What do founders, members of the Air National Guard and astronauts have in common? Adaptability. Whether you’re in the boardroom, in uniform or in space, you have to be ready and willing to adapt.

Although Samantha Snabes hasn’t achieved her dream of becoming an astronaut just yet, her ability to adapt to the challenges of balancing a career as an entrepreneur and reservist in the Air National Guard suggest there isn’t much she can’t do.

Snabes’ business career began in 2006, when she co-founded a biotech company in Ann Arbor, Mich. Three years later, she completed a successful exit.

Engineering for impact

While looking for her next venture, Snabes landed a coveted spot at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. She later joined its Open Innovation program and ultimately served as one of NASA’s social entrepreneurs in residence. The experience fueled her longtime passion for social responsibility and community-oriented solutions, and led her to volunteer with Engineers Without Borders (EWB).

During an EWB trip to Nicaragua and Rwanda, Snabes saw piles of discarded medical and electrical equipment melting in the sun. It sparked an idea: What if communities could recycle these discarded items and develop functional, affordable products to solve their everyday problems?

re:3D, a social enterprise on a mission to make 3D printing accessible, was born. 

A different breed

Today, re:3D operates in 60 countries and manufactures “Gigabot,” the world’s largest affordable, industrial 3D printer that’s able to print from garbage.

Even as the company grows, Snabes and her team are focused on maintaining their community-centered approach.

“At our core, we could not have survived or grown without the input of so many communities we rely on for advice, mentorship, problem solving and resources,” Snabes said.

One of those communities is the Bunker Labs CEOcircle, which Snabes discovered while searching for peer networks that could offer support while she built re:3D.

Operated by Syracuse University’s D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families, founded with the support of JPMorgan Chase, CEOcircle offers growth-stage companies networking, mentorship, business resources and access to dedicated experts from JPMorgan Chase Commercial Banking.

“I recognized the importance of surrounding myself with reservists and veterans who have a similar skillset and are passionate about their businesses,” Snabes explained. “Veteran entrepreneurs are a different breed. We speak a different language and we look at problems in a different way.”

The program connected Snabes to founders at similar stages and revenue levels who could offer support and share lessons learned from their own business journeys.

“We came into CEOcircle during an inflection point for re:3D. We knew we were about to get to the next level as a business but didn’t know how to get there,” Snabes said.

Entering the 2023 cohort, Snabes’ goal was to find a facility and secure the financing to take on potential new contracts. By the end of the program, re:3D closed their largest contract to date, grew their team by 100% and doubled their revenue.

Scaling with CEOcircle

With such success, Snabes was eager to continue with the program in 2024.

“It’s been incredibly valuable to surround myself with other entrepreneurs who are scrappy, motivated and driven to take their business to the next level,” she said.

Her goal this time around: to launch “re:3D 2.0.”

“Being in hardware manufacturing, our challenges don’t go away. They change with every season of growth,” Snabes continued “That’s why it’s important to surround yourself with a community you can problem solve with.”

Whether it’s a group of servicemember peers, space lovers or colleagues dedicated to the same mission, Snabes knows that with a community around her, the stars are within her reach.