Our History
This is a chronological recalling of how we came to exist, and where we’ve grown to with the love and support of our team and community. It’s takes you behind the scenes, filled with never-before-seen photos of the transformation—from an empty shell into a space that now feels like home. Not just for us, but for everyone who walks through the door.
October 2022
Where It Began.
Written from the perspective of our founder, Michel.
LAOBRA didn’t start as a business plan. It began as a personal reckoning: What would it feel like to fall in love with creating again?
I had been working in commercial photography as a Digital Technician—by most measures, I was doing well. But over time, I felt something slipping away. My passion dulled. The joy I once found in creative work was replaced by routine. And so, I gave myself permission to try again—to create a space not just for work, but for wonder.
In October, I got the keys to a raw space in Bushwick. No team. No name. Just a vision and the will to build something meaningful. The construction was slow—measuring twice, cutting once, borrowing tools from friends, redrawing plans late into the night. Progress came inch by inch, but every step forward brought the dream into sharper focus.
October 2022 - February 2023
The Name.
I was already building, but I didn’t have a name. And that felt right. I trusted that if I kept doing the work with care and intuition, the right name would find us.
It did.
Sometime in December, on a solo retreat upstate, the word LAOBRA surfaced. It felt immediate and true. Our name comes from the Latin American phrase “manos a la obra”—a phrase my grandma would yell at me throughout my childhood when I was moving too slow to do the chores she asked me to do—it’s a call to action meaning “hands at/to work” and "hands at/to play,” but deeper than that: it’s an invitation to create with care, with intention, with heart.
Because LAOBRA isn’t just about output. It’s about process. About reclaiming joy, reimagining work, and designing spaces that make space—for experimentation, for curiosity, for play. It’s a home for creators who’ve also lost the spark, and a reminder that the process is the point.
May 2023
Opening Day.
At this point, a team had started to form around LAOBRA. It was Alex, Drew, and myself.
We opened our doors quietly—but not alone.
A few close friends came by that first weekend. They saw the paint still drying, the scent of fresh coffee drifting through the air. It wasn’t polished. But it was ours. And that made it magic.
There was no big campaign. No press release. Just genuine conversations, a few shared toasts, and the quiet thrill of watching something imagined come alive.
Word spread not because we shouted, but because something about LAOBRA felt different. Designed with intention, it welcomed creatives, neighbors, and collaborators alike. Our space offered calm without pretense, inspiration without pressure. A place to return to yourself.
And this is still just the beginning. We believe good things deserve to happen. Rooted in that belief, we grow—together.
2024 & Onward
Growth With Purpose.
What began as a solo buildout became something bigger. LAOBRA’s first studio was followed by our café, both designed to honor a simple philosophy: we thrive when we’re given the right space to rest, work, and play.
Even now with a team of 11 of us—Alex, Helena, Anna, Arjay, Evie, Julio, Kyle, Parker, Paul, Lucas, and myself—we’re still small and still growing. We’re building deliberately—with soul, with purpose, with respect for our planet and each other. The journey has been fulfilling, heart-opening, and humbling. But it’s also been clarifying.
Someone once told me:
“THINK BIG, LIMITLESS, WITHOUT BOUNDARY.”
That’s become our north star.
There’s more to come. More blocks to build. But whatever shape LAOBRA takes, its purpose remains clear: to empower creators—and to make space for what’s possible 🌷