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

Hi Kirtan, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
For a long time I didn’t. Right out of college I got a job doing customer service at an office. I hated it, but I figured it would be temporary. Then they offered me a sales position with a salary and benefits. I went home and told my partner and immediately started crying because I thought I had to take the job. It seems obvious now, but I didn’t realize that I could say no until my partner told me so. I still think about that moment today. I’ve had a variety of jobs since then, but I never pursued an opportunity that didn’t excite me. Eventually that led me to woodworking and everything just fell into place. When something feels right it’s easy to find the motivation to make it work.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Allied Woodshop was founded in 2014 with the intention of making woodworking more inclusive. Founded by a woman, and now owned by another woman, we’re always trying to make a safe space for those traditionally excluded from this cis male dominated industry. We have classes exclusively for women/trans/non-binary individuals, as well as classes open to everyone. It’s important to us that every full group class has at least one womxn instructor. This allows us to sustain an environment opposed to the toxic masculinity we’re all too familiar with, while also creating income opportunities for local womxn woodworkers. We know there’s still a long road ahead to pave, and we’re excited to work with our amazing community of woodworkers to figure out our path forward.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
One of the greatest things about Los Angeles is its proximity to both the mountains and the ocean. We’d definitely go hiking one day, then hit the beach on the next. There’s also a new women’s soccer team, Angel City FC! The games are a blast, and we can eat Wolfie’s vegan chicken sandwiches at the stadium. Allied Woodshop is in the Fashion District of DTLA, and Santee Alley is always a trip. You never know what you can find there!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Laura Zahn is the one who founded Allied Woodshop and did all the hard work of making her vision a reality. She created a safe space for someone like me to explore woodworking and build enough confidence to eventually take over the business. I’m standing on her shoulders every day.

Website: https://alliedwoodshop.com/

Instagram: @alliedwoodshop

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