Never let it be said that hackers lack social skills. Hacker Dojo, a well-known tech workspace in Silicon Valley, successfully raised $250,000 for renovations after its members took on a unique challenge. They ran a mile in their underwear to collect donations, visited supporters’ homes, and auctioned off meetings with favorable venture capitalists.
The Dojo had been facing eviction from Mountain View due to non-compliance with local zoning regulations. Just a month ago, it needed tens of thousands of dollars to meet the required code standards. To address this, the Dojo launched a Kickstarter campaign and received contributions from local tech giants like Microsoft, Andreessen Horowitz, Palantir, and SmugMug. In a creative fundraising effort, members hosted a one-mile underwear run on St. Patrick’s Day, allowing donors to vote on whether their contributions would support or oppose the sight of pasty hackers sprinting.
However, with less than two hours left before contractor deadlines, the Dojo was still $57,000 short of reaching its goal. Just when it seemed all hope was lost, serial tech entrepreneur Peter Relan and his incubator, YouWeb, came to the rescue. Relan and his team each donated half of the remaining amount.
This funding will enable Hacker Dojo to complete necessary construction to comply with the city’s conditional use permit. This includes critical updates like installing sprinklers, fire exits, and accessible bathrooms. The Dojo also intends to expand its space in the future. For now, though, the Dojo can remain operational, which development director and robotics engineer Katy Levinson notes is a significant relief. “It’s times like these when you learn to appreciate the friends you have, but also to appreciate the friends you never knew you had.”