Help a Teen Start a 3D Printing Business

Many people are now considering starting a business in the 3D print world, but not many are as young and ambitious as Michael Becerra. 

Becerra is a 17-year old high school junior in Grand Rapids, Michigan, who hopes one day to become a “plastics engineer”. For now, however, the football-playing student simply wishes to learn more about 3D printing. The best way to do that, of course, is to own your own printer and get busy, and that’s exactly what Becerra plans to do. However, as most teens are, he’s a bit short of funds to do so, even when accounting for the purchase cost of his target machine: a CobbleBot, one of the lowest price 3D printers you can obtain. 

We asked Berecca how he came to learn about 3D printing and he told a story of amazing serendipity: 

When I was scheduling for high school my 8th grade year I signed up for a drafting class thinking it was a writing class. When I showed up I was wrong. I didn’t know if I should drop out or not so I just stayed in to see what it was all about. I ended up loving the class and then progressed to my first CAD class where I learned AutoCAD. I signed up for CAD my sophomore year and then learned how to use Solidworks and became certified.

From there Berecca evidently pestered his teachers to acquire a 3D printer for the school, and his journey continued from there. 

Perhaps this is a dream held by many teens, but Becerra seems to be more ambitious than most. For example, not only does Becerra know how to use Solidworks, he’s officially certified on it. He’s also taken the step of setting up a fundraising campaign to raise funds for his new business and performed an admirable reachout to the 3D printing community worldwide. 

Becerra’s business intentions with the new 3D printing small business he wishes to launch are modest. He explains that he’ll simply start developing basic objects for sale, such as household items or items for other children at his school. A vague business plan is normally not a good thing for a fundraising campaign. However, to us that really doesn’t matter in this case. 

We’re excited to see enthusiasm on 3D printing from anyone, but especially from youngsters such as Becerra, as these are the people who will invent the future when they get their hands on the tools and try “everything”. 

Please lend Becerra a hand in his journey into 3D printing. 

Via Indiegogo