business & • rofessional

4r

Jonathan and Sarah Jacobs and their

children, Jane, 12, Kate, 10, and Thea, 8.

their first robot.
If someone starts building a robot or
Lego structure, do you keep it there for
them?
You can leave your creations and the
pieces go back into circulation, or you can
buy it by the pound.

What is the price structure?
People are charged by the program. Drop-
ins are $12 each, weeklong camps are $425
and four-session master classes are $100.

How did you get the capital you needed
to start this business?
Jonathan and I invested in it, and our family
helped enormously. Also, Hebrew Free Loan
came in at the end with the last $25,000, for
which we are greatly appreciative.

•

•C

IA

If You Build It

• • •

A new Birmingham business looks at building blocks for the future.

p

icture this:
Colorful rooms filled with Lego
sculptures, tabletop-size or larger
robots and cool technological gadgets.
Sounds like a child's (or young-at-heart
adult's) dreamland, right?
For the Jacobs family of Franklin, how-
ever, this is their playful reality — and
their business.
Sarah and Jonathan Jacobs opened their
new enterprise, the Robot Garage, where
inventive souls can bring to life their own
creations, on June 1 near the railroad tracks
on the eastern edge of Birmingham. Ifs
designed for people keen on building with
tiny, interlocking-plastic Lego blocks and
robotics.
Between camps, classes, drop-ins, birth-
day parties and workshops, the Robot
Garage appeals to enthusiasts of all ages
and skill levels.
Sarah Jacobs talks about the evolution of
their business, from a family interest to an
entrepreneurial venture that involved get-
ting startup money from their family as well
as a $25,000 boost from Hebrew Free Loan.

O

real estate projects. I was most recently
the vice president of development for the
Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center. I left
my job about a year ago to work full time in
getting the Robot Garage up and running,
which enabled Jonathan to keep working."

How risky did you think it would be to
start this business?
We think it's very risky. The failure rate
for startups is high, and the economy in
Michigan definitely has its challenges.
We've been tossing this idea around for
two years and spent about six months ask-
ing people in different parts of the country
why this idea wouldn't work. That was
our only question: "Tell us why this won't
work." The idea survived through that pro-
cess and became more focused.
We really believe that the commu-
nity needs a place like the Robot Garage
because STEM (science, technology, engi-
neering and math) and 21st-century skills
are things that the educational community
is focused on right now. To thrive in the
future, kids are going to have to know
about technology, as well as communica-
tion and collaboration.

What inspired you to start this company?
A family love of building with LEGO
bricks and a growing interest in robotics
that we saw in our daughters. We've trav-
eled to LEGO conventions and have been
to incredible robotics competitions, and
we wanted to build a home for all of these
enthusiasts — including our family.

Tell us about your daughters and their
love of robotics.
Jane is finishing seventh grade, Kate is fin-
ishing fifth grade, and Thea is finishing sec-
ond grade. Jane has been on the Cranbrook
Kingswood Middle School robotics team for
the past two years, which has been a great
experience for her. Also, Kate has competed
in Robofest through Lawrence Technological
University in Southfield.

What were you doing before you
launched the Robot Garage?
Jonathan has had his own website company
for about 15 years and manages some

What programming do you offer for
various age groups?
We have robotics programs like Lego

U

X

Happy builder Jake Stevens shows off

his creation.

Jas on Louterm ilk

Chloe Logan
Jewish News Intern

A big-eyed resident of the Robot Garage

building and WeDo for beginners.
Then they can start working with Lego
Mindstorms Nxt, and we have other pro-
grams such as Arduino for more experi-
enced roboticists.
The Lego and robotics worlds are based
on experience, not age. There are some
12-year-old kids doing unbelievable things
with robotics, and there are some 80-year-
old grandparents who can't wait to build

Why did you choose Birmingham?
I think we were inspired by the suc-
cess of Goldfish Swim School and Troy
Gymnastics. We love the Rail District
because it borders Troy and Birmingham.
So it attracts people from both cities and
is dense with families.

How big is the Robot Garage? Did you
have to renovate?
The Robot Garage is 4,400 square feet.
We spent about six months designing and
renovating. Adam Weintraub of Detroit
(currently in New York) was our architect.
He and Jonathan grew up together and
went to Cranbrook Kingswood together.

How did your recent grand opening go?
We had a big party and an open house all
weekend, and it was great. We had more
than 1,000 people coming through our
doors. The whole community has been so
supportive.

What do you hope people will gain
from the Robot Garage?
If 20 years from now, people say, "I
remember growing up at the Robot
Garage,' then I think it will have been a
success. Jonathan wants every day here to
be as fun as the day when you blow some-
thing up in the science lab.

How has being Jewish played into your
business?
I think family and community have always
been the most important things to us, and
we see the Robot Garage as being a place
for both to build and create together. II

•Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-
Friday; 10-5 Saturday; closed
Sunday.
•Address: 637 S. Eton, Birmingham.
•Phone: (248) 723-9100.
•Website: www.therobotgarage.com .

June 30 W 2011

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