Genspace

New York's Community Lab

Genspace is a community biology laboratory in South Brooklyn, New York. Our mission is to foster a safe and inclusive community where all people – including those from non-traditional (i.e. art/design) and underrepresented backgrounds – can experientially learn, boldly create, and meaningfully grow with the life sciences.

About

Genspace is the world’s first community lab — a place where people of all backgrounds can learn, work, and explore the life sciences. As life sciences become the next innovation frontier, our goal is to ensure that all persons — whether they are 12 years old or 120 — can understand and participate in this emerging bioeconomy.

Since 2009, we have served the greater New York area by providing hands-on STEAM education programs for youth and adults, cultural and outreach events for the public, and a membership program to support New York’s community of creatives, researchers, and entrepreneurs. Our programs demystify scientific processes, provide a platform for innovation, and cultivate the next generation of life sciences leaders in emerging global technologies, such as biotechnology, neuroscience, epidemiology, genomics, and many more.

History

We got our start in 2009, when a small collective of biology hobbyists, entrepreneurs, artists, and scientists gathered in a North Brooklyn living room. The group reflected on their shared interest in the emerging field of biotechnology, and dreamt up visions of what a more accessible, democratized biotechnology could look and feel like.

A year after that initial meeting, our community lab opened its doors to the public in Downtown Brooklyn. We invited community scientists, artists, engineers, designers, hackers, and quite frankly, anyone else who was interested, to deeply immerse themselves in the life sciences. Using hands-on exploration and experimentation as their guide, our early participants started million-dollar companies, created groundbreaking artwork, and competed in international contests.

*Text taken from initiative’s website and 2019 Annual Report.