Nikolas Bentel

New York City once made everything. Today, thousands of skilled makers and manufacturers still operate across the five boroughs, but most New Yorkers have no idea they exist. Nik wants to change that. A third-generation New Yorker from Astoria, and a founder of a Brooklyn design studio, Nik has spent over a decade turning designs into physical products, often having to navigate supply chains that stretch tens of thousands of miles. 

Now, Nik is building MadeHere, a local manufacturing ecosystem built to connect New Yorkers with local manufacturers to bring their visions to life. With MadeHere, Nik envisions a city where New Yorkers can rely on the seamlessness of the makers in their own backyard, rather than global supply chains. Then, local manufacturing will be the obvious choice for New York - not just a well-kept secret.