Last Tuesday we launched Microsoft’s new Silicon Valley Garage, a maker space where Microsoft employees can let their creativity shine. Our new chapter joins 35+ other Microsoft maker spaces across the globe, where more than ten thousand Microsoft employees and interns join forces to innovate.
At the launch party, our employees toured the new space, which boasts a 60-watt laser from Universal Laser, five 3D printers including the MakerBot Replicator Mini and FormLabs Form 1+, soldering stations, and an 82-inch Perceptive Pixel display connected to a scanning station that used Kinect to create 3D replicas of Garage guests. Attendees received a party favor: a laser-cut DIY kit that allowed them to build their own miniature LED-lit arcade console, serving as a reminder for the upcoming //oneweek hackathon taking place at the end of July.
The //oneweek hackathon is an opportunity for Microsoft employees to step out of their day jobs and build something new. The week-long event stems from CEO Satya Nadella’s desire for Microsoft employees to be “growth hackers,” people who constantly strive to improve themselves and the company. With the launch of the Garage we announced the space would become “Hack Central” for //oneweek, a place where technologists, tinkerers, and creative minds come together to create, collaborate, and deploy their ideas.
For more on Microsoft’s Garages, take a peek at this video where “Takei’s Take” host George Takei checks out the Garage at our company headquarters, including Skype Translator and more.
