Shannon McGarry
Elevate your design and manufacturing processes with Autodesk Fusion
Whether you’re an engineer, a designer, a student or a consumer just curious about creating via 3D printing, HoneyPoint3D was created for you.
The Oakland, Calif.-based HoneyPoint3D provides immersive 3D printing education workshops for anyone with an interest in the 3D printing craft. Started by wife-and-husband duo, Liza Wallach-Kloski and Nick Kloski, the company offers online training videos, live events and publications for adults, students and corporate gatherings all centered on 3D CAD modeling. The company also serves as a 3D printing sales and training resource and an authorized printing machines retailer.
Because of their ease of use and free offering for students, educators and individuals, Autodesk Fusion 360 and Autodesk Tinkercadare among the tools that HoneyPoint3D uses to instruct its customers. For its innovative business model, HoneyPoint3D is being recognized as the Autodesk Inventing the Future recipient for April.
Autodesk seeks Inventing the Future candidates each month from its Manufacturing customer base through a brief Q&A interview on a company or individual addressing their business, products and inventive spirit. Here is what Wallach-Kloski had to say about providing 3D printing educational experiences leveraging Autodesk software:
Autodesk: What does your company develop, and why is it important for the world?
Wallach-Kloski: HoneyPoint3D produces high quality educational experiences in the form of online training videos, live events and publications. We have taught more than 3,600 paid students, and that number continues to grow weekly. We are a trusted resource for bringing technically accurate – yet accessible – information to consumers interested in 3D printing technology.
We believe this is important because 3D printing will offer more resources for local manufacturing and thus more chances for local jobs in America. We hope to play a part in educating consumers and businesses on how to incorporate and profit from this technology. The more skills an applicant has the better in this future economy.
Autodesk: How has adopting technology helped your company evolve?
Wallach-Kloski: Our company was founded on technology and the idea that adoption increases jobs and creativity. Software programs like Autodesk Fusion 360 have enabled our company to provide software alternatives that are free for some users. We couldn’t do what we do if it wasn’t for Autodesk and their free software such as Tinkercad, Fusion 360 and Autodesk 123D.
We know that we’re at an inflection point with 3D printing, the technology is still new, but people are adopting it. With this 3D printing technology and 3D CAD software, we are able expose a new generation of creators to the way we believe products will be made in the future.
Autodesk: What Autodesk software do you use and why? Are you a subscription customer?
Wallach-Kloski: We use many Autodesk software products to conduct our services and educate the public. We try and start people in Tinkercad and then encourage them to try Fusion 360 through our HoneyPoint3D subscription.
We also use Autodesk 123D and Meshmixer apps on a daily basis. These free, yet powerful, programs allow us to conduct work and effectively teach our students on software they can use at home. If our students had to buy expensive software, we aren’t sure we would have as many people participating. That is why it’s essential and appreciated that Autodesk provides some of these tools for free.
Autodesk: How do you see your company five years from now? In 10 years?
Wallach-Kloski: HoneyPoint3D’s reach is growing fast and our future online video training platform will allow us to reach even more people both nationally and internationally. We are excited about the future and hope to become the 3D printing educational arm for the industry.
Ten years from now we hope to be the de facto training arm for companies and consumers alike that want to learn about 3D printing.
Autodesk: What does being an entrepreneur mean to you? [You fill in blank with your occupation.]
Wallach-Kloski: Being an entrepreneur means having the confidence to take action on an
idea that you feel is right. In a startup business, you are faced with many options, twists and turns, but you have to stay focused and execute based on hunch and thoughtful thinking!
Visit here to see a video of HoneyPoint3D in action.
Do you think you have what it takes to be recognized by Autodesk for Inventing the Future? If so, send in your submission to inventingthefuture@autodesk.com