If you are involved in the Madison entrepreneurship scene, you know Chris Meyer of Sector67 and Heather Wentler of the Doyenne Group. They are tireless in their work to create an entrepreneurship climate here. Sector67 is an amazing makerspace that welcomes all types of do-ers. In an effort to have a bigger, permanent home for Sector67, Chris has raised money and spending 18 hour days getting the new space ready for the future. Or as Brian Samson of TenForward Consulting puts it, Chris is a local superhero. Unfortunately, there was an accident, and Chris was injured (more below). There is now a GoFundMe page (www.gofundme.com/helpsector67) to help Sector67 push forward while Chris heals. Yeah, that’s right, not to help Chris, but his dream at Sector67. Read more below.
The Accident – What Happened
On September 20th, 2017, Chris Meyer, the founder and driving force behind Sector67, was seriously injured in a freak accident caused by a propane explosion while working to help build out the new Sector67 facility. Now Chris and Sector67 need your help!
We are all very thankful that Chris survived. He is in stable condition and in good spirits. However, he has an extremely long way to a full recovery (over a year) and will be in the hospital for at least a month. This means the leader responsible for building this amazing community and a core driving force behind making sure the new Sector67 facility is completed on time will have a long road to recovery in front of him, and he needs our help.
Chris in the Hospital – Burn Unit
Sector67’s Permanent Home Project
Chris and a work crew of volunteers and contractors are in the middle of literally jacking up the roof to add a second story to the new home of Sector67. Chris has been the leader and heartbeat of this massive undertaking.
Chris fills numerous roles – from raising funds, to acting as a contractor, to spending 18 hour days getting his hands dirty at the site (and this is even an understatement for those who know Chris). Funds were successfully raised to complete the project, and because of Chris’s work ethic and ability to inspire a team around him, the new project was able to break ground and set forth on a very ambitious schedule with a lean budget.
The new building will be the long term permanent home for Sector67. It will double the size of the space, offer a substantially improved workspace, improved technology and equipment, and provide additional capacity for both member support and increased outreach into the community. Read more about the new space here.
Sector67 and Chris Need Our Help
The project can’t be put on pause to wait for Chris’s return following his recovery. The construction has been set in motion, and there is a looming deadline that Sector67 must be moved out of their currently leased building. His drive and expertise will be extremely tough to fill, but in order to keep the project on track, we’ll need to bring in more help.
We will continue to move forward with the vision Chris has set. We know that it is important to him to keep everything progressing, but we need your help to fill his shoes while he recovers as well as raise additional funds to ensure the project can be completed.
Donations will be used to supplement the day-to-day oversight, engineering expertise, and manual labor that would have normally come from Chris. Funds will be given directly to the Sector67 501(c)(3) and used in a way that follows Chris’s plans as closely as possible, as well as provide additional support to him as he recovers.
Ways to help
• Give Money: Contribute what you can to this GoFundMe page. Sector67 has set off on an ambitious project to create a new facility on a shoestring budget. Without the help of the community, it will not be able to continue.
• Give Time and Talent: Chris is great at gathering teams of people to help out. If you can lend any expertise, materials, or general labor, that would be immensely helpful. Please contact us, and let us know that we can reach out to you as projects unfold.
• Give Meals: Let’s ensure Heather and Chris are well stocked with easy-to-eat meals. You can sign up to provide a meal here: https://mealtrain.com/qv2l05
• Share This Page: Send this off to anyone in the community that has been impacted by Chris and Sector67’s mission. As you share the news about the accident, include this link. We will be updating it with building progress and updates about Chris.
• Write Your Stories: Reflect back, and write a sentence or two on the wall here about Sector67 or about Chris, and the impact that he has made on you or the community.
Chris has given so much to Sector67 and our community, and now is the time for us to give back and help him.
Please check back often to this page as we’ll use it as a way to keep everyone updated with the project’s continued progress as well as Chris’s personal recovery.
Thank you for your support!