Laura Thro, MPS, is a Community Healing Strategist and the founder of Thro Kindness. She works across the Iron Range and throughout the state to strengthen communities by creating spaces for connection, accountability, and growth.

Laura holds an Associate of Science in Applied Human Services, a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology, and a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies – Psychology of Domestic Violence, a degree she designed to address the complex realities of abuse and trauma. She also earned a Master of Professional Studies in Community Healing and Trauma Prevention, another self-designed degree focused on building practical, community-based solutions to harm and violence.

She specializes in domestic violence prevention and education and created a college-level course on the complexities of domestic violence that she teaches at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Through this work, she equips students with the knowledge and tools to better understand harm, trauma, prevention strategies, and healthy relationships. Laura also facilitates restorative circles throughout the Iron Range, working with youth, individuals, families, incarcerated individuals, and/or community partners to navigate conflict, manage anxiety, and heal through community building.

Laura also serves as the Coordinator for NSLC-RPAC (Northern Saint Louis County – Restorative Practices Advisory Committee), where she helps advance restorative practices across the region. In this role, she supports individuals, schools, professionals, and community partners and members in building trauma-informed, relationship-centered approaches that strengthen accountability, belonging, and long-term community wellness. Through collaboration and training, she works to ensure restorative practices are not just strategies—but a culture shift in how communities respond to conflict and harm.

Laura serves as a Lieutenant with the Mountain Iron Fire Department, where she has held a community outreach role since 2021. In that position, she developed programs such as Community Steps to ensure young people know their community is with them—every step of the way.

Through initiatives like Forged in Strength: Women Making History on the Range and Community Steps (Summer and Winter Editions), Laura believes that when we pay attention to the needs within our communities, solutions and healing naturally rise to meet them. Her work is rooted in the belief that strong communities are built through courage, conversation, healing, and everyday leadership.

Laura is also the creator and co-host of the podcast What They Don’t Tell You About Being a Survivor, a platform dedicated to honest conversations about life after experiencing trauma. The podcast explored healing, resilience, identity, and the complexities that often go unspoken in survivor journeys. It was downloaded in over 130 countries and featured guests from around the world, amplifying diverse voices and lived experiences while fostering global dialogue around trauma and recovery. Although that chapter has concluded, Laura is currently developing a new podcast that will continue expanding conversations around healing, leadership, and community transformation.

Laura is passionate about helping people recognize their own strength and empowering them to use it to create meaningful impact where they live. She is grateful to be the mother of six amazing children who continually inspire her to help build a better world. She enjoys cooking—especially traditional foods from different cultures and countries, music, writing, art, and nature.