Laura Suen

Laura Suen is the founder and CEO of Fire and Steel Inc., a company that has grown to become North America's largest pop culture weaponry replica and cosplay accessory company.13

Background and Career

Laura has an interesting and diverse background:

• She was formerly a nuclear physicist who worked for TRIUMF, Canada's National Particle and Nuclear Physics laboratory.1
• She left the science world to pursue her passion for entrepreneurship, starting Fire and Steel in her parents' garage as an eclectic side hobby.1
• Her company is now an e-commerce retail store that designs and manufactures original merchandise, with a team of 15 staff members.1

Achievements and Recognition

Laura has received several accolades for her entrepreneurial efforts:

• Named one of the 2022 Next Founders cohort, recognizing notable startups in Ontario.1
• Recognized as one of Ontario's top 30 young leaders of tomorrow through the MaRS Studio Y program in 2014.1
• Recipient of the 2023 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Start-Up Award.46

Media Appearances

Laura has also made appearances on television:

• Competed on CBC's Canada's Smartest Person, where she placed 2nd.15
• Participated in Discovery Channel's Canada's Greatest Know-It-All Season 2, finishing 5th overall.15

Business Approach and Philosophy

Laura's approach to entrepreneurship is characterized by:

• Embracing risk and long work hours.1
• Valuing the ability to own every success and failure.1
• Emphasizing the importance of pushing through failures.1
• Focusing on teaching people that being themselves is okay.1

Personal Interests

Outside of her business, Laura:

• Practices kung fu and has a love for martial arts.2
• Enjoys geeky things, including gaming, fantasy novels, and sci-fi TV shows.2
• Values spending time with family, mentioning that she would use extra time to play board games with them.1

Laura Suen's journey from nuclear physicist to successful entrepreneur in the cosplay and pop culture merchandise industry showcases her diverse talents and passion for combining her interests in science, martial arts, and geek culture.