Danielle Applestone turned down a job at Tesla to revolutionize the manufacturing industry. <br /><br />Applestone, now a single mother debuted the Othermill in 2013. <br /><br />She graduated from MIT, earned a PH.D. in material science, turned down a job offer from Tesla in favor of her dreams to build a computer-controlled milling machine to employing American manufacturers. <br /><br />The Othermill is capable of cutting into aluminum, brass, wood, and plastic with microscopic precision and costs considerably less than an industrial mill on the market. <br /><br />Priced at $2,199 only. The Othermill does everything a 3D printer does and more. <br /><br />Running out of funds to keep the project going, Applestone and her team were only able to keep the project going by taking consulting jobs while mounting a Kickstarter campaign. <br /><br />After crowdfunding success, angel investors and venture capitalists took notice of the project. And she eventually raised $6.5 million. In 2017, the company had reached breakeven after shipping products for over three years. <br /><br />Today, Applestone has partnered with Bre Pettis and both are committed to running a sustainable small business, one that can have an impact on the world and satisfy their customers. <br /><br />The Othermill began as a Darpa grant researched at Otherlab. They wanted a long-lasting, cheap and easy to understand CNC for everyone. Something with the same capabilities as a laser cutter but with none of the toxic gasses and fire hazards. It actually ended up as an odd making machine. <br /><br />The machine worked perfectly as a vinyl cutter with a spindle instead of a blade. Sheet stock was inserted into the rollers and it moved the material back and forth until it was finished.
