I come from a long line of tradesmen. My grandfather built stunning mansions in Detroit’s historic Grosse Pointe neighborhoods, and my father was a skilled tin knocker who could build just about anything. That passion for working with my hands—swinging a hammer, turning a wrench—is in my DNA.

I rebuilt our house on my own, worked in HVAC during college, and later took a continuing education night course at the local community college to learn welding.

In that class, I built my first lamp and desk using car parts salvaged from a scrap yard. My instructor was so impressed that, with her encouragement, I turned my hobby into a side hustle. I built a shop and now spend my free time crafting robots, furniture, ray guns, and all sorts of wild creations—fueling my creativity and keeping the sparks flying.