Brandon Harrell is an accomplished artist and metalsmith. She is an ETSU alumni and has a Masters of Fine Arts from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. Brandon’s own work has been published, shown in multiple exhibits including SOFA Chicago, and she has been awarded at several juried exhibitions. Her work spans from fine art, to jewelry, to craft pieces.

Brandon has over 15 years of teaching experience including workshops, camps, and college classes. She enjoys teaching and showing others how to bring their ideas to tangible realities and experience the joy of creating. Brandon grew up here in East Tennessee and enjoys helping keep the maker spirit history of this region alive, including teaching at Northeast State!

Her goals for the Center include encouraging collaboration between members as well as other local artists and makers, a wide offering of class topics, and growing community. Brandon strongly believes that innovation comes from collaboration, and that we grow by asking questions and being open to new ideas.

John Phipps started with The Inventor Center in 2019, he served as our third director from 2020-May 2022. His experience with IT systems, electrical engineering, and subsea robotics makes him our resident techie.

As Resource Specialist, John mentors entrepreneurs with designing and prototyping for process manufacturing and connects them with facilities in the area with the ability to make their product a reality. He heads up the maintenance and repairs on our equipment, coaches members on our advanced machines, and often encourages people to incorporate new mediums or techniques into their work.

If you want to know how something works or want to add some blinking lights to your next project this is the guy to find!

Byron Kindig is a graduate of the University of South Florida. His continued education includes 10 years of Psychodrama, Sociodrama, and Spontaneity Creativity Training. He has been using the 3D animation software suite, Blender, since 2002 and teaching it since 2005. He organized the first Blender Conference in the United States in 2007 as well as two more conferences since then. Byron also created the First Annual Kingsport International Digital Art Show, along with 3 during the following 3 years.

He is co-founder of the Tri-Cities Blender Users Group, and a contributing author at Blender Artist Magazine.

Byron also paints and has created numerous murals, including for the Sun Coast Primate Sanctuary in Palm Harbor, Florida. He feels his main talent is in helping creative individuals connect and pool their ideas.