Courtesy Innovation Center
Minor editorial corrections made on October 29, 2025.
By Susan Elise Campbell
Five years in the making, The Innovation Center at Saratoga is now open and filling a gap in the market for workspace and collaboration opportunities for entrepreneurs, artists, inventors, and hobbyists, according to Beth Moeller, the non-profit’s president and founder.
“They all work in silos,” she said. “But working together, ideas come out and good things happen.”
Moeller, an entrepreneur and media consultant for 30 years, conceived the idea of a resource for developing businesses and creative expressions. It allows members to use its makerspace, or open community work areas, and equipment that Moeller and her volunteers have been very successful in acquiring, she said.
As important, it is a place to share ideas. Moeller is the owner of Interactive Media Consulting, helping artists and entrepreneurs learn through collaboration to develop ideas and reach their goals. She has also coached for Odyssey of the Mind, working with students to solve problems and teaching them how to use equipment to do a project.
“You can teach someone to use a saw, but you can’t cut the wood,” she said.
At the Innovation Center, staff instruct how to use the equipment and members pay for materials as they use them. This allows inventors to prototype their creations and provides help in the early stages of bringing products to market, Moeller said.
“The 11,000-square-foot facility has a computer lab with all the software you need, including 3D object modeling and open source and non-open source software available for graphic design,” she said.
There are four high-quality 3D printers and two or more are on the way, she said. There is large-format printer that can print multiple formats, from stickers to banners, on fabric or vinyl up to 52 inches wide. There is a large textile area with six floor looms, sewing machines and sergers, a large cutting table, and an industrial sewing machine for use with canvas and leather. The woodshop has a variety of saws, computer controlled router and laser cutter, hand tools, and much more.
“The electronics area has soldering stations and every piece of equipment you would need to design an electrical circuit and prototype it,” Moeller said. “We have applied for a grant to build out a photography studio and we have a room suitable for a darkroom, plus the opportunity to take a class on how to use a darkroom.”
“Film is making a comeback,” she said. “Photography may be a fun hobby or a career pursuit, but why invest in all the equipment when the Innovation Center has it.”
Community education is something Moeller is passionate about and integral to her concept for the non-profit.
“We provide the tools, the classes, the guidance, and mentorship to teach people how to use them for whatever their project may be,” she said.
There are courses to help hone presentation skills, scout badge programs, homeschool and after school programs, STEAM programs, summer camps, and the curriculum that fosters business growth and development.
“Our business series includes classes on business plans, marketing, and skills the individual did not have when they started but needs now in the early stages,” she said. “After the series is completed, students are paired with a SCORE mentor who will help form a business plan each student presents to the others.”
The center is looking for sponsors specifically for this series to help with seed money for their businesses, she said.
Moeller said the bulk of revenue comes from memberships, class fees, and office space rentals. As a 501(c)(3) organization, the Innovation Center also depends on grants and on donations and gifts from the community, which has been “very generous.”
“One anonymous donor has pledged up to $500,000 as a dollar-for-dollar match,” she said.
She said there have been donations of equipment and furniture, and “corporate sponsorships are in the talking phase. Local businesses like Gloversville Sewing Center have donated some machines and given us discounts on others.
Staff and volunteers scour Facebook Marketplace and other free resources for items to use or keep for parts, she said. The previous tenant left behind some $100,000 worth of office furniture, a phone system, security system, and more. Someone donated a leather living room set where people can sit and talk about what projects they are doing and share ideas.
“Collaboration happens organically,” said Moeller.
The Innovation Center has three paid staff, including a full-time technical director, a two-thirds time community coordinator who helps volunteers with events, and a front desk specialist who doubles as a wood captain.
Moeller has attracted dozens of volunteers to donate their time and expertise. She said she reached out to a mailing list of 19 and invited them to come to her office one January Saturday morning to learn more about the new concept.
“All 19 people came and some brought their friends,” she said. “We were pulling chairs from everywhere. Then every Saturday for two months, we had eight to 10 people helping clean up and get the facility ready.”
Volunteers are welcome to help with faculty, fundraising, and marketing, as well as be captains to take the lead in specific areas.
The Innovation Center at 16 Old Stonebreak Road in Malta is open seven days a week to members and anyone who wishes to purchase a pass for the day. There are several levels of membership, including senior and student rates, and membership is not required to take a course or participate in events such as mixers and marketplaces. There is a full class schedule through December online.
The community is invited to take a virtual or in-person tour of the facility and can learn more at innovationcentersaratoga.org. To apply as a volunteer or make a tax-deductible donation, fill out contact information on the site.