Meet the Founder of Book Curator
Nicole Ihasz (@ihaszbooks) is the co-owner of Northshire Bookstore, a beloved independent bookstore with locations in Manchester, Vermont, and Saratoga Springs, New York. Founded nearly five decades ago, Northshire has long been a literary cornerstone of the community. Since acquiring it in 2022 with her sisters, Nicole has worked to carry its legacy forward while introducing new initiatives in book curation and reader engagement. Her deep love of reading and community also inspired her to found Book Curator, a book club and literary community, in 2025.
In addition to her work at Northshire, Nicole is a filmmaker, writer, and entrepreneur. She is the co-founder of Raptor Films, a boutique film finance and independent production company through which she has executive produced numerous acclaimed and award-winning films, including Other People, Little Men, Human Capital, and Eating Our Way to Extinction. She made her directorial debut in 2020 with the award-winning horror short Becky, which screened at more than 30 international festivals, and she is currently developing several new projects.
Nicole is also the co-founder of Lazar Ventures, an investment firm she runs with her sister that backs high-growth, consumer-focused businesses across sectors from real estate to hospitality and VR. Beyond film and books, she is a founding partner of ALG Brands, an entertainment brand management company representing legendary artists and estates including DMX, Sam Cooke, Ronnie Spector, Iggy Pop, The Blues Brothers, and Dean Martin.