Jo Sommers: “I Started To Experience The Pleasures (And Of Course The Pain) That Comes With 3D Printing!”

Jo Sommers [Source: Women in 3D Printing]

Jo Sommers is a co-founder at Maker Sense – a maker-ed publishing company.

She’s spent much of her career as a Creative Director with a background in design and art direction working with prominent global advertising and marketing firms. She was part of the early start-up community in Silicon Beach (Los Angeles) and became head of marketing at AIO Robotics (the pioneers of “all-in-one” 3D desktop printing).

It was here she gained transformative exposure to the burgeoning STEM/STEAM and Maker Education movements. She ran hands-on 3D printing events for a number of years before recognizing an opportunity to create content that inspires young Makers to “make to learn” with 3D printing, 3D Design, and Maker Education.

Nora Toure: Jo, could you let us know about your background and what brought you to 3D printing in the first place?

Jo Sommers: I come from an advertising and design background and got into 3D printing when I was living in Silicon Beach (Santa Monica – LA) back in 2013. I was working with a startup tech venture and attended a Digital LA event where I saw AIO Robotics pitch their 3D scanner/3D printer.

I was blown away by the technology and so were the judges. They won first place and the next day I started working with them on their events and marketing strategy and went on to open their first southern hemisphere branch in Sydney, Australia.

Nora Toure: Can you describe your very first experience with 3D Printing?

Jo Sommers: My first hands-on experience with 3D Printing was at USC in Los Angeles. I was helping shoot content to tell the story about what the ZEUS 3D printer/3D scanner could achieve and got an intense education from the inventors.

I believe the best way to tell a brand story is to get inside the head of the user. So I made sure I quickly became a passionate user – and rolled my sleeves up and started to experience all the pleasures (and of course the PAIN) that comes with learning anything new- especially 3D printing!

Nora Toure: Could you explain furthermore what Maker Sense is and the services that you are providing?

Jo Sommers: Maker Sense is a publishing company that provides lesson plans and education for teachers and middle school students who want to learn skills in 3D printing, maker-education, and STEAM. Our first book contains all the information we wished existed in one place when we were first learning about 3D printing.

Read the rest at Women in 3D Printing