Meet Laura Makaltses

We had the good fortune of connecting with Laura Makaltses and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Laura, what makes you happy? Why?
If you had asked me this question six months ago, my answer would have been very different.

For most of my life, I found happiness in independence. I loved creating things on my own, solving problems by myself, and building my own path. Being self-sufficient gave me a sense of freedom and confidence. Like many introverts, I believed my happiest moments came from solitude.

But recently, that perspective has started to change.

Over the past few months, I’ve spent time in pop-up cities and experimental communities such as Network School and Edge City. I’ve traveled solo, including a trip to Japan, and immersed myself in environments filled with builders, artists, scientists, entrepreneurs, and people asking ambitious questions about the future. Those experiences taught me something unexpected: while I still value independence, happiness isn’t about being alone, it’s about being “alone together.”

I’ve discovered that what truly excites me is exploration. Going on adventures. Following curiosity wherever it leads. Collaborating with people who see the world differently. Running neuroscience experiments, designing immersive experiences, writing and hosting murder mystery parties, creating communities, and imagining futures that don’t exist yet.

More than anything, I’ve realized that curiosity is one of the greatest sources of happiness available to us. Every time we learn something new, uncover a hidden pattern, or connect ideas in a way we hadn’t before, the world becomes a little bigger and a little more interesting. Curiosity creates momentum. It turns uncertainty into possibility.

I think happiness comes from creating without unnecessary limitations, from staying open to wonder, and from continually giving yourself permission to grow into someone new. The future becomes exciting when you stop trying to have all the answers and start enjoying the process of discovering them.

If there’s one thing these experiences have taught me, it’s that happiness isn’t a destination, it’s a practice of exploration. The people who remain curious, who keep learning, who keep building and imagining, are often the ones who stay the most optimistic about what comes next. This vibe is what has been making me happy recently.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’ve always had a difficult time answering the question, “What do you do?” Whenever someone asks this I think of the Oscar Wilde quote “If you want to be a grocer, or a general, or a politician, or a judge, you will invariably become it; that is your punishment.”

Throughout my career, I’ve been an educator, photographer, fashion model, game designer, event producer, content creator, public speaker, entrepreneur, barista, visual artist and so many more titles. You can see more on my IG www.instagram.com/laura_alien_princess. I even worked in door to door style tooth paste sales for a bit. To most people that sounds scattered, but to me it all comes from the same place: I’m deeply interested in living through as many experiences and learning as much about the world as possible in the one life I have.

What I’m most proud of is that I’ve never let myself be defined by a single path. Every time I’ve become comfortable in one industry, I’ve felt pulled toward learning something completely new. That curiosity has taken me into classrooms, onto runways, behind cameras, onto stages, NASA HQ, and into rooms filled with some of the smartest people I’ve ever met. Each experience has taught me something different about storytelling, creativity, and human connection.

My work today is centered around designing experiences laura.games. Sometimes that means producing events. Sometimes it means building communities, creating educational programs, designing games, or exploring new technologies. At the core of everything I do is a desire to help people feel wonder, possibility, and connection.

The journey has not been easy. There were many moments where the safer option would have been to pick one career and stay there. Instead, I chose to follow opportunities that excited me, even when they didn’t fit neatly into a traditional career path. That meant dealing with uncertainty, taking risks, and learning to trust my gut when there was no clear defined goal.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that success is rarely a straight line. Many of the opportunities that shaped my life came from saying yes to experiences before I felt qualified. Confidence comes from action, not just words. I have become completely immune to imposter syndrome.

My story isn’t about mastering one thing. It’s about having the courage to keep exploring and letting go of something good to find something great. I hope that encourages other people to give themselves permission to do the same.

Right now I work for Runner, teaching people about AI technology and running cool programs and events! Please check it out runner.now/download/laura if you are new to AI it is the best and most organized terminal. Link comes loaded with a FREE trial too!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend came to Toronto for a week, I would suggest we each plan a day of adventure. I’d love to see the city through their eyes and get a fresh perspective on places I’ve seen a hundred times before.

I’d also take them to work with me. Being an influencer is surprisingly fun because every day is different, one day it’s a film premiere, another it’s a technology event.

And at the end of the 2 days, I would wanna head to the airport and book a spontaneous trip somewhere new. I have been spending a lot of time at YYZ and YTZ recently due to travelling.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
To the people who feel like an alien on their home planet.

Website: https://laura.games

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura_alien_princess

Other: Try Runner: runner.now/download/laura
Join a Community: https://ns.com/lauramakaltses/invite