When he graduated from high school, Edge Factor founder and president Jeremy Bout didn’t know what he wanted to do. His uncle had just bought a 5-axis CNC machine and invited Jeremy to help him get it running. Together, they quickly realized that operating this level of technology required serious STEM and creative problem-solving skills!

 

 

As Jeremy manufactured parts for use in aerospace, automotive and the healthcare industry, he spoke excitedly to his friends about the technology he was using and the projects he was working on. His enthusiasm was met with blank stares: “What’s a CNC machine? What do you mean you’re ‘pushing the limits of your cutting tools?’”

 

Jeremy understood that someone had to do something BIG to raise awareness and change people’s perceptions of manufacturing. It was then that he decided to merge his love for making things with his passion for media and storytelling, and he built an award-winning team who turned the cameras back on the people and coworkers that he knew and respected in the manufacturing industry.

 

 

Edge Factor was established and the release of its first film The Beginnings was widely applauded. The vision became more clear when an educator called Jeremy and said, “I just played your film in my classroom. A student came up to me and said, ‘I had no idea what manufacturing looked like - I now know what I want to do with my life.’ And he changed his major.” That moment marked the birth of Edge Factor.

 

The Passion is Contagious

As Edge Factor grew, the need for a team was clear. Meanwhile, having graduated from high school four years earlier, Edge Factor Vice President Larissa Hofman had no idea what she wanted to do next with her life. She didn’t subscribe to the ‘one-size-fits-all’ theory that everyone needs to go to university. There are different pathways to success, and Larissa realized that she was passionate about helping students like her plan ahead in order to understand what their real career options are.

One day, out of the blue, an accidental call from Jeremy to Larissa turned into a shared visioning session. The next day, she became his partner in crime and the rest was history. Jeremy and Larissa grew the team from Mike Douma and the coders to Jon Reitsma wearing whatever hats needed to be worn, and eventually Nikki Bakker came aboard to whip everyone into shape. (At least, she's still trying to.)

Today, Edge Factor continues to use the power of cinematic storytelling to take students and people on a journey from “I have no idea what I want to do with my life” to discovering industries, careers, CTE/SHSM and postsecondary programs, Soft Skills, STEAM and local opportunities. We’ve produced thousands of videos and interactive activities highlighting every industry since our first film, and we deliver these tools through our state-of-the-art platform. Our team is a diverse group of passionate and innovative creators committed to our mission to inspire learners of all ages to explore, prepare and connect on their career journey.

If our story and mission inspire you and you're looking to join a team that's focused on workforce development, send us your resume at info@edgefactor.com.