On November 9th, 2018, I helped Patrick Benfield, the co-founder of CO.LAB, unpack furniture to use in the non-profit collaborative space. I wanted to support CO.LAB's mission, which is to "empower creators of all backgrounds regardless of financial situation, ethnicity, or orientation by providing a safe space that facilitates powerful ideas and access to tools". I have access to making because I am a part of UTeach Maker and a student at UT, but I know that other people do not have this luxury. I was excited to contribute to the opening of this space.
On November 10th, 2018, I went back to help assemble the furniture. I met the other co-founders of the space and other like-minded people who also wanted to support CO.LAB's mission. It was great to connect with makers outside of UTeach.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, CO.LAB had to move from that location before it opened. However, they stayed true to their mission by opening the collaborative space after relocating. UTeach Makers had a cohort meeting there on March 5th, 2019, and we got to see what the space had to offer the community, learn how we could support them, and interact with SxSW EDU people.