Laura Zahn
Allied Woodshop
Los Angeles, CA USA
"Get some real world experience...I ultimately would have gotten so much more out of my time in school if I had known what I wanted to do and applied my education directly to [my passion]."
Career Roadmap
Laura's work combines: Art, Business, and Learning / Being Challenged
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
When I was first starting Allied Woodshop, I was meeting with people doing similar work in order to get advice and learn from them. One person I met said this to me and the subtext of it was that I wasn't capable because I was young and a woman. I never let these comments really bother me. I knew that Allied Woodshop would work and that certainty allowed me to persevere.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Human Biology
College of William and Mary
Certification
Furniture Design and Manufacturing
College of the Redwoods
Graduate Degree
City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning
University of California-Los Angeles
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
She comes from a family where everyone had a talent for making things with their hands—her father was a hobbyist furniture maker and grew up learning from him.
2.
Attended The College of William & Mary, where she received a bachelor’s degree in human biology, and later attended UCLA, where she earned a master’s degree in urban planning.
3.
Early in her career, she worked in climate change policy and as an environmental organizer but ultimately found herself unsatisfied by the work.
4.
Decided to take a year off and attend the College of the Redwoods’ Fine Furniture program in Northern California.
5.
After moving back to Los Angeles, she wanted to find a woodshop collective that would give her access to machines and help her improve her skills.
6.
When she was unable to find a place that met her needs, she decided to open a woodshop of her own.
7.
She continued working her full time job in order to fund this business venture—gradually she made the career transition and launched Allied Woodshop in 2014.
8.
She also teaches woodworking and furniture making classes at California State University, Long Beach.
Defining Moments
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I started out working in climate change policy but was unfulfilled in that line of work. I eventually started making the gradual transition towards opening Allied Woodshop. I was still balancing my full-time job while trying to get the shop started.
I've heard comments like I am not capable of doing this kind of work because I am a woman or how can a woman know how to use tools. I've never really let this kind of negativity bother me.
I've always loved to learn and be in the classroom. As a result of all of my schooling, I have a lot of student debt. I've always had to have a job in order to pay the bills, which was a challenge when trying to start Allied Woodshop.