Erin Oldynski and E. Louise Larson sit it in a small, cozy office surrounded by various tools. A rubber unicorn mask—a gift from Larson’s mom—hangs in one corner of the room. Located in a former manufacturing facility in North Oakland, the newly renovated space serves as the hub for their project Prototype, a feminist maker space dedicated to supporting women.
“We wanted to see a place that taught people how to make things, but centered on women’s experiences,” says Oldynski, who co-founded Prototype with Larson and describes their roles as directors and “boss ladies.”
With Prototype, they intend to create an environment where maker culture—a field that involves everything from metalworking to computer design—is more welcoming to women and those with gender non-conforming identities. People can buy memberships to access tools and attend…
