At Grand River Makerspace, we believe great ideas deserve the tools, space, and support to become real. That belief was on full display at our Access Awards Pitch Competition — a night dedicated to the makers, artists, and entrepreneurs who are building something meaningful right here in West Michigan.
The response from the community was incredible. We received 55 applications from across the region — bakers and ceramicists, inventors and engineers, sculptors and sewists — each one making the case for how a little support could move their idea forward. Entries came in from Kent, Ottawa, Muskegon, Barry, and Berrien counties, and ranged from brand-new concepts to established businesses looking to grow.
From that field of 55, our judges scored every application against a shared rubric and narrowed it down to ten finalists, who were invited to pitch their projects live. Three of them walked away with a $5,000 Access Award grant to bring their vision to life.
🏆 Our Three Winners
Laura Whitman — Ability Made
Laura is designing 3D-printed adaptive toys and supportive tools for children and adults with disabilities — products that build skills like grasping, coordination, and communication while still feeling fun and colorful rather than clinical. The beauty of 3D printing is customization: a handle made larger, a piece easier to grip, an activity tuned to the individual. The project is deeply personal — Laura is the mother of a daughter with a disability — and she plans to develop each design alongside families, therapists, and educators so it reflects real needs. Her grant will fund the equipment and materials to move from ideas to working prototypes.
Sean Sloop — The Clayground
Sean’s community pottery studio is bringing slipcasting — a classic ceramic technique using liquid clay and plaster molds — to West Michigan, filling a niche the region has been missing. The standout element is a partnership with the Makerspace: 3D printers turn original ideas into master models, which become custom molds back in the studio, bridging digital design and traditional craft. His grant will fund the slipcasting setup, opening the door to everything from relaxed “paint-a-pot” sessions for beginners to hands-on workshops and small-batch production for local artists.
Kallie Spidahl — Travel Foilboards
Kallie is building a small-batch line of travel-friendly foilboards that pack into standard luggage, so kiteboarders can skip the steep oversized-baggage fees — a problem she solved for herself after those fees cost her around $200 each way. Her prototype has already saved her roughly $800, and other riders keep asking where they can get one. Using the Makerspace’s CNC equipment and partnering with local shaper Migration Surf, her grant will take her from one proven prototype to a real product line — proof that a personal fix can become a locally made product.
The Top Ten Finalists
Every one of our finalists brought something special to the table. Here’s the full group:
- Laura Whitman — Ability Made: 3D-printed adaptive toys and tools that make play and learning more accessible for people with disabilities.
- Kallie Spidahl — Travel Foilboards: Foilboards that pack into a suitcase, saving riders on costly oversized baggage fees.
- Sean Sloop — The Clayground: Bringing slipcasting to West Michigan, pairing 3D-printed molds with traditional pottery.
- Andrea Jackson — Violet Flour Bakes: A Downtown Market bakery specializing in custom wedding cakes, desserts, and hands-on decorating classes.
- Phil Dirkse — Stop Motion Animation Kits: Approachable kits that teach kids and beginners the art of stop-motion animation.
- Rebekah White — Pink Paw Patisserie: West Michigan’s first dog-treat food truck — a solar-powered, bubblegum-pink rig serving markets and events.
- Erin Smith — Eco Plastique: Turning discarded plastic into high-quality, durable products in a push toward a waste-free lifecycle.
- Madelyn VerHage — AutoViolin: An adaptive violin designed to remove barriers for musicians with limb loss or limited mobility.
- Kelly Walkotten — Kelly Walkotten Photography: A photography practice built around active, ongoing use of the makerspace community.
- Mike Luyckx — Reach Key by Insightfuel: A patent-pending wheelchair transport assist tool that improves safety and dignity for riders and caregivers.
Thank You
To everyone who applied, pitched, judged, and showed up to cheer our makers on — thank you. The Access Awards exist because this community keeps showing up for one another, and nights like this remind us exactly why we do what we do.
Special thank you to our 4 community judges!
Congratulations to Laura, Sean, and Kallie — we can’t wait to watch what you build.
Interested in what’s next at Grand River Makerspace? Keep an eye on our events calendar and follow along as our winners put their grants to work.