What Forge Greensboro does

Forge Greensboro is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community makerspace founded in late 2013 by Joey Adams in Greensboro, North Carolina, operating from a 219 W Lewis St facility that was upfitted with over $100,000 in contributions from real estate developer Andy Zimmerman. The organization provides 24/7 membership-based access to a multi-discipline facility spanning Metal Shop, Wood Shop, Ceramics Studio, Laser Lab, Textiles Studio, 3D Printing Lab, Machine Shop, and a WAZER waterjet, with safety clearances and a volunteer Shop Mentors program providing training and supervision. It serves individual makers (inventors, students, entrepreneurs, artisans, hobbyists), corporate teams (Procter & Gamble, Cone Health, Volvo Truck, UNCG), and youth/education segments through field trips and a Maker-in-Training youth membership, with a workforce development track coordinated via Greensboro Chamber of Commerce connections and Makership scholarships funded by the City of Greensboro and private donors.

The business model combines recurring subscription revenue (monthly/annual memberships with a 3-month initial commitment and $25 youth / $50 add-on tiers), transactional revenue (classes, workshops, corporate team building, gift memberships), and philanthropic revenue (an annual fundraising campaign targeting $350,000 in 2026, grants from City of Greensboro, Lincoln Financial Foundation, T.S. Foundation, Cemala Foundation, Guilford County, SBA, and NC Arts Council, plus Patreon). Distribution is self-serve via a Zibster-hosted website and Proximity mobile app (iOS/Android) for access control and reservations, with corporate team-building sold via direct email inquiry. The organization self-describes as the "largest makerspace in the Southeast" and celebrated its 10th anniversary in May 2023; leadership transitioned to a new Executive Director in 2023-2024 (Tiffany Jacobs), with a 15+ member board providing governance across corporate, legal, education, and workforce development domains.

Name

Forge Greensboro

Legal name

Forge Greensboro

Website

https://forgegreensboro.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Forge Greensboro is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community makerspace in Greensboro, NC, offering 24/7 membership-based access to multi-discipline fabrication studios (metal, wood, ceramics, laser, textiles, 3D printing) for individual makers, corporate teams, and workforce development programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Makerspace Services

akta.pro primary industry

Arts & Crafts Workshops (Painting, Pottery, Ceramics, Sculpture) (THAJAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

3D Printing, CAD & Digital Fabrication Programs (EDAMADAH), Design & Maker Skills (Graphic Design, Calligraphy, Lettering) (EDAAAGAJ)

Keywords

• Community makerspace
• Membership tool access
• Maker workshop facilities
• Workforce development programs
• Vocational training services

Headquarters

HQ city

Greensboro

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Monthly or annual subscription-based access to tools, equipment, and workspace. Initial 3-month contract period, then month-to-month. Add-on memberships available for tagalongs and youth makers-in-training.
2. Classes and Workshops: Fee-based classes and workshops for members (up to 50% discount) and non-members. Class fees go to instructors; materials provided separately.
3. Team Building Experiences: Custom team building experiences for corporate groups including custom signs, sculpture, and class samplers. Booked via email inquiry.
4. Gift Memberships: Gift membership purchases available through the online portal for gifting to friends and family.
5. Donations and Fundraising: Annual fundraising campaign (targeting $350,000 in 2026) supporting Makerships (scholarships), Shop Mentors, and Curriculum Expansion. Also accepts Patreon support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Forge Greensboro is a nonprofit community makerspace that provides subscription-based, 24/7 access to industrial-grade tools, equipment, and workspace across multiple disciplines (Metal Shop, Wood Shop, Ceramics Studio, Laser Lab, Textiles Studio, 3D Printing Lab, Machine Shop). The core offering is membership access supplemented by paid classes and workshops, corporate team building experiences, scholarship Makerships, and a volunteer Shop Mentors program.

Product overview

Forge Greensboro is a non-profit community makerspace offering a unified platform of maker services organized around three pillars: Tool Access, Education, and Workforce Development. The core offering is membership-based access to a fully equipped 24/7 facility featuring Metal Shop, Wood Shop, Ceramics Studio, Laser Lab, Textiles Studio, 3D Printing Lab, and CNC Router workspace. Complementary services include Classes and Workshops for skill development, Team Building Experiences for corporate groups, Makerships (scholarship memberships), Shop Mentors Program for expert guidance, Field Trips for youth education, and a Proximity Mobile App for reservation management and facility access. The various products operate as an integrated ecosystem where memberships provide baseline access to tools and space, while classes, workshops, and mentorship programs enhance the educational value and workforce development mission.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership Access Monthly or annual subscription providing 24/7 access to tools, equipment, and workspace at the makerspace, with tiered membership options including standard memberships, Maker Tourist, and add-on Tagalong or Maker-in-Training memberships. Targeted at individual inventors, students, entrepreneurs, artisans, trade professionals, tinkerers, and hobbyists.
• Classes and Workshops

Quantifiable outcome

• 200 scholarships provided through Makership program annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Procter & GamblecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate team building partner. Procter & Gamble employees participate in team building experiences at Forge Greensboro including custom builds, signs, and class samplers.
• Cone HealthcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate team building partner. Cone Health employees participate in team building experiences at Forge Greensboro.
• Volvo TruckcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate team building partner. Volvo Truck employees participate in team building experiences at Forge Greensboro.
• UNCGcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerUniversity partner for team building and educational programs. UNCG community members participate in team building experiences at Forge Greensboro.
• Downtown GreensborominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator sponsor for programs and events, supporting downtown community initiatives.
• Greensboro Downtown Residents AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator sponsor for community events and programs.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Artisan's Asylum: Large multi-disciplinary community makerspace in Somerville, MA offering metal, wood, electronics, textiles, and 3D printing studios plus classes and corporate programs. Closest comparable in scale and diversified-studio model to Forge Greensboro.
• NYC Resistor: Brooklyn-based member-supported makerspace offering 3D printing, laser cutting, electronics, and CNC, with classes and workshops. Comparable subscription + class hybrid revenue model to Forge Greensboro.
• HeatSync Labs: Nonprofit community makerspace in Mesa, AZ offering tools, classes, and mentorship across multiple disciplines. Directly comparable nonprofit, community-led operating model.
• Assemble PGH: Pittsburgh nonprofit community space focused on STEAM learning, workshops, and maker education for youth and adults. Comparable educational programming and community-led nonprofit mission.
• The Bodgery: Madison, WI nonprofit makerspace with member access to wood, metal, electronics, and crafts equipment plus classes. Comparable Midwest/Southeast regional nonprofit makerspace model with workshops.
• The Maker Mill: Ohio-based makerspace offering multi-discipline access, classes, summer camps, and team-building programming. Closely comparable in combining memberships, youth education, and corporate experiences.
• ADX Portland: Portland, OR community-driven maker space with wood, metal, digital fabrication studios and education programs. Comparable community-led, education-anchored makerspace model.

Regional players

• MakerSpace Charlotte: Nonprofit community makerspace in Charlotte, NC offering tool access, classes, and youth programs in the Carolinas. Operates in a different metro than Forge but with the same state-level workforce development ecosystem.
• MakerSpace Milwaukee: Milwaukee-area community makerspace with membership-based tool access and education programs. Comparable subscription model but operates in a separate Midwest geography.

Broad incumbents

• TechShop: Former national chain of for-profit makerspaces offering multi-discipline tool access, classes, and corporate prototyping (now largely defunct under new ownership). Historic reference point for the membership-makerspace model Forge Greensboro follows at smaller scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses6 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/forgegreensboro
• Instagraminstagram.com/forgegreensboro
• Xx.com/ForgeGreensboro

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Forge Greensboro