivery:Only ships to: United States -
Pledge $75 or more
16 backers
Learn something new! A fun reward for you or a friend. We'll send a punchcard for $100 worth of classes, plus the handkerchief, postcard and digital download.
Estimated delivery:Only ships to: United States -
Pledge $75 or more
30 backers Limited (70 left of 100)
Carry in style: you get a silkscreened tote with a design hand-drawn for us by Lisa Congdon, plus the handkerchief, postcard and digital download.
Estimated delivery:Only ships to: United States -
Pledge $100 or more
6 backers Limited (94 left of 100)
Adorn your wall with a silkscreened felt pennant with an exclusive design by Lab Partners SF, plus the handkerchief, postcard and digital download.
Estimated delivery:Only ships to: United States -
Pledge $100 or more
42 backers
One year supporting membership, plus the postcard and digital download. This membership entitles you to invites to our events, classes and day passes at members' rates, and access to our members-only mailing list.
Estimated delivery:Ships anywhere in the world -
Pledge $150 or more
8 backers All gone!
A one hour Google Hangout session with Makeshift's creative advisors, Grace Bonney and Lisa Congdon, plus the postcard and digital download.
Estimated delivery:Ships anywhere in the world -
Pledge $150 or more
1 backer Limited (7 left of 8)
A one hour Google Hangout session with Makeshift's business advisors, Sean Fletcher and Anne Ho, plus the postcard and digital download.
Estimated delivery:Ships anywhere in the world -
Pledge $150 or more
8 backers Limited (12 left of 20)
A 16x20" archival print of the Makeshift Society "Ideal Bookshelf" painted by Jane Mount, plus the handkerchief, postcard and digital download.
Estimated delivery:Only ships to: United States -
Pledge $250 or more
1 backer Limited (4 left of 5)
A one-on-one Google Hangout office hour with one of our founders: Bryan Boyer, Heather Lowe, Suzanne Shade, Victoria Smith or Rena Tom.
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $250 or more
7 backers Limited (5 left of 12)
Be immortalized in a custom wallpaper design by Julia Rothman. Julia will draw your portrait in her distinctive style; it will become part of a wallpaper pattern that we'll use in our conference room. You'll get a digital file of your portrait plus the postcard and digital download.
Estimated delivery:Ships anywhere in the world -
Pledge $375 or more
2 backers
INTERNATIONAL REWARD Special offering for our global super fans. Get the bookshelf print, the pennant, the tote bag, the tools poster, the handkerchief, and the postcard. Everything in one convenient package. (Shipping is included)
Estimated delivery:Ships anywhere in the world -
Pledge $500 or more
2 backers Limited (8 left of 10)
Sponsor a library shelf and see your name in lights, literally: we'll laser-engrave one Lumio light with your name/logo, to reside in the Makeshift library. Your name/logo will also be listed on our special backers page on our website.
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $500 or more
1 backer Limited (5 left of 6)
You're invited to a special catered dinner with the founders in Brooklyn. (Travel costs to Brooklyn are up to you.) We'll also create a special goodie bag of member-made products and services for you to take home.
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $500 or more
1 backer Limited (1 left of 2)
A workspace consultation with our architect, Dash Marshall. Learn how to best outfit your own space to suit the way you work. (NYC area preferred, but a Skype consultation is possible.)
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $1,000 or more
2 backers
Support our Residency Program. Makeshift Brooklyn needs desks, storage cabinets, supplies and resources for the residents to complete and document their projects. Your name/logo will also be listed on our special backers page on our website.
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $1,000 or more
0 backers
Host one evening event in the clubhouse. Our brand-new space will be the backdrop for a great lecture, workshop or party.
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $1,250 or more
2 backers Limited (1 left of 3)
Leave your mark - you have naming rights for our phone booths for one year. Your name/logo will also be listed on our special backers page on our website.
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $1,250 or more
0 backers
Host a weekend event (Saturday or Sunday) in the clubhouse. Our brand-new space will be the backdrop for a great lecture, workshop, or party.
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $2,500 or more
0 backers Limited (1 left of 1)
Leave your mark - you have naming rights for our upstairs conference room for one year. Your name/logo will also be listed on our special backers page on our website.
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $2,500 or more
0 backers
Host an all-weekend event (Saturday and Sunday) in the clubhouse. 48 hour staring contest, anyone?
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $5,000 or more
0 backers Limited (1 left of 1)
Leave your mark - you have naming rights for our downstairs conference room/creative studio for one year. Your name/logo will also be listed on our special backers page on our website.
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $5,000 or more
0 backers
One year of corporate sponsorship. Corporate members get day passes so employees can work off-site, or contractors have a desk when they're in town. Your name/logo will also be listed on our special backers page on our website.
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $10,000
0 backers Limited (3 left of 3)
Founding membership. As a Founding Member of the Brooklyn clubhouse, you'll get full-time membership for two years plus dedicated storage space, your own chair (a plaque with your name on it will ward other people away), your portrait in an ornate frame on the wall, and an invite for a working holiday: help harvest walnuts at Bryan's family farm in California. Your name/logo will also be listed on our special backers page on our website.
Estimated delivery:
Funding period
- (44 days)
