Forty Under 40: Patrick Kinnamon

In the past four years, Patrick Kinnamon helped guide a tech startup toward becoming a multimillion-dollar global business. He’s got plans to do it again — and bigger — with a new venture.

In 2018, while living in New York City, the Dallas native co-founded MakerMade, a precision tool designer and manufacturer catering to the maker community. Think hard-core DIYers with a bent for science and technology.

The company was established to fill the demand for Maslow CNC (computer numerical control) machines, but Kinnamon created other unique features and improved the original. He also launched a 3D printer.

The bootstrapped business hired 30 employees and contractors, sold a half-million units to customers in more than 100 countries and had sales of $5.5 million. MakerMade also provided internship slots to University of Arkansas students.

Kinnamon’s vision is to pursue new patents for innovations pushing maker technology further. He left MakerMade earlier this year — but still maintains an ownership interest — and co-founded another hardware development company called Plus Or Minus. Its business will manufacture robotics geared toward a broader demographic of tech-savvy consumers.

Kinnamon graduated from the University of Dallas in 2008. Sam’s Club recruited him to Northwest Arkansas two years later to work as a packaging engineer.

He later worked for a craft storage company (2012) and a cosmetics company (2016) — both Walmart suppliers. The last job took him to New York City before he and his wife moved back to the region in late 2019.

Kinnamon is co-chair of Citizens’ Climate Lobby and is a Big Brothers Big Sisters mentor.