Twin Cities Maker
Twin Cities Maker is a non-profit, volunteer-driven community makerspace in Minneapolis operating the Hack Factory, where individual makers, artists, and engineers access 24/7 workshops, multi-discipline tools, and classes through a tiered membership model.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersMinneapolis, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Twin Cities Maker does
Twin Cities Maker is a non-profit, volunteer-driven community makerspace founded in 2009 and based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The organization operates the Hack Factory, a shared workshop facility at 3119 E. 26th Street that provides members with 24/7 access to tools and equipment across multiple disciplines, including wood, metal, electronics, ceramics, jewelry, fiber arts, CNC machining, 3D printing, and laser cutting. Members gain access through a tiered subscription model, with standard dues at $85 per month, a discounted six-month prepaid option at $460, and member-supported rates at $65 or $30 per month for those with financial need. Over 80% of the organization's income is derived from membership dues, supplemented by class fees and charitable donations.
The business model is community-led and subscription-based. New members must complete a New Member Orientation before activation, and each shop department has its own orientation and checkout process for equipment use. Educational programming includes skill-building classes (Woodworking 101, ceramics wheel-throwing, jewelry, screen printing, TIG welding) and free community events such as Open Circuits and Troubleshoot Tuesday. The organization runs an annual Maker Fest, maintains a Discord server and Facebook group for community engagement, and uses a Wild Apricot membership portal and Booked Scheduler tool reservation system to coordinate operations. Twin Cities Maker currently operates from a single physical site in Minneapolis and is conducting a fundraising campaign to purchase its building.
The customer base consists of individual makers, hobbyists, artists, designers, and engineers seeking affordable access to professional-grade fabrication tools and a collaborative community. There are no enterprise customers, no parent company, no external investment, and no headcount or revenue figures disclosed. Governance is volunteer-based, with an organizational board and clearly defined community roles. The organization is not backed by venture capital or private equity and is structured as a member-supported non-profit.
Twin Cities Maker firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Twin Cities Maker
- Legal name
- Twin Cities Maker
- Website
- https://tcmaker.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Twin Cities Maker is a non-profit, volunteer-driven community makerspace in Minneapolis operating the Hack Factory, where individual makers, artists, and engineers access 24/7 workshops, multi-discipline tools, and classes through a tiered membership model.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Twin Cities Maker industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Makerspace / Shared Workshop
- akta.pro primary industry
- Crafts & Maker Arts (Ceramics, Textiles, Jewelry, Mixed Media) (EDAMAAAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Arts & Crafts Workshops (Painting, Pottery, Ceramics, Sculpture) (THAJAKAA), Textile & Fiber Arts Classes (Weaving, Knitting, Embroidery, Dyeing) (THAJAKAB)
Keywords
Where Twin Cities Maker is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Minneapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Twin Cities Maker business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: Primary revenue stream from recurring membership fees. Over 80% of organization income comes from membership dues. Members pay monthly or semi-annual subscription fees for workshop access.
- Class Fees: Revenue from teaching classes such as woodworking, ceramics, screen printing, jewelry making, electronics workshops, and equipment orientations
- Donations: Charitable donations from members and community supporters to fund operations and building acquisition initiatives
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | 6-month membership (best value) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly standard membership |
| Subscription | Monthly | Member-Supported 65 |
| Subscription | Monthly | Member-Supported 30 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Twin Cities Maker product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Twin Cities Maker operates a shared community workshop (the Hack Factory) in Minneapolis where members get 24/7 access to multi-discipline shop departments including woodworking, metalworking and TIG welding, electronics, ceramics, jewelry and fiber arts, CNC machining, 3D printing, and laser cutting. The organization supplements workshop access with educational programming (equipment orientations, skill-building classes such as Woodworking 101 and ceramics wheel-throwing) and runs community events like Open Circuits and Troubleshoot Tuesday.
Product overview
Twin Cities Maker is a non-profit, volunteer-driven community makerspace offering a shared workshop with 24/7 member access. The organization provides access to multiple shop departments including Wood Shop, Metal Shop, Electronics Lab, Ceramics Studio, Artifactory (jewelry/fiber arts), CNC Shop, 3D Printing Lab, and Laser Cutting. Members can choose from several membership tiers: Standard ($85/month), 6-Month prepaid ($460), and Member-Supported rates ($65 or $30/month). Educational programming includes orientations for each shop, skill-building classes (Woodworking 101, Ceramics wheel-throwing, jewelry making, screen printing, welding), and free community events like Open Circuits and Troubleshoot Tuesday. The membership portal is powered by Wild Apricot, and tool time is booked through a separate scheduling system.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Workshop Membership (24/7 Shared Community Workshop Access) Recurring membership subscriptions providing members with 24/7 access to the Hack Factory facility and all shop departments (Wood Shop, Metal Shop, Electronics Lab, Ceramics Studio, Artifactory, CNC, 3D Printing, Laser Cutting). Offered as Standard ($85/month), prepaid Six-Month ($460), or Member-Supported ($65 or $30/month for financial need).
- Classes and Educational Orientations Fee-based skill-building classes and equipment orientations including New Member Orientation, shop-specific orientations, Woodworking 101, ceramics wheel-throwing, jewelry making, screen printing, TIG welding, and free community events such as Open Circuits and Troubleshoot Tuesday. Open to both members and the general public.
Companies that use Twin Cities Maker
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Twin Cities Maker technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Twin Cities Maker partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Longfellow Community CouncilminorCollaboration on community wellness events including the Restorative Crafting for Volunteer Burnout workshop held in April 2026, aimed at supporting local volunteers through crafting activities.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Twin Cities Maker competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- TechShop: Former U.S. chain of commercial makerspaces (now largely defunct) that offered pay-as-you-go access to industrial-grade tools. Historically a comparable category-defining peer but operates under a different (commercial) model and at different scale.
Direct peers
- Artisan's Asylum: Non-profit industrial arts and makerspace in Somerville, MA offering shared access to woodworking, metalworking, jewelry, ceramics, electronics, and 3D printing shops. Directly comparable as a multi-discipline community makerspace operating on a membership model.
- NYC Resistor: Member-run hackerspace/makerspace in Brooklyn, NY providing shared access to electronics, 3D printing, laser cutting, CNC, and textiles. Comparable as a community-led makerspace funded by member dues and classes.
- Dallas Makerspace: Non-profit community makerspace in Dallas, TX with extensive departments including wood, metal, electronics, ceramics, 3D printing, and CNC, funded primarily by membership dues. Comparable as a multi-discipline, dues-funded member workshop.
- The Crucible: Non-profit industrial arts education organization in Oakland, CA offering classes and open studio access in welding, woodworking, ceramics, jewelry, blacksmithing, and more. Comparable as a multi-discipline maker/industrial arts facility with a class-driven model.
- Noisebridge: Volunteer-run, donation-supported hackerspace in San Francisco offering electronics, metalworking, woodworking, and crafts tools to members. Comparable as a volunteer-driven, non-profit shared community workshop.
Regional players
- MakerSpace Adelaide: Member-funded makerspace in Adelaide, Australia offering woodworking, metalworking, 3D printing, electronics, and textiles. Comparable in operating model but serves a different geography (Australia vs. U.S. Midwest).
Emerging players
- Fab Foundation: MIT-originated network of digital fabrication labs (Fab Labs) offering community access to 3D printers, laser cutters, and CNC machines. Comparable as a maker-focused workshop network but with a stronger emphasis on digital fabrication than craft.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Twin Cities Maker social profiles
Digital presenceTwin Cities Maker financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Twin Cities Maker leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Twin Cities Maker funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Twin Cities Maker 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 Twin Cities Maker
What does Twin Cities Maker do?
Twin Cities Maker operates a shared community workshop (the Hack Factory) in Minneapolis where members get 24/7 access to multi-discipline shop departments including woodworking, metalworking and TIG welding, electronics, ceramics, jewelry and fiber arts, CNC machining, 3D printing, and laser cutting. The organization supplements workshop access with educational programming (equipment orientations, skill-building classes such as Woodworking 101 and ceramics wheel-throwing) and runs community events like Open Circuits and Troubleshoot Tuesday.
Is Twin Cities Maker a public or private company?
Twin Cities Maker is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Twin Cities Maker founded?
Twin Cities Maker was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Twin Cities Maker based?
Twin Cities Maker is headquartered in Minneapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Twin Cities Maker make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are class Fees and donations.
Who are Twin Cities Maker's main competitors?
TechShop is listed as an others. Direct peers are Artisan's Asylum, NYC Resistor, Dallas Makerspace, The Crucible and Noisebridge. MakerSpace Adelaide is listed as a regional player. Fab Foundation is listed as an emerging player.
Does Twin Cities Maker have an API?
No public API is recorded for Twin Cities Maker.
What industry is Twin Cities Maker in?
Twin Cities Maker's product category is Community Makerspace / Shared Workshop. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAAAD, Crafts & Maker Arts (Ceramics, Textiles, Jewelry, Mixed Media), with a secondary code of THAJAKAA, Arts & Crafts Workshops (Painting, Pottery, Ceramics, Sculpture).