Suitably Silicon Valley, Swirl Works is the fragrance brand that captures an intersection of engineering, wellness and technology. Founded by mechanical engineer (and Atherton local) Kori Shaw, the decision to launch her sensory-driven company came after studies at MIT and UC Berkeley, research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and a career at Compute. Exchange, the world’s first open exchange for AI compute. While these life paths are not an obvious precursor to the world of fragrance, Shaw became intrigued by the science and systems of olfaction, namely how scent can trigger memory and emotion. This curiosity led her to Paris, where she received formal French perfume training.

Her brand, which also includes a home fragrance and scented product line, recently opened a small, ornate boutique within Rosewood Sand Hill, in addition to an outpost at Allied Arts Guild in Menlo Park. Shaw offers a variety of immersive experiences geared toward corporate groups and private events and also leads personalized fragrance consultations, fun themed sessions like her cologne date nights with champagne and hands-on blending workshops for all ages, including teen and kid experiences. The end result to any of these sessions is your own
signature scent in a 15–30 ml bottle, plus your “recipe,” stored on file for future orders.

75 Arbor Rd. and Rosewood Sand Hill, 2825 Sand Hill Rd., Menlo Park | swirlworks.com