A familiar Columbus creative hub is about to get a national spotlight.
Megan Pando, founder of Makers Social, will appear on ABC’s Shark Tank on Jan. 14 from 10–11 p.m. EST, bringing her hands-on makerspace concept to one of TV’s biggest stages for entrepreneurs.
If you’ve never been to Makers Social, the idea is simple and genius: it’s a DIY makerspace and bar where guests can create everything from jewelry to leather goods and woodworking projects, all while sipping craft cocktails and hanging out with friends. It’s part creative workshop, part social night out, and very Columbus in spirit.
Pando launched Makers Social in 2020, just one month before the pandemic shut the world down. Opening any business is hard. Opening an experiential, in-person business at the start of COVID? That’s next-level challenging.
“I started this business just a month before the pandemic hit, making the launch of Makers Social one of the most challenging experiences of my life,” Pando said. “Receiving the invitation to appear on Shark Tank was a surreal and deeply gratifying moment. I’m proud to represent Columbus on a national platform.”
Pando moved to Columbus in 2014 with a clear goal: build businesses rooted in creativity, community, and connection.
Shortly after arriving, she opened Studio 614, a paint-and-sip studio in Clintonville. That early experience helped shape what would eventually become Makers Social, which takes the same social creativity concept and expands it into a full-scale, interactive makerspace.
Her upcoming Shark Tank appearance puts a national spotlight not just on Makers Social, but on Columbus as a place where creative, community-driven businesses can actually grow and thrive.
Makers Social continues to operate locally, offering guided DIY projects alongside a full bar and social atmosphere that turns a typical night out into something hands-on and memorable. Whether or not a deal is struck on Shark Tank, the moment is a big one for a Columbus-founded brand that started during one of the most uncertain times imaginable.
You can catch Megan Pando and Makers Social on Shark Tank Wednesday, Jan. 14, at 10 p.m. on ABC.
For more about Makers Social, visit MakersSocial.com.
