Meet Our Leadership Team
First and foremost, we're a team of makers and avid do-it-yourselfers. We have designed, prototyped, and manufactured dozens of products over the past three decades. We've taught product design and guided thousands of designers in their journeys to build whatever they could imagine. But how did it all start?
During the winter holidays of 2018, Karl Ulrich, a professor specializing in innovation, entrepreneurship, and design, decided to tackle a home storage project. His material of choice was 12mm melamine-faced Baltic birch—a staple in Europe but surprisingly hard to source in the U.S. Despite his efforts, Karl couldn’t find this specific material in the sizes he needed without navigating wholesale accounts, minimum order requirements, and logistics like truck rentals. As he shared his frustration with other makers, he realized that quick, hassle-free access to quality materials was a widespread challenge in the U.S.
Inspired by this gap, Karl teamed up with accomplished entrepreneur Amy Bennett to launch MakerStock, a company dedicated to delivering the right material, in the right size, right when it's needed. They were soon joined by Elisha Snedeker, a trusted partner overseeing finance and administration, and Jackie Rozaieski, who brought her skills as general manager. Today, MakerStock is the single-source supplier Karl envisioned, providing makers, maker labs, and businesses with hundreds of high-quality materials—including that elusive 12mm Baltic birch—with no minimums, in custom sizes, and shipping no later than the next business day.
Co-Founder & Advisor
Karl is a lifelong designer and maker, some of whose exploits are described on his infrequently updated blog Baubilt. He is Vice Dean of Entrepreneurship and Innovation and the CIBC Professor of Entrepreneurship and e-Commerce at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He also holds an appointment as Professor of Mechanical Engineering. His training is in mechanical engineering and he's created lots of hardware products ranging from kitchen tools to medical devices. One of his goals is to own a big barn with lots of reclaimed materials stored for some possible future project.
Director of Finance & Administration
Elisha Snedeker is the Director of Finance and Administration for MakerStock. Prior to joining MakerStock, Elisha has held finance positions at Xootr, The University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University in Philadelphia and Macy’s in New York. Elisha holds her B.S. in Finance from Penn State University. Elisha is married with two wonderful sons and an adorable black lab and enjoys playing squash and reading in her free time.
Jackie brings to MakerStock over 12 years of hands-on experience in the start-up world, with a focus on customer relations and warehouse e-commerce operations. She holds her B.A. in English from King’s College, as well as belts in Jeet Kune Do and Kali. With a passion for turning the old into new and an appreciation for all things handmade and rustic, Jackie rescues antiques and restores furniture. When she is not traveling the country, hiking the National Park system, Jackie enjoys WWII history, gardening, baking, playing volleyball, and running after her two black rescue labs.