Hey! I Know Her: Hannah Robinett

In the second installment of my monthly post where I get to gush over the girls in my life who inspire me every day, I'm featuring Hannah Robinett, designer and side-business-woman extraordinaire! Hannah is the founder of mynlyn, a 3D-printed jewelry line based out of Brooklyn. Another fun fact: she's one of the links that brought me and my husband together. But that's not the only reason I love her. She's also one of the sweetest, funniest girls I know.

Photo credit: @hannahrobinett on Instagram

I was over at her house the other day for a playdate with her and her dog Gif (who I'm also obsessed with and you'll meet in a second...) and asked her a few qs about her business and 3D printing (which I'm absolutely fascinated by!) Check out our Q&A below:

Q: So, can you explain the process of 3D printed jewelry to those of us who are intrigued but have no idea how it actually works?
A: First, I just sketch a bunch of designs -- these may not necessarily be ring designs or necklace designs, just something I consider a work of art. And then I work in a program where you can design 3D and turn it into something wearable and tangible. I then use a maker bot, which is an at-home 3D printer, where I can print out all my prototypes. It's kind of a long process getting every step to be what I want it to be.

Q: That's interesting that you don't always design specifically for jewelry first.
A: A lot of pieces from my original line were taken from my works of art before I was even designing jewelry. I just looked at that work of art and made it into a piece that someone could wear. It's works of art that you can wear!

Q: Did you get the 3D printer with this business in mind or did you get the idea after you bought it?
A: I bought it with this idea. I just wanted to create more 3D products since everything I was doing was 2D, and I thought that a 3D printer would give me to opportunity to do that right at home.

Photo credit: @hannahrobinett on Instagram

Q: But I know you don't only use the printer for jewelry... I've seen the adorable Gif-shaped cookie cutter you made. What else have you come up with?
A: I try to make things I need around the apartment. Like, I made a jewelry tray. I also make a lot of toys for my goddaughter, niece, and nephew -- like little animal figurines, which probably take about 30 or 40 minutes to print. I made a flower pot to put some succulents in. It's fun to say, "What do I need?" and then you print it. I call the 3D printer the sewing machine of the 21st century because I feel like in another 20 years, I could see people just having them in their home and if they need a screw, they'll print a screw. If they need to fix a piece of a chair, they'll print exactly that piece.

Hey! I Know Her: Tammy Tibbetts

You know when you're just so in awe of the people in your life that you sometimes have to pinch yourself and say, "I can't believe I'm so lucky to have them as a friend?" I actually feel that way every day. I look at my friends and think they're some of the sweetest, strongest, most inspiring women on the planet, and how they made their way into my life, I have no idea. But I'm truly thankful.

Photo Credit: Kate Lord Sander

And because of that, I thought it'd be fun to feature them in a new monthly interview series. Welcome to "Hey! I Know Her!"

Last week, I went over to my friend Tammy Tibbetts' home where she introduced me to smoothie bowls and we sat on her patio for hours just chatting. In case you haven't heard of her yet, she's taking the world by storm. She's the founder of "She's The First," a nonprofit committed to funding girls' education in low-income countries. Check out my Q&A with her below!

Q: So, I remember sitting with you in the Hearst Cafeteria in 2008, and She's the First was just an idea in your head. You were so enthusiastic about it then -- but did you ever imagine it would be what it is today?
A: When we launched, it was just a YouTube video. I thought it'd just be a social media campaign that would inspire people to sponsor girls’ education. I never imagined it would spawn a network of campus chapters that’s now close to 200, a coalition of 10 partner schools, a staff of 4 people, 5 interns, and our own office space.

Q: What do you think is to thank for its success?
A: I would say the action of college students was the match that lit the fire. When the video started resonating with them and they started organizing events and activities, that’s what made it grow so much faster than I anticipated.

Q: What do you see in the college students that you saw in yourself when you were their age?
A: I see what I was looking for. I have a diary entry to prove it from when I was a senior in college -- I knew that I was graduating from my journalism program and would probably get hired, but I didn’t feel like I was part of something bigger than myself. And I think these students found that very thing I was looking for.