A Community in Conversation: 2023 LAB Talks in Review
BY EMMA GEARY - DECEMBER 20, 2023
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LAB Talks are an opportunity for community members to connect over coffee, creativity, and of course, conversation. The best part? Every LAB Talk is free and open to the public - always.
In 2023, we hosted three LAB Talks at Glass House, all focusing on a different topic centered around our pillars: Create, connect, and collaborate. Each panel includes a curated selection of experts in their field who spend the morning sharing their stories, insights, and unique perspectives.
From fashion designers to world-renowned chefs, LAB Talk mornings are a team favorite because they remind us that there is a whole world out there of people whose brains work the same way ours do! We love being in a room of fellow creatives (and the creative at heart!) who obsess over intentional details, dream in color, and love supporting our local creative community.
Here are just a few of our favorite moments from the LAB Talks of 2023:
Designing for Connection
To kick off the year, we dove deeper into the world of interiors and explored how thoughtful design can influence the way we connect with others and ourselves. Whether it’s standing up to impostor syndrome or thinking about how to create warmth in a space, this chilly March morning left an impression on us both creatively and personally.
We were joined by the incredible Victoria Sass of Prospect Refuge Studio, Nicole Crowder of Nicole Crowder Upholstery, and Ashley Ochiaga of Fancy Meeting You Here Co. to engage in conversation with moderator and experience producer extraordinaire, Amy Zaroff.
“To create with connection, you have to give a damn.” –Victoria Sass, Prospect Refuge Studios
“I feel connection through my ancestral roots, which deeply inform my design perspective. I honor the blood memories that are brought to my work through generations of craftspeople before me.” - Nicole Crowder, Nicole Crowder Upholstery
Creativity in the Kitchen
In the thick of summer, outdoor dining, and impromptu gatherings, LAB wanted to dive deeper into what the creative process looks like for chefs and home cooks alike in the kitchen. Besides bringing joy to others and working with your hands, cooking invites connection, expression, and a chance to experiment.
We wanted to know, how does Zoë François dream up delectable desserts for her cookbooks and @zoebakes Instagram feed? What inspired the vibrant flavors in Ann Ahmed's Laotian dishes at her 3 restaurants, and why did James Beard-nominated Jamie Malone want to reinvent fine dining at home with a meal kit? There was no better person to ask our burning questions than Mpls.St.Paul Magazine’s Food and Dining editor, Stephanie March.
“Whether it’s with guests of my restaurant or my family, how does that person inspire the meal?” - Ann Ahmed, Owner of Gai Noi, Khaluna, Lat 14
“Recently, I couldn’t stop staring at a bag of carrots. The vibrant orange color was so inspiring to me, and while I had originally planned to use them for dinner, I knew I needed to make something else with them. Instead, I made a carrot upside down cake, which turned out to be one of the favorite cakes I’ve ever made.” - Zoe Francois, Zoe Bakes
In our final LAB Talk of 2023 we explored how cultural collision generates ideas we've never dreamed possible, all while giving a nod to our past. We were joined by powerhouse creatives Houston White, Hilal Ibrahim of Henna & Hijabs, and Bobby Rogers of The Bureau. The conversation was moderated by our style crush, Madeline Nachbar, the Trend + Style Editor of Mpls.St.Paul Magazine.
If you’ve yet to see Houston’s clothing line at Target, shopped Hilal’s hijabs at Nordstrom, or seen Bobby’s photography in Vogue, consider this your reminder to add them to your must-follow list. With each panelist’s work being featured on a global scale, we wanted to know how they decide to say “Yes!” when an opportunity comes knocking, and how they stay true to their identity and the communities they serve.
“Being a young black boy from Minnesota has been a superpower for me.” - Houston White
“I see myself as the person sitting on top of the wall, pulling people from one side of the barrier to another.” -Bobby Rogers, The Bureau
Emma Geary
Emma is the one writing it all down. She's been with LAB since 2021 and is finishing her MFA in Creative Writing in her spare time. Her favorite color right now is cobalt blue.
