Tell us a little bit about yourself…
My name is Lauren Cushman I went to Birmingham-Southern College, where I played volleyball and majored in English. I graduated in 2016. I met my husband Wil while at college, and we got married in 2019. We live in Crestwood and love the cozy, artsy neighborhood!
Lauren is the Forge Marketing and Community Manager
What do you do at Forge?
I am the Marketing and Community Manager here at Forge, which means I do a little bit of everything.
What brought you to Forge?
My journey to working here at Forge has been so crazy! I was actually a member here at Forge in 2018. Shortly after, I started working in the coworking industry here in town. When I saw the opportunity to work at Forge come up, I jumped at the chance. I’m so happy to be here!
What are you looking forward to about working here?
I love the energy here at Forge. There are so many go-getters, and it’s so fun to be in the mix with so many amazing startups and new businesses. I feel like we are right in the center of Birmingham’s business growth.
Tell us about your pottery business…
I started doing ceramics in 2018, and it quickly grew into a business as I got more interest in people buying pieces. My cousin and I work together on Lemon and Vines. We sell on Instagram and direct to customers via our website, and we also do markets like ArtWalk, CahaBAZAAR and various pop-ups around town.
A dinnerware set by Lemon and Vines
If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would you choose?
I would choose to be at home, working in my pottery studio. It’s my happy place and it’s where I feel the most creative and inspired. Then I’d go out for a great glass of wine at Golden Age with my sweet husband.
What is your favorite thing about Birmingham?
I love that Birmingham feels like a small town inside a big city. It seems like everyone knows everyone in some way or another. Another favorite thing about Birmingham is the art community. There are so many amazing artists in town and so many art events like markets and festivals. I also love that right now, it feels like we are experiencing a huge period of growth and business development here in the Magic City!