My partner Ladyada of Adafruit Industries is a finalist for “Entrepreneur Of 2012″. I feel like the maker movement has grown up together, and now many of us have become businesses. Best of all, I think the open-source hardware companies out there have done a great job at keeping their open-source and maker values – while still being solid businesses.

Limor has been on the MAKE advisory board from the start and her kits have been part of the Maker SHED over the last 5 or so years, she does a weekly engineering video show and just launched a new learning system with her team. She’s the hardest working, smartest and dedicated person I know. To see an amazing woman (she’s the only one out of 15 finalists) an amazing engineer and an amazing business person all-in-one as a finalist is fantastic. There are some great companies there, it’s good to see “one of us” in the mix. Above, a video from the Adafruit HQ and to vote you need to use Facebook. I know that’s a barrier for many out there who do not like or use that service, but if you use Facebook and want to see a maker celebrated as both an engineer and a business person, please vote

Update: No Facebook needed now! Text 170116 to 22333 to vote for Limor “Ladyada” Fried for Entrepreneur of 2012