Meet Mari Luangrath

Mari Luangrath is the founder of Foiled Cupcakes, Chicago’s first delivery cupcake service. Now sending sweets cross-country, Foiled has the reputation for top customer experience and service in the corporate gifting space. Mari’s role in that is to have fun, take risks, and see what sticks. 

Addicted to smart conversation, dance and travel, Mari will go anywhere, anytime, if it’s to have a chance to experience something new. Especially if it’s to a SF 49ers game.

Q+A

What is your favorite place to travel to? 

I love New York. It’s the city of opportunity. I’m inspired by the passion of those setting up shops on Canal Street. I look at the can-do-ness of the people and want to be like them. Every time I go, I see a new business idea that’s respectable - because someone had the gumption to start it. I love how creative people are and how they find ways to get around what could be perceived as obstacles to following their passion. I <3 NY.

If we came over for dinner what would you prepare for us? 

I’m an okay cook and a semi-okay baker. But I don’t like spending time in the kitchen if I can help it. I’m a big fan of ordering Chinese or Thai takeout. And Portillo’s cake. Doesn’t that sound like a nice spread?

A little known fact about yourself? 

I have played the violin since I was 2 years old. And I went to college on a music scholarship. But I hated the isolation that came with being a performance major and stuck in a practice room for 8 hours a day. I needed to be around people. So I switched to International Relations – a place where I was forced to interact, be diplomatic, work in groups, and collaborate on ideas. A much better fit.

If you had to change careers what would you want to do? 

I’d be renovating houses. It’s tedious, it’s not scalable, it’s hard work. But it’s so rewarding. Learning new skills (how to use new power tools or better ways to install crown molding) and having the power and control to make something more beautiful or functional (redesigning a kitchen layout and installing everything from studs, or knocking down walls to create a better living space) is one of the most fulfilling things – ever.

What do you suck at? 

Trusting people before I know them. Staying sane in uncontrolled chaos. Driving.

Want more? Eat her cupcakes, follow her on twitter