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Scott Swaaley

Founder and CEO at MAKESafe Tools

Scott Swaaley is the Founder and CEO of MAKESafe Tools, Inc., a company based in San Diego, California, that designs and manufactures safety devices for industrial machinery.12 He founded the company in November 2016 and has been leading it for over 7 years.2

Swaaley has a diverse background that includes:

  1. Electrical engineering: He is a licensed electrical engineer (P.E.).2
  2. Education: He spent 10 years reimagining high school shop class for the 21st century and training adults and children on safe operation of industrial machinery.1
  3. Industrial experience: He has over 15 years of experience with industrial shops, machine operator training, and controls engineering.2

Before founding MAKESafe Tools, Swaaley worked on various projects, including:

  • Designing electrical infrastructure for hospitals
  • Developing asset tracking technology for the Air Force
  • Helping Kaiser Permanente develop over 20 MegaWatts of renewable energy projects1

Swaaley's motivation for founding MAKESafe Tools came from recognizing the inherent risks of industrial machinery and the lack of adequate protection for machine operators. The company's flagship product is the MAKESafe Power Tool Brake, which adds motor braking, emergency stop, and accidental restart prevention to various machine tools.3

In addition to his role at MAKESafe Tools, Swaaley is also:

  • A board member of Project Invent (since June 2018)
  • The founder of GRITLab (since January 2011), where he provides consulting services on education and project-based learning2

Swaaley has received over 20 awards and recognitions for his work in hands-on experiential learning, including recognition from Google and being featured in two documentary films.1

Highlights

Dec 21 · skmurphy.com
Scott Swaaley on his Entrepreneurial Journey at MakeSafe
MAKESafe Tools: Bench Grinder, Disc Sander, and Band Saw ...
MAKESafe Tools: Bench Grinder, Disc Sander, and Band Saw ...
MAKESafe Tools, Inc. - SBIR.gov

Related Questions

What inspired Scott Swaaley to start MAKESafe Tools?
How did Scott Swaaley's background in engineering influence the development of MAKESafe Tools' products?
What are some of the awards and recognitions Scott Swaaley has received for his work in industrial safety?
How does the MAKESafe Power Tool Brake work to prevent injuries in industrial settings?
What partnerships has MAKESafe Tools formed with organizations like the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health?
Scott Swaaley
Scott Swaaley, photo 1
Scott Swaaley, photo 2
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Location

San Diego County, California, United States