Laura Simpson is the CEO and co-founder (along Dan Mangan) of Side Door. Side Door’s mission to create shows anytime, anywhere. The platform marketplace connects artists with hosts of spaces to create shows. They make booking, ticketing and payments easy and transparent, without any up-front costs to the user.

Laura has spent much of her life serving the needs of artists and promoting live performance. She spent time working mostly behind the scenes at music non-profits, festivals and as an export development program officer. She has hosted house concerts (aka The Syrup Factory) since 2011. She believes experiencing amazing live art in intimate community settings leads to stronger human connection, greater empathy and improved mental health.