MakersKit has raised $1.5 million to expand its DIY marketplace

Looking to build a 21st century DIY media empire? The rags-to-not-yet-riches story of Jawn McQuade and Mike Stone, the co-founders of MakersKit may have written the instruction manual. Launched in February last year, the company has already raised $1.5 million in seed financing, inked distribution agreements with Nordstrom and Urban Outfitters, and published a book through Amazon. “I sold my stores and we put 100 percent of our efforts into MakersKit,” wrote Stone in an email. “That date is also when Jawn stopped being my employee at the stores and we became co-founders of MakersKit.” The two entrepreneurs met when Stone, a 29-year-old Fashion Institute of Technology alum, hired 24-year-old McQuade to be the general manager for Stone’s now shuttered San Francisco chain of clothing stores, indieindustries.

Mike Stone, CEO of MakersKit, was creative since the day he was born, according to a soothsayer his grandmother once took him to on a trip to South Korea. That proved to be an understatement. Beginning from an early age, Mike won numerous National and International Awards for Art and Design, his work being shown in art shows throughout Japan and California. While in college, he was approached by a talent scout, leading to over 50 movie and TV roles as well as print work. By age 19, he opened up his first business, a little dessert cafe in Berkeley, CA. It was this business that taught Mike the basics in running a business and that he had a knack for it. Today, he has sold every business he started at a profit, a total of nine. MakersKit is now Mike Stone’s 10th business, merging his passion for art, design, and being creative with his talent for business. His co-founder Jawn McQuade complements Mike’s passion and business savvy. With MakersKit as his first business venture, Jawn has helped steered the organization into the lean, tightly run start-up that it is today. As host of the red carpet at the GLAAD Media Awards, screenwriter, actor, designer, and published book author, Jawn’s boundless creativity combined with Mike’s has led MakersKit to unexpected heights. I sat down with “The Maker Boys” to find out more about their journey, their challenges, and inspiring successes.