Meet the Founder

Connor Curran

Co-Founder & Chief Laundry Folder

Connor Curran didn't set out to build a clothing company. In 2014, after being laid off from his job as a subcontract specialist in Calgary's oil and gas industry, he packed up and moved to Sweden with his wife to complete his MBA at the University of Gävle. Halfway across the world, something unexpected happened, he fell even more in love with home.

"It was there that I really solidified my connection to Calgary and why I love this city so much" Connor says. "Calgary just has that community, that resilience, it's a place where anything you want, you can have."

Connor is a graduate of St. Francis Xavier University's Gerald Schwartz School of Business, where he earned a BBA with Honours in Leadership in Management, serving as both Lane Hall President and Senior Class President. His MBA focused on International Business and Modern Management.

Back in Calgary, Connor grew Local Laundry from a side project into a full-time Canadian-made brand, eventually making the pivotal decision to shift all manufacturing to Canada. It cost more, but it changed everything.

"We made the switch to local manufacturing and it was the greatest decision we ever made. Few major Canadian clothing companies actually make their clothing here, so instead of competing on price, we competed on quality and Canadian values. People are willing to pay more for that."

Today, Connor serves on the Board of Directors of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce and is deeply embedded in the city's business and charitable community. He helped lead a campaign that raised over $75,000 for Jasper wildfire relief, and Local Laundry is well on its way to its goal of donating $1,000,000 to Canadian charities by 2030, having surpassed $375,000 raised to date.

Of Irish heritage, Connor grew up watching his parents build a life in Calgary from nothing, an experience that shaped everything about how he runs Local Laundry.

"My parents came here from Ireland with no money and created a successful life for themselves. Calgary rewards people who roll up their sleeves, have a good idea, and put their head down. That story is what Local Laundry is built on."

Connor rocking the very first Made in Canada Shacket sample.