[00:00.00]Maurice Mountain is a retired lawyer in Washington, D.C. 
[00:05.92]He developed a prototype for a device he calls the Presto Emergency Boat Ladder. 
[00:13.32]His invention is a small folding ladder that attaches to the side of a boat to help people who fall into the water. 
[00:23.17]Mr. Mountain plans to mass-produce his boat ladder.He created his invention at a workshop called TechShop.
[00:33.34]Members of TechShop use high-tech equipment to develop and produce ideas they have for inventions.
[00:42.65] Mr. Mountain says TechShop permits people to turn their dreams into reality.
[00:49.34]"I think it encourages innovation. I think people who probably have had ideas rolling around in the back of their minds for years 
[00:58.35]but have never had the opportunity to actually put them into production or even experiment with them would find this place wonderful."
[01:07.24]Isabella Musachio manages a TechShop in Arlington, Virginia. She says the shop has many different kinds of equipment.
[01:18.18]"TechShop is a do-it-yourself maker space and fabrication studio. 
[01:21.99]So when you come in we have all these different areas of the shop, and we have a metal shop, wood shop, plastic slab, lasers, 3D printers, electronics, textiles. 
[01:32.35]I mean, we have so many different areas and we have all this equipment that is available to anybody above the age of 12 and up."
[01:41.33]Membership costs for TechShop start at just over $100 per month. 
[01:47.76]Members are able to use costly machines including 3D modeling tools and laser cutters. 
[01:56.80]Isabella Musachio says TechShop helps its members build their dreams.
[02:03.02]"Our motto is ˇ®build your dreams here' because you can really come in with just an idea, 
[02:07.65]and then with the help of TechShop make that leap from an idea to building your project or your prototype or even your business."
[02:16.48]The business application and credit card reader Square was developed at a TechShop facility in San Francisco. 
[02:25.46]Now, Square is used to charge about $8.8 billion in business transactions every year.
[02:34.80]U.S. President Barack Obama spoke at the TechShop workshop in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 2014. 
[02:43.30]He said that innovation is the first step to the future. 
[02:48.49]He added that TechShop is giving people the tools they need to turn their ideas into reality.
[02:56.48]"Because of advances in technology, the opportunity is now to make the tools that are needed for production and prototypes are now democratized. 
[03:08.95]They are in the hands of anybody who's got a good idea."
[03:11.48]Jim Newton is the founder of TechShop. 
[03:15.07]He first introduced the idea for the technology workshops at an arts and sciences event calledMaker Faire in San Mateo, California in 2006. 
[03:26.85]His idea attracted hundreds of members during that event. 
[03:32.31]Now, there are eight TechShop locations in the U.S. In all, there are more than 6,000 members.
[03:42.75]Jim Newton has plans for two more TechShop locations in the cities of St. Louis and Los Angeles.
[03:52.00]I'm Jonathan Evans.