Nick Velásquez | Making Creation a Career

On the stage of Maker Faire Shenzhen, Nick Velásquez immediately stood out — a cyberpunk-style interactive helmet, glowing circuit boards, even embedded chips. But beyond the futuristic look lies a deeper story: a life shaped by making.

Nick, from Colombia, is an engineer, entrepreneur, and maker. His journey began with early startup failures at university, continued through building a custom control system for his father’s factory that has run reliably for over 12 years, and evolved through multiple ventures in smart homes and smart agriculture. After many trials and setbacks, he founded Deep Sea Developments, delivering product design and prototyping services across North and South America.

The interactive helmet he showcased at MFSZ25 perfectly reflects the maker mindset. When his original project was lost during shipping, Nick rebuilt a brand-new version in just five days — sourcing parts, redesigning, and assembling it from scratch. “With the right tools and passion,” he said, “ideas can always come back to life.”

Nick believes that making creates luck. By continuously building, sharing, and connecting, his open-source projects reached creators in over 20 countries and opened doors that reshaped his career.

For Nick, making is more than a skill — it’s a way of life. One that encourages experimentation, embraces failure, and turns curiosity and passion into real-world impact.