I'm Laura Smith — a researcher, writer, adviser and human problem-solver exploring how we can better understand, connect, resonate, align and work with ourselves and one another.
CURRENTLY ANSWERING
How can we make new friends as adults?
Life · Researched
Here's what I'm considering, what I'm actively exploring, and what I've learned already. See what applied curiosity has opened for others -- and note if any questions or findings resonate with you, as well.
In practice
The Friendship Experiment
I publicly recruited new friends — a real application process, written assignment and group interviews — to test whether adult friendship could be approached more explicitly and intentionally, while also enabling connection among the other participants.
In practice
The Belonging Experiment
A June 2026 first-person public experiment asking whether I actually belonged where I lived, what belonging consisted of, and whether it could be strengthened.
See all questions →
What should I explore next? Add your question →
I write, research, build things, gather people and run experiments — usually because I've encountered some human problem I don't think we should simply accept. I'm interested in connection and alignment: with ourselves, with one another, within communities and at work.
Questions (and answers!) become more interesting when other people bring their experiences, perspectives, disagreement, curiosity and care to them. What are you adding today?
The open notebook
Recently added
Nothing published here yet. Questions appear once Laura has read them.
BETTER YET - BETTER TOGETHER
Want to discuss or explore a human solution? I'm here to help.
ONE:ONE CONVERSATION
Bring a question, a problem or a possibility that would benefit from an intelligent outside perspective.
A single focused session. You bring the situation; we take it apart and put it back together with something useful to do next.
A room of people
Speaking, lectures, workshops, facilitation, and moderated conversations.
Sessions built around a real question your people already have, not a generic keynote. Designed so the room does some of the work.
WIDER WORK
Research, advisory, connection and community design, employee experience, communication, collaboration and unusual human problems.
Experiments, tools and structures that outlast the engagement — the same method as the public questions, pointed at your organisation.
Longer-term
Interested in working together longer-term? I'm potentially open to in-house opportunities with interesting people solving interesting problems.
Not everything is commercial
There are many ways to support -- and all of them help us work UPWARD.
Join in
None of this requires a budget or an invitation. Show up, add something, or share what you know.
Gather
Public events, in real rooms, with real strangers who become less strange.
See upcoming events on Luma ↗Contribute
If you know something I don't, or someone I should know, that's genuinely useful.
Offer something →Open right now
Nothing needs participants just now. That's probably temporary.
Bringing a question to your team? See how we could work together →
