Bre Pettis, co-founder and former CEO of MakerBot Industries, will kick of the 16th annual University Lectures Series when he comes to campus to speak on October 4.
Pettis is passionate about providing the tools for individuals and organizations to create the world around them. He is a renowned figure in the field of do-it-yourself 3D printing and is recognized worldwide as a leading evangelist for personal manufacturing.
He co-founded MakerBot Industries in 2009 and was instrumental in building the first prototypes of MakerBot’s 3D printers. He was the company CEO through 2013 and its $403 million sale to Stratasys.
Pettis also launched Bold Machines, a 3D product development workshop whose projects include “Margo,” the first-ever feature film made with 3D-printed characters; medical diagnostic devices for the developing world; and testing equipment for the early detection of oral cancer.
He has been named to TIME’s Tech 40 list: The Most Influential Minds in Tech and to Foreign Policy’s annual list of global thinkers, and has been honored by Fast Company (Innovation by Design awardee) and The Economist (2013 Innovation Award), among other accolades.
The University Lectures events are a cross-disciplinary series that brings to Syracuse University notable guest speakers of exceptional accomplishment who share their diverse global experiences and perspectives.
Pettis’ lecture will be held on Tuesday, October 4 at 7:30 PM in Hendricks Chapel, and is sponsored by the School of Information Studies and the Martin J. Whitman School of Management. The event is free and open to the campus and the community.
