Research Setting
The growth of Open Source Medical Supplies (OSMS) illustrates the rapid
diffusion of the self-organized maker response (see Appendix A). OSMS
began as a Facebook group the day prior to COVID-19 being declared a
pandemic and grew to include over 73,000 Facebook members supporting a
roster of 547 local response groups in more than 50 networks connecting
groups to resources and partners such as suppliers, governments, and
hospitals (OSMS, 2020). In September 2020, OSMS and Nation of Makers
organized a survey to document the impact of the maker response. They
reported receiving 1878 survey responses, representing 42,000 volunteers
and staff in 86 countries, but with responses heavily weighted toward
the U.S. (Cavalcanti et al., 2021). In the U.S., makers reported
producing 34 million units of medical supplies consisting of PPE such as
face shields, disposable gowns, cloth masks, surgical caps, powered air
purifying respirators, as well as novel solutions developed during the
pandemic (e.g., ear savers, non-invasive ventilation helmets, ventilator
splitters, and door openers). Overall, emergent networks such as OSMS
helped collectives of makers act entrepreneurially and revealed strong
conceptual links between research on the maker movement, social
networks, and entrepreneurial responses to crises.