LA Makerspace
LA Makerspace is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers free, hands-on STEAM maker education (robotics, coding, e-textiles, animation) to children ages 7-14 in underserved LA communities, reaching roughly 4,000 kids annually through ~200 workshops delivered across 160+ public library branches in partnership with LA Public Library and the County of LA Public Library.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What LA Makerspace does
LA Makerspace is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2012 and headquartered in Los Angeles, California, operating as a program of the Two Bit Circus Foundation (legal parent). The organization delivers free, hands-on maker-style STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) to children ages 7-14, covering robotics, coding, e-textiles, and stop-motion animation. Its primary delivery channel is partnerships with public libraries: 73 branches of the Los Angeles Public Library (14 million annual visitors) and 87 branches of the County of Los Angeles Public Library (10.7 million annual visitors), collectively reaching 24.7 million annual visitors.
Its core operational methodology is the training of non-experts (librarians and community members) to facilitate workshops themselves, with curriculum made available as open-source workshop guides. In a typical year the organization runs approximately 200 workshops reaching roughly 4,000 children; 66% of participants are Latino or African-American and 29% live in poverty, addressing documented gaps where 90% of LAUSD 8th graders test below proficient in science and 85% below proficient in math. Founder Tara Brown serves as Co-Founder and Chairwoman.
The organization is funded through a combination of charitable donations (via PayPal), corporate sponsorships, and restricted grants from foundations including Google (via the RISE Awards), the Durfee Foundation (Springboard Fund), the Annenberg Foundation (Alchemy program), the LA County Arts Council (Community Impact Arts Grant), Social Venture Partners Los Angeles, and HMC Architects' Designing Futures Foundation. Marketing is community-led and low-cost: a website (lamakerspace.org), Constant Contact email newsletter, and Facebook/Twitter/YouTube social channels. No direct fees are charged to participants; pricing is effectively free-to-end-user, with all inflows philanthropic.
LA Makerspace firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- LA Makerspace
- Legal name
- Two Bit Circus Foundation
- Website
- https://lamakerspace.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- LA Makerspace is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers free, hands-on STEAM maker education (robotics, coding, e-textiles, animation) to children ages 7-14 in underserved LA communities, reaching roughly 4,000 kids annually through ~200 workshops delivered across 160+ public library branches in partnership with LA Public Library and the County of LA Public Library.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
LA Makerspace industry classification
Industry- Product category
- STEAM Education Services
- akta.pro primary industry
- Makerspaces & Fab Labs (Open Build Studios) (EDAMADAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Robotics, Engineering & Makers Camps (EDAMALAE), Maker / DIY Electronics & Physical Computing Platforms (EDAFANAC)
Keywords
Where LA Makerspace is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
LA Makerspace business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Donations and Sponsorships: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, LA Makerspace relies on charitable donations and corporate sponsorships from partners including Google, Durfee Foundation, and other organizations to fund operations and workshop programs.
- Grant Funding: Receives grant funding from organizations such as the Annenberg Foundation (Alchemy program), Los Angeles County Arts Council, and other foundations supporting STEAM education and underserved communities.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
LA Makerspace product offering
Product offeringCore offering
LA Makerspace provides free hands-on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) workshops for children ages 7-14 in robotics, coding, e-textiles, and stop-motion animation, delivered primarily at 160+ public library branches across Los Angeles County. The organization also publishes open-source workshop guides so non-experts can independently facilitate maker-style learning, and trains librarians and community members to sustain programming locally.
Product overview
LA Makerspace is a nonprofit educational organization offering a portfolio of hands-on maker-style STEAM education programs primarily for children ages 7-14. The core offerings include Maker Education workshops (robotics, coding, e-textiles, stop-motion animation), Open-Source Workshop Guides (free curriculum), Public Library Makerspace partnerships, and Coding Crew. Programs are delivered through Library Services (LA Public Library and LA County Library), Schools, and Community Groups services. The organization trains librarians and educators to independently lead workshops, with an emphasis on reaching underrepresented communities including Latino and African-American children and those living in poverty.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Maker Education Program Hands-on STEAM workshops for children ages 7-14 covering robotics, coding, e-textiles, and stop-motion animation, primarily delivered through public library branches across Los Angeles County.
- Open-Source Workshop Guides Free, publicly available curriculum and instructional materials enabling educators and community leaders to replicate maker education workshops independently.
- Public Library Makerspace Program Dedicated maker education programming delivered in partnership with the Los Angeles Public Library (73 branches) and LA County Library (87 branches), serving millions of annual visitors.
- Coding Crew Coding-focused educational program for children, providing structured learning opportunities in programming and computational thinking.
- Educational Workshop Services for Institutions Workshop facilitation and librarian training services provided directly to library branches, K-12 schools, and community organizations (including after-school programs and housing project groups), enabling them to deliver maker education independently.
Quantifiable outcome
- 90% of LAUSD 8th graders test below proficient in science, 85% test below proficient in math - highlighting the massive need for STEAM education intervention
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use LA Makerspace
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles3 records
LA Makerspace technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
LA Makerspace partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Los Angeles Public LibrarycorePrimary operational partner providing 73 library branch locations for conducting hands-on STEAM workshops for children. Serves 14 million annual visitors.
- County of Los Angeles Public LibrarycorePrimary operational partner providing 87 library branch locations for conducting hands-on STEAM workshops. Serves 10.7 million annual visitors.
- CrossCampusminorCoworking and community space partner supporting organizational operations and community events.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
LA Makerspace competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- National 4-H Council: Large youth-development nonprofit with longstanding STEM and maker programming delivered through community networks — comparable youth/maker positioning at much greater scale and geographic breadth.
- Science Friday: STEAM education nonprofit producing media and community programs that engage youth and public audiences in science — shares the nonprofit mission and STEAM-audience development orientation, though primarily media-led.
- Code.org: Larger STEAM/coding education nonprofit delivering K-12 computer science curricula through schools and districts. Comparable mission and funder base, but operates at national scale and primarily through paid curriculum rather than free library workshops.
Direct peers
- Children's Creativity Museum: San Francisco-based hands-on STEAM/technology workshop provider for children ages 2-12, including animation, music, and digital media — directly comparable hands-on STEAM workshop format and target age range.
- Techbridge Girls: Nonprofit providing out-of-school STEM programs for girls from low-income and underrepresented communities — comparable audience, equity thesis, and after-school/community delivery channels.
- Iridescent: National STEAM education nonprofit that trains adult mentors (often non-experts) to deliver hands-on science and engineering programs to underserved youth — closely analogous operating and equity thesis to LA Makerspace.
- Maker Education Initiative: National nonprofit historically focused on maker education curriculum, professional development, and open-source workshop resources — directly comparable open-source curriculum and educator-training model.
- Digital Harbor Foundation: Baltimore-based nonprofit operating maker education programs in libraries, schools, and community centers for underserved youth — shares the library-delivery and train-the-trainer mechanics used by LA Makerspace.
Others
- DreamBox Learning: Commercial EdTech provider of adaptive math/STEAM learning for K-8 — adjacent rather than competitive because it sells paid software rather than free library workshops, but operates in the same youth STEM learning category.
- Two Bit Circus Foundation: Parent nonprofit entity of LA Makerspace operating at the same Los Angeles address — adjacent ecosystem participant and governance counterparty rather than a competitive peer.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
LA Makerspace social profiles
Digital presenceLA Makerspace financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
LA Makerspace leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
LA Makerspace funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
LA Makerspace M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about LA Makerspace
What does LA Makerspace do?
LA Makerspace provides free hands-on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) workshops for children ages 7-14 in robotics, coding, e-textiles, and stop-motion animation, delivered primarily at 160+ public library branches across Los Angeles County. The organization also publishes open-source workshop guides so non-experts can independently facilitate maker-style learning, and trains librarians and community members to sustain programming locally.
Is LA Makerspace a public or private company?
LA Makerspace is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was LA Makerspace founded?
LA Makerspace was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is LA Makerspace based?
LA Makerspace is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does LA Makerspace make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Sponsorships are the primary driver. The others are grant Funding.
Who are LA Makerspace's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are National 4-H Council, Science Friday and Code.org. Direct peers are Children's Creativity Museum, Techbridge Girls, Iridescent, Maker Education Initiative and Digital Harbor Foundation. Others are DreamBox Learning and Two Bit Circus Foundation.
Does LA Makerspace have an API?
No public API is recorded for LA Makerspace.
What industry is LA Makerspace in?
LA Makerspace's product category is STEAM Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMADAC, Makerspaces & Fab Labs (Open Build Studios), with a secondary code of EDAMALAE, Robotics, Engineering & Makers Camps.