Owner and Creative Director – Park by Sidewalk Citizen Bakery and Sidewalk Citizen Bakery
Michal Lavi is the co-founder and owner of Sidewalk Citizen Bakery and Park by Sidewalk Citizen together with her partner Aviv Fried. Born in Israel, Michal graduated with a Geology degree and a minor in Applied Mathematics from the University of Calgary. After working several years as a geologist, she quit her job to pursue her passion of opening the bakery and making films.
In January 2016, Michal started Tzavta—a monthly cultural dinner salon for an intimate meal and conversation. Notable past guests include: 2017 Man Booker prize winner, Pedja Mužijević; artistic director of the Baryshnikov Arts Center, Sir David Hare; Dr. Michael Landry of LIGO Labs, who designed the experiment that recorded gravitational waves for which his group won the 2017 Physics Nobel Prize; Dr. Luanne Freer, founder of Everest ER and a renowned outdoors physician; and Dr. Francoise Baylis, Canada Research Chair in Bioethics and Philosophy. Michal has also curated Layla Lavan, a series of late nights talks on Ethics and Morality in collaboration with the Calgary Institute for the Humanities and is currently working on a new series of science talks with WISE, Women in Science and Engineering.
Tzavta has hosted over 50 salons and collaborated with the Banff Centre; The Institute for Humanities; The University of Calgary’s departments of English, Economics, Mathematics and Medical School; Wordfest; Fluid Festival; Honens Piano Competition; Calgary Philharmonic; Esker Foundation; and Calgary Public Library.
Michal is also an award-winning independent filmmaker. She has written and directed six short films that screened in over 40 international and national film festivals, and she is currently working on her first feature film. Michal combines her passion for creating nourishing, joyful Mediterranean Israeli cuisine with her commitment to active engagement in the city’s vibrant art and culture scene—Calgary’s sidewalk.