Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Mullen.
Hi Laura, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in Duluth, Minnesota, attending Chester Park Elementary and Marshall School, and later graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison with a degree in Behavioral Science and Law. After college, I moved with my best friend Emily to Savannah, Georgia, where I spent three formative years working in the fast-paced events department at the Savannah College of Art and Design. That experience sparked a love for event design and storytelling through experiences.
I returned to Minnesota in 2004, briefly working for Minnesota Monthly Magazine before founding my own event design company in 2005. I produced everything from art events and weddings to large-scale craft beer festivals. Around that same time, I met my husband Colin in the craft beer world. We married in 2008, had our daughter Adella in 2012, and that same year, Colin and I teamed up with our 2 business partners to launch Bent Paddle Brewing Co. in Duluth. In attition to continued ownership of the brewery, I served as VP of Outreach & Marketing for the brewery from 2012 to 2024, helping grow the company and playing a role in the revitalization of Duluth’s Lincoln Park neighborhood—a district I personally dubbed the “Craft District.”
With Bent Paddle now running smoothly with the leadership of our business partners and 40 amazing employees, I’ve shifted my focus to business and community consulting, as well as my latest passion project: AuraEye, a whimsical vintage consignment and artisan retail 2025 pop-up shop also in Lincoln Park. Outside of work, I love helping Colin cook, spending time on the Brule River, helping Adella make beautiful art, hanging out with friends and family, hiking, playing women’t ice hockey, and watching shows at night with my husband, daughter, our dog Hilde, two Siamese cats, and a very charming hedgehog named Piper.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart but I have enjoyed my path and look forward to where I’m headed next.
You can view an overview perspective about this life in this blog piece I co-wrote with Emily Vikre from Vikre Distillery: https://www.vikredistillery.com/blog/real-talk-about-small-business
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I like to take a business and make it visually and aesthetically genuine – taking any endeavor from good to great.
How do you define success?
Being proud of what you’ve created and making sure life is being lived well.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.vikredistillery.com/blog/real-talk-about-small-business
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auraeyemn/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bentpaddlebrewing
