The following is a summary of last night’s meeting (June 12, 2013) adapted from notes taken during the 3.5 hour-‐long discussion. The sections are broken up to correspond with the general outline of the slide deck that Kristina presented. UPDATES • Kristina is completing some of the final filing tasks necessary for Biocurious’s Corporate Filing Status. • Joseph Jackson has stepped down from the Board, leaving 4 seats: Eri, Tito, Raymond, and Kristina. There is currently no plan to fill the lost seat. o Every three years, there is vote of confidence regarding board members. We have not reached our first three years yet. • The Glowing Plant Project is currently unaffiliated with Biocurious. The Safety Committee is open to discussing the project after they have received the proper requests and proposals. o The Safety Committee is composed of volunteers who wish to take on the responsibility of determining safety and policy protocol for Biocurious. The committee is looking for experienced individuals with lab safety experience. o Currently the Biocurious Safety Regulations prohibit the general release of GMOs. In order to remove a GMO from the lab, one must acquire a Materials Transfer Agreement (MTA) from the Safety Committee that will allow the GMO to be transferred to another facility of comparable Bio Safety Level (BSL). o Raymond has experienced pushback from potential corporate sponsors who have expressed concern with the protocols of the Glowing Plant Project, specifically concerning the general release of GMOs. o According to the Glowing Plant Project’s legislative research, there is no regulation that would prohibit the project from distributing the GMO seeds as planned in the project protocol. o The Safety Committee wishes to have an open and transparent discussion of the issues involved in the Glowing Plant Project that would include participation by the DIY community at large and biosafety professionals. o There is a sentiment among some members that grant-‐funded Community Projects could be a source of income to Biocurious and that these projects should be actively supported by Biocurious. Others are hesitant to weigh Biocurious Safety and Policy regulations against the potential for project-‐ sourced funding, as this might be seen as compromising the Safety Committee’s integrity. o The onus is on the Glowing Plant Project to propose changes to the current Safety and Policy regulations. Kyle made such a request in October of 2012, but it seems to have been misrouted. o Some members questioned why the Safety Committee is responsible for determining Biocurious Policy that is unrelated to laboratory safety issues. • The lab has acquired new equipment. An additional 3D printer (as well as access to an industrial printing unit to work with more complicated materials), two new water bath shakers, and a sonicating water bath. • Volunteer numbers are up and we have held two trainings a month for the last six months. RIP
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Three events have been cancelled Friday Night Brights: Cancelled due to trouble with the reliability of the instructor Genetic Engineering 101 (corporate class): Couldn’t get all of the staffing necessary Executive Classes: Unable to accommodate staffing necessary during work-‐day hours
NOT SO GOOD NEWS • The cash flow crisis that was predicted has occurred. o This is due in part to a new low in classes being offered. o We lost Assay Depot as a corporate sponsor; the loss was unrelated to Biocurious activities. o Raymond lost a few potential corporate sponsors because of concerns with the protocol of the Glowing Plant Project. o We still do not have our 501.c.3 status, but it has not been a barrier to Biocurious receiving donations. Biocurious has funneled the donations in via other non-‐profit avenues. The board has been unaware of several local hackerspaces (School Factory, Noisebridge, Ace Monster Toys) that offer Financial Sponsorship to grant other spaces 501.c.3 status. • There have been Policy violations in the lab conducted by members. A review of laboratory rules and regulations appears below in lieu of specific infractions committed. • There has been an increase in consumables. • There has been broken equipment, which needed replacement. • New equipment has been needed. • There has been no net membership growth. We currently have 30 members. FINANCIAL UPDATE • This is neither the first nor the last time we will face a financial crisis. The board is seeking more member involvement in solving this and future crises than there have been in previous crises. • Q1 saw an average loss of $900/ month. In Q2 we saw an average loss of $1,800/ month. o Higher loss in Q2 is due to: decreased frequency on-‐site classes, cancellation or corporate classes, higher consumables costs, and replacement of equipment. o The Corporate Classes bring in a significant amount of revenue for Biocurious and could take place every six weeks if staffing complications could be resolved. These classes require ‘white glove’ treatment for guests and carry with them the expectation of a high level of service. Kristina would like to have help in figuring out how to make this service successful. • Several suggestions were made to increase Biocurious revenue: o Members could organize a “Meet the Biohackers” class o Eri would like to host a “Nerd Night” fundraiser for Biocurious. Please email her suggestions for possible high-‐profile speakers. o We could improve collaborations between Biocurious and other hackerspaces (Hacker Dojo) to drive interest and engagement. o We could organize “Fieldtrips” as an off-‐site activity that could be organized similarly to classes or lectures. The Monterey Bay Lab was suggested as bioluminescent research takes place there.
THE LEVERS • Corporate: requiring new sponsorship and/or continuation of classes • Classes: increase frequency of classes • Membership: enroll new members • Grants: apply for grants that would bring in revenue for Biocurious HELP WANTED • Lab Class Instructors: need more people to volunteer • Corporate Development: need members to be making introductions for asks • Marketing: need someone to take charge of outbound marketing, most importantly a monthly newsletter • Social Media: need someone to take over the responsibilities from Joyce • Safety Counsel: needs more involvement • Equipment Repair: need someone who can repair and maintain equipment • Equipment Donations: need someone to help obtain more donations • Financial Tracking: need someone to assist in the financial tracking of Biocurious • Sometime in the future, it would also be nice to have both a Lab Manager (front house) and Class Manager (back house) positions, which would be compensated somehow. PLAN A • We need more classes now o Schedule more classes in advance o Find lab instructors o Drive attendance o Community Project nights must give way to classes (as they drive income). We have lost classes because instructors were unable to find availability among the regular meetings. • Enforce Lab Rules o Equipment used by members and class participants only: “you have to pay to play” o No equipment used in classroom area. This includes ALL equipment (e.g. electronics). o The “room with the fish” will be converted into a lab space for non-‐wet lab equipment. o Violating these rules puts the lab at risk. o Staff must enforce these rules and collect appropriate fees for participation. PLAN A1 / A2 – PROPOSED RULES FOR COMMUNITY PROJECTS • Community Projects will follow the following rules depending on whether they are created as “A Class” or “A Free Meeting.” The following summarizes each of these categories. • Community Project as a Class o 1st time visitor to a class may attend once for free o Non-‐members pay $10 per class o Non-‐members may now use ALL equipment o Community Project leaders will give focused safety training on class activities for non-‐members
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Community Project as Free Meeting o Each member may have one free meeting/ month o Non-‐members CANNOT use any equipment o There is NO way for non-‐members to be hands-‐on Community Projects serve a few roles o Provide interesting projects for members to work on. o Great if these projects can serve as a source of revenue. o Bring in new members and also publically markets Biocurious Some members presented the challenge of continuing projects while constantly introducing new visitors to the project. How can Community Projects create an infrastructure where work can continue smoothly AND new visitors can be oriented?
PLAN B • As an alternative to Plan A, we can close down the lab, store the equipment, and search for free (or significantly reduced) space to re-‐open. o This is not the preferred plan. • Raymond has had several leads negotiating alternative spaces for Biocurious within Biotech companies. Patrik will introduce academic contacts in Santa Clara that may be able to help locate reduced-‐cost lab space. • Biocurious has a minimum of a 3-‐month runway before it would close. The real runway is likely a lot longer than that. • The lease for our current space is up for renewal in September (?). Biocurious has a great relationship with our landlord. WHAT CAN ONE PERSON DO? • Teach Classes • Identify Sponsors • Teach Master Classes: a class that trains instructors • Ask for Donations: WePay account has been re-‐activated on Biocurious webpage to accept donations MAIN GOAL • “We still believe that innovations in biology should be accessible, affordable, and open to everyone.” ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION • There is now a monthly members check-‐in meeting to meet with the board on the fourth Wednesday of each month. The first meeting will be held on June 26th and is now on the main calendar. • Many members expressed concern that they did not feel empowered to do more in the lab. Though there are opportunities to contribute in delegated ways, it does not feel like members have the ability to steer the course of Biocurious as they contribute to the improvement of the space. o Members want opportunities to more involved in management decisions, especially regarding Policy regulations. There is a sentiment that Biocurious could be made more egalitarian between board and members.
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Biocurious has a BSL2 certified hood and is in the process of prototyping a BSL2 certified section of the lab. Currently there is no BSL2 section of the lab, despite suggestions to the contrary. Many members suggested that the community re-‐evaluate the governance structure of Biocurious. In comparison to similar spaces, it seems odd that Biocurious’s members do not have voting rights. o Members also feel that there is a lack of transparency in how the board operates. o Further discussion of Biocurious governance could happen during the next meeting, June 26th. Members are encouraged to bring proposals with them for discussion. o The board acknowledged that it would be possible to amend the bylaws to allow voting members. Organizationally, it was suggested that a new “Officer” role could help reduce the work of the board and put more power into the hands of members.
