Alvernia University\u2019s O\u2019Pake Institute for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship celebrated the launch of the newest addition to its Spark Business Incubator on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at the John R. Post Center at Reading CollegeTowne. A ribbon-cutting ceremony supported by the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance (GRCA) marked the opening of the O\u2019Make Space, a student-run makerspace designed to bring creative ideas to life through prototyping, customized production and collaboration.<\/p>\n
The space evolved in response to growing demand from local businesses and entrepreneurs, along with increased student engagement. As students worked with clients, explored new technologies and collaborated across disciplines, they identified opportunities to expand the equipment and resources available to them. Their advocacy helped shape O\u2019Make Space, enabling the O\u2019Pake Institute to enhance its Spark Business Incubator services while supporting student-driven innovation.<\/p>\n
\u201cExperiential learning and community engagement are central to Alvernia University\u2019s mission, and the O\u2019Pake Institute\u2019s new O\u2019Make Space brings both priorities to life,\u201d said Alvernia University President Glynis A. Fitzgerald, Ph.D. \u201cBy working with real technology, projects and clients, our students develop the confidence, skills and experience needed to succeed beyond the classroom while creating meaningful opportunities to serve and strengthen our community.\u201d<\/p>\n
To meet the needs of Spark Business Incubator clients, O\u2019Make Space features two 3D printers, a laser engraver, a heat press, a sublimation printer, a Cricut cutting machine, and an embroidery machine. The equipment enables students to design, prototype, and customize a variety of products, including apparel, stickers, drinkware, signage, and other promotional merchandise. Students can also work with materials such as metal, wood, plastic, vinyl, and paper, expanding opportunities for personalized products, and creative solutions.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur students played an instrumental role in shaping this space, advocating for the equipment and resources needed to expand its capabilities,\u201d said Alvernia University Chief Economic, Community and Strategic Development Officer Rodney S. Ridley Sr., Ph.D., RTTP. \u201cO\u2019Make Space creates new opportunities for prototyping and small-batch production, strengthening the services we provide to local businesses and entrepreneurs through the Spark Business Incubator.\u201d<\/p>\n
The student-operated space provides graduate and undergraduate O\u2019Pake fellows, as well as EmpowerEd high school interns, with opportunities to develop technical skills, build confidence and gain professional experience. By collaborating with entrepreneurs, small businesses, university departments and community partners, students apply classroom knowledge to real-world projects while gaining experience in design, production and client relations.<\/p>\n
By offering small-batch production and customized merchandise, O\u2019Make Space provides an alternative to traditional vendors that may require larger minimum orders, making creative services more accessible to emerging entrepreneurs and small businesses. At the same time, students gain experience managing projects from initial concept and design through production and delivery.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you walk into this room, you\u2019ll see machines, equipment and tools, but what makes this space special is not the equipment itself. It\u2019s the opportunity it creates,\u201d said Alvernia MBA candidate Aracelis Amador-Rivera. \u201cIt\u2019s a place where curiosity becomes creativity, mistakes become lessons and ideas grow into meaningful projects.\u201d<\/p>\n
Through collaboration with the College of Innovation, Discovery and Enterprise, professional mentors and community partners, O\u2019Make Space strengthens the O\u2019Pake Institute\u2019s commitment to connecting education, entrepreneurship and economic development. The new space builds on the institute\u2019s efforts to empower students to transform their ideas into meaningful projects while contributing to the growth and success of the Greater Reading community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Alvernia University\u2019s O\u2019Pake Institute for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship celebrated the launch of the newest addition to its…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":313603,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[128,130,129],"class_list":["post-313602","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-reading","tag-reading-city","tag-reading-city-headlines","tag-reading-city-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/313602","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=313602"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/313602\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/313603"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=313602"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=313602"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=313602"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}