Laura Simpson is the CEO and co-founder (along with artist, Dan Mangan) of Side Door, a Canadian tech startup founded in 2017. Side Door’s mission to create shows anytime, anywhere – first with in-person shows and now online. The platform marketplace is built to connect artists with curators, venues, service providers and audiences to make booking, ticketing and payments easy, fair and transparent. Side Door provides robust tools and support, without any up-front costs to the artist.
Laura has spent much of her life serving the needs of artists and promoting live performance. Since 2007, she has worked with Music Nova Scotia, the Halifax Jazz Festival, the East Coast Music Awards, CAPACOA and the Halifax Pop Explosion. She has hosted house concerts (The Syrup Factory) since 2011. In 2015 she went to Los Angeles for four months to mentor with the former president of Warner Bros Records. Upon returning, she evolved The Syrup Factory into an artist services company. She believes experiencing amazing live art in intimate community settings leads to stronger human connection, greater empathy and improved mental health.