HB Magazine - Spring 2023

Learning by Doing

Marge and Dan Moore Makerspace

When Dan Moore was 14 years old, he disassembled a motorcycle and put it back together again. It didn’t start.

His curiosity was piqued, and he was inspired to keep learning by doing it again. He learned from his mistakes, sought help when needed, and eventually got the motorcycle humming. The experience ignited a passion for innovation and creativity that led him to an entrepreneurial career working in a vast array of industries including automotive, military, aerospace, sporting goods, and healthcare. It also sparked a love for motorcycle adventures that would take Dan across continents and around the globe – from Cape Town to Cairo, the Arctic Ocean to the southernmost tip of South America, Istanbul to Xian, China and across Tibet.

As a student growing up in Cleveland Heights, Dan took traditional shop classes which allowed him to expand his interests and learn mechanical drawing, woodworking and welding. His parents encouraged him by letting him spread his projects all over the house and garage. Later as a young paint salesman, Dan developed an idea for a rustproofing material that General Motors incorporated into their manufacturing. After finding early success in the automotive industry, he expanded into polymers and plastics. He later began the Dan T. Moore Company in Cleveland, which serves as a holding company for his portfolio of start-ups, mature companies, and acquisitions, all of which create solutions for unmet industrial or consumer needs. Dan currently holds 38 U.S. patents.

Dan Moore’s love of motorcycles began at age 14 and has led to many adventures across continents and around the globe.

Hands-On Learning

Dan believes that the opportunities presented to him at a young age to take things apart, tinker, create, and make mistakes were essential in nurturing his creativity and curiosity. “The whole idea of making things is really quite important,” Dan says. “Think of all the mechanical things around you — for example a car, computer, or cell phone. How do they work? How do you make them?” He thinks it’s important to demystify how products get made, saying that students who are granted an opportunity to peek behind the curtain of invention–from an idea scribbled on the back of a napkin, through the design process with its fits and starts, to a manufacturing process that needs to be optimized on the factory floor–are more likely to pursue STEM careers and feel confident in their ability to innovate.

Dan’s wife, Marge, is a former high school and middle school science teacher and high school science lab manager who also volunteered as a teacher for the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, where she has been a board member for 16 years. She particularly loves creating opportunities for hands-on learning and knows firsthand the importance of student exposure to unique experiences like welding, building electric circuits, and creating art with laser cutters. “It is critical to open the eyes of students early,” she says. “There are so many possibilities for students today to create solutions and invent new ideas.”

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, there were nearly 10 million employees in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) in 2021. The total number of STEM occupations is projected to grow by almost 11 percent by 2031 which is two times faster than the total for all occupations. However, in 2022, Logitech reported women remain underrepresented in engineering (15 percent), computer science (25 percent), and physical science (40 percent) occupations.

HB is working to change these statistics with its dedication to STEM classes and programs. In fact, approximately 25 percent of the Class of 2023 are interested in studying a STEM-related field in college.

Dan and Marge Moore’s granddaughters Penelope ’26 and Adelaide Drake ’30 currently attend HB and oldest granddaughter Coral Frontini ’22 is an alumna.

Innovative Learning

During the 2021-2022 school year, the Moores sponsored the creation of Hathaway Brown’s seventh and eighth-grade welding academy where students donned a welding mask commonly referred to as a “hood” and learned metalworking and soldering techniques. The girls loved it, and it was an indication that HB students had passion, determination, and curiosity just like Dan did at age fourteen.

Today, the Moores are supporting the construction of an additional makerspace for girls to explore more innovative programming. The space builds on the school’s distinguished academics allowing girls to learn and explore physics, engineering, science, and art in new ways.

“The makerspace is more than a classroom,” explains Dan. “It is an avenue to introduce students to concepts, industries, and career paths they may not have considered before.”

The creation of the Marge and Dan Moore Makerspace will expand the current footprint of HB’s IDEA Lab (invention, design, engineering, art). Here, students learn engineering concepts, work with high tech machines, discover creative ways to overcome obstacles, and bring their ideas to life. It is common to find Prime, Middle, and Upper School students creating art with 3D printers or laser cutters; or members of the robotics team manufacturing components for sensors to embed in their competition robot.

“Every student and faculty member has a standing invitation to use the lab to strengthen the application of coursework in other classes,” says Leah Ridgeway Jackson ’99, director of the IDEA Lab & Fellowship Program. “This type of experiential learning allows users to combine their own creativity with tools and tech resources to bring an idea to life.”

Dan and Marge looked on proudly last year as their granddaughter, Coral Frontini ’22, graduated and joined the alumnae network. They watch two more granddaughters, HB girls Penelope ’26 and Adelaide Drake ’30 grow and thrive. “HB does a marvelous job preparing young leaders of tomorrow,” says Marge. “We hope the new makerspace is helpful in enhancing and expanding the school’s offerings.”

The Marge and Dan Moore Makerspace will inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs and inventors with the same adventurous spirit of Dan and Marge Moore. As for the love of motorcycles? Empowered HB women will travel new roads how they see fit, but no one will be surprised if one of them is on a two-wheeled machine of their own creation.