Empowering “Makers” to Become Global Problem Solvers

Cisco is proud to be a presenting sponsor of MakerCon, which will bring together leaders in the “maker movement” on May 12 and 13 at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, California.

If you’re unfamiliar with the maker movement, it is, as Joan Voight wrote in Adweek, “the umbrella term for independent inventors, designers, and tinkerers.”

Thanks to the growth of shared “makerspaces” – with 3D printers, laser cutters, and computer-aided design programs – and open source hardware, these makers can build prototypes, collaborate with others, and turn their visions into reality. Makers value collaboration, openness, and learning new skills with and from their peers. They stimulate innovation and address social and environmental problems.

MakerCon attendees represent the businesses that enable makers to bring their projects and ideas to the commercial market. Among them are the maufacturers of core technologies and tools that enable makers to rapidly prototype their designs and ideas, such as Arduino electronics kits with programmable computers.

Harbrinder Kang, Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Cisco will lead a session called “The Future of Work: Creating Global Problem Solvers with the Skills to Thrive.” Harbrinder will discuss how our society is experiencing a shortage of technical talent and requires new expertise in making the transition to the digital economy.

“We are committed to empowering makers and problem solvers with the innovation skills to thrive in the future,” Harbrinder said. “We look forward to working with the Maker community at MakerCon to accelerate the digital revolution by empowering people with the skills needed to thrive, innovate, and become the digital revolution’s global problem solvers.”

Other MakerCon sessions include the “Business of Making,” “Tools of Innovation and Technology,” and “Future Tech, Now.”

What kind of Maker are you? Take the quiz on Huffington Post ImpactX and find out!

As a presenting sponsor of MakerCon, Cisco is committed to empowering makers with the skills needed to thrive, innovate, and become the digital revolution’s global problem solvers. MakerCon begins Maker Week in the San Francisco Bay Area, which concludes with the tenth annual Maker Faire.