Laura Connell
Creator, Founder, CEO
Hello, hi, hey there. ​I'm Laura, your neighborhood wine enthusiast, student, educator, professional. In my past career, I was an educator for grades 6-12, teaching math, coding, web design, business, multimedia design, and probably some other electives I've since erased from memory. I LOVED teaching, especially those goofy middle schoolers, but after 15 years in the public school system, I was ready for something different. ​
I've always had a passion and an urge to create community wherever I go. When my own kids were babies, I looked around and saw how much community we really need. Peope who are parents (or any kind of caretakers, really) need community connections, a village, to help them keep moving through this wild life. I crave spaces where I can be part of my community, where multiple community needs and wishes can be met, where folks can gather safely and inclusively. My dream is to make Sisters' Community Craft House into that place. While I continue my work to find the right physical space, I will strive to bring that community to you through the wine experiences I offer.
Big Dreams
It's hard for me to NOT go all-in. The non-neurotypical space between my ears gets loud and excited when I start to hatch a plan. In 2019, there was a vacant commercial/retail space near my house. At the same time, a performance group I was part of lost our rehearsal space. My brain went into hyperfixation -- I found the commercial real estate listing, sketched out my vision on graph paper (can take the girl out of the math classroom, but you can't take the math classroom out of the girl?) in about 30 different iterations, each time with a "classroom" or "dance/yoga studio" space somehow integrated into a little wine bar. Sometimes, my sketches would include a little stage, sometimes I would try to design modular spaces for meetings big and small, but every time I drew it out, I kept thinking of new ways to build a space that is inclusive and accessible and a neighborhood hub. It turns out the owner of that particular space didn't want any type of restaurant-like tenants, but the wheels in my head kept turning. (Side note, that space is still vacant 6 years later...ahem)
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Also in 2019, I was let go from my very favorite teaching position due to budget cuts and having the lowest seniority in the department. I quickly landed another teaching job, but the place wasn't the right fit. And then it was 2020. YIKES. Teaching through that nearly broke me. I guess maybe it did break me. I kept circling back to my "wine bar" idea. I started to take wine classes in my free time. I tried teaching part time. I tried part time in two districts. And then again full time in a new district. And during that same time, my dad was diagnosed with ALS. My foundations crumbled as I painfully watched this awful disease steal him away from us. But he knew about my dream. He would let me go on and on, talking about all my big future plans. He was so excited to see me make it happen. Even though he is no longer here to see it through with me, I know he wants me to keep going.​
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From the experience of helping my parents as my dad had to navigate losing his ability to speak, followed quickly by losing his mobility, really magnified the need for accessible spaces. To be inclusive, a community MUST provide accessibility for as many diverse groups as possible. Sisters' Community Craft House aims to be that kind of space. How many restaurants have you ever seen that have a universal changing table in the restrooms? Probably zero. How many times have you been in a restaurant where you couldn't hear the person next to you? That's an accessibility issue, too! I want to find as many ways as possible to make our space welcoming, accessible, and inclusive for people in the community who may not otherwise be able to enjoy an evening out. I am always open to new ideas and learning more about how we can make our space and our offerings even better for folks with different needs.
