Looking for small business owners to inspire kids (East Bay, CA)

[C Mytko]

Hi all -

A better subject line might be: Tinker Coop Guest Speaker Invitation: Inventor’s Bootcamp 2025 Empowering young makers through real-world connections. :)

My name is Christine Mytko and I am 27 years into my middle school science teaching career, 17 of which I've been dabbling in maker education as well. I also run Tinker Coop, a small, community-centered makerspace based in Berkeley, CA. I knew practically nothing about running a business two years ago when I started this non-profit, and am hoping to give kids the peek into entrepreneurship that I did not have. 

This summer, I’m leading Inventor’s Bootcamp—a small, weeklong camp designed to guide middle school students through the process of product development, from initial idea to prototype to business pitch.

As part of this experience, we’re looking for guest speakers who can inspire our campers by sharing their own stories of building a business—whether it’s a neighborhood shop, a creative side hustle, non-profit, or a other startup.

What we’re looking for:

• Guest speakers to talk about your journey as a business owner or entrepreneur
• Format can be a brief Q&A, presentation, or informal conversation
• Ideally in-person (if local to Berkeley), but Zoom is also a great option
• Flexible scheduling between 9:15 AM and 2:50 PM, with the preferred slot being between 10:30–12:00 PM any day
• Opportunities available during either (or both) of these camp weeks:
• June 23–27
• July 14–18

These young makers are curious and excited to learn from people who’ve taken ideas (especially using the tools they are familiar with in our makerspace) and turned them into real-world ventures. Your story could make a big impact.

If you're interested or want to learn more, please reach out. I’d love to connect and discuss how your story could inspire the next generation of innovators.

Thank you! 

C. Mytko
Tinker Coop
cmy...@tinkercoop.org | (510) 708-4111
www.tinkercoop.org
IG @tinker_coop