# Dale Dougherty

> Dale Dougherty is the founder of Make: magazine and Maker Faire, and widely credited as the father of the Maker Movement. A co-founder of O'Reilly Media, he launched the internet's first commercial web portal (GNN) in 1993, helped popularize the term 'Web 2.0' in 2004, and coined the word 'makers' to describe hands-on creators and tinkerers. Today he leads Make: Community LLC, an organization that inspires millions through DIY technology, education, and events spanning 40+ countries.

- **Role:** Founder & CEO at Make: Community LLC
- **Organizations:** Make: Community LLC, O'Reilly Media (co-founder), Maker Media (founder), Make: magazine (founder), Maker Faire (founder), Songline Studios, Global Network Navigator (GNN)
- **From:** Louisville, Kentucky, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Lecturer, School of Information Management and Systems (SIMS), University of California, Berkeley
- **Known for:** Co-founded O'Reilly Media, one of the most influential technical publishers in the world, Built GNN (1993) - the internet's first commercial web portal and first ad-supported website, Coined the term 'makers' in 2005 to describe hands-on DIY creators

## Career timeline

- **1978** — Joins O'Reilly & Associates as co-founder, editing early Unix and technical computing books
- **1993** — Founds and publishes Global Network Navigator (GNN) - the internet's first commercial web portal and first ad-supported website
- **1995** — AOL acquires GNN; Dougherty manages O'Reilly's Songline Studios with $3M AOL investment
- **2004** — Helps popularize the term 'Web 2.0' at O'Reilly's Web 2.0 Conference
- **2005** — Founds Make: magazine at O'Reilly Media; coins the term 'makers' to describe hands-on creators
- **2006** — Launches first Maker Faire Bay Area, San Mateo, California
- **2011** — Honored at White House as 'Champion of Change' for innovation in American communities
- **2012** — Maker Media spins out as a separate venture-backed company from O'Reilly Media
- **2013** — Maker Media fully independent; Dougherty serves as CEO
- **2014** — President Obama introduces Dougherty at the White House Maker Faire as an American innovator
- **2016** — Returns as CEO of Make:; publishes 'Free to Make' with Adriane Conrad
- **2019** — Maker Media ceases operations in June; Dougherty repurchases brands and content, relaunches as Make: Community LLC in July
- **2025** — Keynotes Maker Faire Miami; Maker Faire Bay Area celebrates 20th anniversary
- **2026** — Maker Faire Bay Area 20th anniversary event planned for September 25-27 at Historic Mare Island Naval Shipyard

## Achievements

- Co-founded O'Reilly Media, one of the most influential technical publishers in the world
- Built GNN (1993) - the internet's first commercial web portal and first ad-supported website
- Coined the term 'makers' in 2005 to describe hands-on DIY creators
- Founded Make: magazine, the flagship publication of the Maker Movement
- Launched Maker Faire (2006), which grew to 200+ events in 40 countries with 1.5M+ annual attendees
- Helped popularize 'Web 2.0' terminology at the 2004 O'Reilly Web 2.0 Conference
- Honored at the White House as 'Champion of Change' (2011)
- Introduced by President Obama at the White House Maker Faire as an American innovator (2014)
- Authored 'Free to Make: How the Maker Movement Is Changing Our Jobs, Schools and Minds'
- Co-authored 'Maker City: A Practical Guide for Reinventing American Cities'
- Lectured at UC Berkeley School of Information Management and Systems
- Revived Make: Community after bankruptcy in 2019, preserving the movement and its jobs

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — Participated in Make: Live event marking Maker Faire Bay Area's 20th anniversary; Maker Faire Bay Area 2026 announced for September 25-27 at Historic Mare Island Naval Shipyard
- **2025-12** — Delivered keynote 'The Founder's Vision - Dale Dougherty on the DNA of the Maker Movement' at Maker Faire Bay Area September 2025
- **2025-05** — Keynoted Maker Faire Miami 2025 on 'The Case for Maker Education' at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
- **2025-01** — Sebastopol Times Substack newsletter reaches 7,500+ subscribers; Dale continues publishing on local news and the maker community

## Links

- Website: https://make.co
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/daledougherty
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/make
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dalepd/

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/dale-dougherty
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-27