Allied Woodshop Members
Kirtan Tom
Co-owner / Director
Kirtan is a woodworker from Altadena, California. She fell in love with woodworking in New York, and was inspired by the excitement of its creative community. Her dream project is to have an excuse to make a customized tabletop gaming table. Kirtan took over Allied in 2021 from its founder, Laura Zahn.
Max Wilson
Co-owner / Director
Max has been a professional woodworker for over a decade. As a furniture maker and designer, Max is dedicated to bringing his clients' visions to life, and building simple bespoke pieces that will stand the test of time.
Martin Hernandez
Allied Shop Tech
From fixing machines to fixing projects, Martin Alexander is your friendly wood shop technician. With 10 years of experience, he can fix just about anything, and if he can’t then it's really broken. When he’s not making sure fingers stay on everyone’s hands, he is making sculptures or growing culinary mushrooms.
@martinalexanderstudio
Lacy
Lacy is the resident shop cat/ emotional support cat at Allied Woodshop. Curious about everything that goes on in the shop, she provides much needed emotional reprieve when members need a break during the day. She is very talkative and often meows back when spoken to. Unfazed by loud noises and new people, she can often be found supervising the shop, greeting the students in class, resting in the garden or hanging out in the office.
Ana Cho
Community Coordinator
Ana is a ceramic artist and woodworker living in Los Angeles. She attended the Krenov School in Northern California after leaving her career making video games in pursuit of more tactile and personally meaningful crafts. She focuses on creating understated and functional pieces that are timeless in design and aesthetics.
@anachoceramics
Ariel Maldonado
Environmentalist and Sculptor working with textiles, ceramics and upcycled materials. Exploring sustainability in art making as well as art as a tool for environmental education and communication.
Nana Gagatsovi
Heritage Wood Art
Nana discovered her passion for woodworking later in life—somewhere
between a midlife crisis and a full-blown creative awakening. Made in
the USSR, forged in Russia, and programmed in the U.S., she carves
furniture the way she has carved her identity: by stripping away what
doesn’t belong and honoring what remains. Her work lives at the
intersection of function and story, material and transformation. At
Allied, she teaches as she continues to learn, blending reverence with
rebellion—and inspiring others, especially women, to pick up tools,
break a few rules, and build something real: furniture, confidence,
community, connection.
Andrew Roy
Andrew Roy creates solid wood furniture at Allied Woodshop. Utilizing the shop to experiment, develop and refine his work, his designs are simple and at times unconventional. Before moving to LA in 2023 Andrew split his time between Maine and Berlin, Germany.
Kikka Works
KIKKA WORKS is a small furniture workshop run by Kaz and Aya, established in 2012 in Japan and moved to Los Angeles in 2019. We use traditional woodworking techniques and a contemporary eye to bring our customers' visions to life. We offer everything from original and custom-built furniture and home accessories to interior design services, leveraging our architectural design experience. Our intention is to create long-lasting pieces that fit our clients' needs and bring a sense of fun to everyday life. Every item is meticulously crafted to be well-loved, well-used, and stand the test of time.
Zac Jurden
Zac is a craftsperson with experience in high-end fabrication and fine-furniture. He has been making custom work in Los Angeles since 2021 after spending two years at The Krenov School in Fort Bragg, CA.
Chris Shannon
Chris has dabbled in woodworking since making some very shoddy skateboard ramps in junior high school, but he really began pursuing woodcrafts when he moved to Athens, GA in 2012. That’s where he began timber framing, first at Holder Bros. Timber Framing and then at East County Oak Timber Frames. There he developed an appreciation of traditional joinery and structures, learned the structural and aesthetic virtues of wood, and mastered the tools that make it all possible. Though timber framing has been his focus for the past twelve years, Chris has also had the opportunity to pursue a wide range of professional and personal woodwork projects during this time, including antique door and window restoration, solid wood door construction, cabinetry, furniture, general construction, millwork, and sawmilling.
Ali Chen
Ali Chen began woodworking in the Woodworking Manufacturing Technologies Department at Cerritos College. She currently teaches chopstick making workshops for people to explore the art of woodworking in a fun and hands-on way, regardless of skill level and vision. In this workshop, participants are encouraged to lean into mindfulness and self reflection as they intentionally craft their own pair of chopsticks with their dining preferences and cultural influences in mind. The workshop leverages chopstick making jigs that Ali designed and built herself, with features that allow participants who are blind or of low vision to still successfully shape their chopstick on their own.
Brandon Stark
Pearlwood Studio
Brandon Stark is the owner/craftsman of Pearlwood Studio, a custom woodworking studio that specializes in one of a kind custom furniture, built-ins, and home goods. Our quality-first approach is what helps us stand out among other makers. We offer an experience that is fully tailored to meet our clients where they are at. We believe that every piece of furniture should tell a story and wear in, not wear out. You are one of a kind, your home should be too.
Alex Lerhoff
Alex Lehrhoff is a Los Angeles-based woodworker who thoughtfully crafts furniture and objects primarily with urban lumber and natural oil finishes. He completed the Furniture Intensive at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship and has a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Southern California. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, reading non-fiction, and restoring old tools.
Ben Coflan
Ben's work lies in the art and science of sound. Qaz Acoustics is the natural progression of that pursuit. Combining both traditional woodworking techniques and modern acoustic engineering, Ben builds custom hi-fi loudspeakers and acoustic treatment.
Chris Webster
Former custom machine shop owner and designer, specializing in bespoke 3d wooden objects. Current teacher of digital fabrication and head of design at a local fabrication shop. Still taking on projects that benefit the entrepreneurial, craft and artistic communities of LA, please reach out!
Robert Maxwell Studio
Robert Maxwell started making furniture in 2023 after completing the Furniture Intensive at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Maine. He makes mid-century inspired chairs and tables for friends and family and hopes to someday outfit his entire home with custom furniture.
Lionell Guzman
Lionell is a filipino-born multidisciplinary artist & designer. The woodshop is his "slow-down" place. He can be seen making furniture for his house or flashy woodworking tools that could be more useful.
Dakota Winters
Dakota is a diverse woodworker who welcomes unconventional styles and challenges. His goal is to make unique furniture while maintaining functionality and longevity.
Geoffrey Prather
I’m a beginner woodworker and filmmaker/musician.
Jane Poynter Design
Jane is a new Allied Woodshop member, and new to LA. She began woodworking in the redwoods in northern California, and after a few years in the desert has happily returned to the coast. Jane has worked in many different art mediums, including large-scale and immersive art, but keeps returning to wood as her favorite. She specializes in woodturning vessels - partially due to her fascination with the green wood drying process, and partially due to her love of trees. She is dedicated to salvaging local trees as much as possible, giving them a second life as a beautiful, functional objects. She is thrilled to be growing her skills in other woodworking techniques with Allied's talented and welcoming community.
@janepoynter.wooddesign