Next Fab is a new "gym for innovators" that recently opened in Philadelphia. According to their website, Next Fab provides:
- Innovation facility: state-of-the-art members-only workspace with high-end design and prototyping tools.
- Education: courses and workshops covering topics such as software and equipment use, design and engineering, and entrepreneurship.
- Technical services: in-house experts providing technical support for member projects, and product prototyping, and model-building on a contract basis for the community at large.
- Community: a place to connect and collaborate with a network of fellow innovators with wide-ranging skills and diverse perspectives.
- Retail sales: safety gear, raw materials, and tools.
Much like the SF bay area's Tech Shop, Next Fab offers members access to a wide range of machinery for making things and charges a gym-like monthly fee.
Places like Next Fab and Tech Shop give many hobbypreneurs their start by providing access to equipment that they couldn't afford on their own, training and coaching.
