Q + A with Major Darling CEO Laura Davis

7 questions with Major Darling CEO Laura Davis

Major players of Major Darling stand in their studio.

From left to right, assistant studio manager Maria Vung, Open Arms CEO Meg Erskin, Major Darling CEO Laura Davis, and Open Arms studio director Emily Sidle. | Photo by ATXtoday

Austinites are known for their love of two things: their fur babies and keeping Austin local.

By shopping at Major Darling, a locally based dog supply company supporting shelter animals and women in the community, residents can feed two birds with one scone.

Partnering with Open Arms, a division of the Austin-based Multicultural Refugee Coalition, Major Darling hires only refugee women — who have been legally resettled in the US — providing them with livable wages, English as a second language training, existing skill training, and flexible hours.

We sat down with Major Darling founder and CEO Laura Davis and Open Arms CEO Meg Erskin to talk about how their mission works.

When, why, and how did Major Darling begin?

Laura: I really love dogs, so I keep combining my passions, and I actually started volunteering at Austin Pets Alive! I really wanted to focus on something a little bit fun, but with local manufacturing and knowing who’s making products. [Major Darling] started making collars, bandanas, and leashes in the summer of 2019.

Major Darling's studio, with sewing machines and bolts of fabric in the background. — Open Arms is currently renting a work space inside of a church.

When you say local manufacturers, what exactly does that mean?

Laura: Everything is made in Austin. We have the raw materials. It gets cut, sewn and then boxed up all right here. It never leaves this room really which is kind of cool, you see each part of it.

A photo of a dog on a Major Darling tag. — Girly is one of the dogs currently featured on Major Darling’s collars.

How does Major Darling help support shelter pets?

Laura: We market long-stay dogs at the shelter. All the dogs on the website or tags are all long-stay shelter dogs, so we do photo shoots with dogs, and print their photos and names [onto the tags].

Can you pitch me on why Austinites should support Major Darling?

Laura: If you look at all aspects of the business, from marketing to manufacturing, everything is really supporting this community. It’s made here, it’s designed here, it promotes shelter dogs that are in this city. It’s really as local as you can get.

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Wednesday, Nov. 16

A Christmas Carol | Wednesday, Nov. 16-Saturday, Dec. 31 | 7:30-10 p.m. | ZACH Theatre, 202 S. Lamar Blvd. | $25+ | The classic Dickens holiday tradition is back with new music and surprises to ring in the season.
AFROTECH Conference 2022 | Wednesday, Nov. 13-Thursday, Nov. 17 | 10 a.m. | Austin Convention Center, 500 E. Cesar Chavez St. | $250+ | Learn from innovators, investors, and culture leaders at the year’s largest Black professional conference.
BATS 101 with Yaupon Garden Club | Wednesday, Nov. 16 | 10-11:30 a.m. | Zilker Botanical Garden, 2220 Barton Springs Rd. | Free | Sit in with Texas Master Naturalist Coco Brennan to learn about the importance of bats in our ecosystem.

Thursday, Nov. 17

A Sherlock Holmes Christmas | Thursday, Nov. 17-Sunday, Dec. 18 | 8-10 p.m. | Jourdan-Bachman Pioneer Farms, 10621 Pioneer Farms Dr. | $10+ | Throw it back to the Victorian era this holiday season with a Sherlock Holmes story.
Life-Size Candy Land | Thursday, Nov. 17 | 3:30-5:30 p.m. | Austin Public Library - St. John Branch, 7500 Blessing Ave. | Free | Race your friends and family to the Candy Castle in a life-sized game of Candy Land.

Friday, Nov. 18

2022 Blue Genie Art Bazaar | Friday, Nov. 18-Saturday, Dec. 24 | 10 a.m.-10 p.m. | Blue Genie Art Bazaar, 6100 Airport Blvd. | Free | This art bazaar, featuring the work of hundreds of local makers, is returning for a five-week run. Pssst... you can also shop online.

Saturday, Nov. 19

Austin Studio Tour | Saturday, Nov. 19-Sunday, Nov. 20 | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Multiple locations | Free | It’s the last weekend to take part in this free citywide art show.

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

100+ MORE EVENTS

Weather

57º | Partly cloudy | 1% chance of rain

Announced

SXSW is going to be a star-studded event. The festival announced a host of new speakers — including supermodel Miranda Kerr, multi-instrumentalist Valerie June, comedian Cheech Marin, and James Beard Award-winning chef David Chang — for the March 2023 event. ⭐️
Austin’s own Willie Nelson is up for yet another Grammy Award: Best Country Album for his album “A Beautiful Time.” If he wins, it will Grammy No. 11 for Willie. 🏆 (KVUE)

Community

Concert venue Parish has moved, rescheduled, or canceled all of its shows through mid-December due to damage from an electrical fire last month. View the updated calendar here. (The Austin Chronicle)
Texas gas prices have declined more than any other state since prices hit a record five months ago. While the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded was $4.70 in June, now Texans can get a gallon for an average of $3.10, marking a price drop of $1.60. ⛽️ (KXAN)

Closing

The Texas Memorial Museum — located on the University of Texas campus — is closing for renovations, revitalization, and new exhibit installations. The museum will reopen and unveil its “most extensive renovations in decades” in fall 2023. 🏗 (KXAN)

Austinite

One lucky local purchased a $1 million scratch off ticket in Elgin, although the winner lives in Austin. According to the Texas Lottery, the winner chose to remain anonymous. (KXAN)

Holiday

Thanksgiving is coming up on Thurs., Nov. 24, and we want to know what you’re eating. Do you eat something other than the well-known turkey feast? Does your family have its own tradition? Let us know here. 🦃

DYK

Did you know this is your last chance to share your Black Friday deals with our ATXtoday readers? Promote your business with us by submitting a deal to be included in our Fri., Nov. 25 newsletter. Pricing varies by market + must be submitted by today, Wed., Nov. 16.

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Psst — Thanksgiving is next Thursday, Nov. 24. If you’re planning to serve turkey, don’t forget that a meat thermometer is essential to avoiding a potential case of food poisoning. Try this waterproof digital meat thermometer with 53,000+ five star reviews or splurge on this smart meat thermometer that connects to your phone via Bluetooth.*

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Robo-taxis are hitting the road 🚗

New self-driving car company is Cruising into Austin

A view of a red and white Cruise car from above.

Austinites will be able to take an autonomous taxi as soon as the end of this year. | Photo courtesy of Cruise

When one driverless car door closes, another one opens.

Cruise, an autonomous rideshare company based out of San Francisco, plans to begin offering self-driving rides in Austin by the end of this year or early 2023. The company, owned by General Motors, has also been testing expansion in Phoenix.

Cruise is filling a driverless-shaped hole in the market after Argo AI — which paired with Ford, Volkswagen, and Lyft to test autonomous taxis — announced earlier this month that it was shutting down Austin operations.

The robo-taxi company is currently training its autonomous fleet of Chevy Bolt electric vehicles with sensors, cameras, radar, and lidar, in Austin. Cruise currently operates 75 autonomous Chevy Bolts in San Francisco, and hopes to scale up to the same number in Austin.

Although the company has yet to release pricing details, Cruise has opened up a waitlist for those interested in using the service.

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Figi.

Editor’s pick: Personally, I’m intrigued by the idea of taking an autonomous taxi, but I can definitely understand being apprehensive. Tell me what you think — are robot-taxis the future?

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Turkey takeout options just in time for Thanksgiving.

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Editorial: Laura Figi, London Gibson, Dayten Rose, Josh Kranzberg, Emily Shea | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

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