EPISODE · Apr 27, 2026 · 54 MIN
S5. EP.83. Fragrance Masterclass with Mara Dumski, Chief Fragrance Experience Officer at Pura
from It Takes A Village with Delina Medhin · host Delina Medhin
Mara Dumski, Chief Fragrance Experience Officer at Pura and former executive at International Flavors & Fragrances, joins us to talk all about building a career at the intersection of art, science, and emotion. With over 25 years at International Flavors & Fragrances, Mara shares how her background as a classically trained soprano shaped the way she understands scent and how she learned to “smell with her musical ear” while working alongside some of the world’s most legendary perfumers.She opens up about her unexpected leap from New York City to Utah to join Pura, a then-early-stage tech startup, and how she helped build a fragrance house inside a technology company from the ground up. From translating fine fragrance into air to redefining how we experience scent in our homes, Mara breaks down the artistry, innovation, and risk-taking behind creating immersive, emotionally-driven fragrance experiences.Mara also shares the deeper meaning behind scent—how it connects to memory, mood, and identity and why your home deserves the same level of intention as the fragrance you wear. She also takes us inside Pura’s most meaningful collaborations, including their work with the Malala Fund, where fragrance is used to tell stories of girls around the world fighting for access to education.Welcome to It Takes A Village with Delina Medhin, where inspiring founders & creatives share ‘who I built this with’. Have you ever asked yourself…“how can I be happier, healthier, peaceful, famous, powerful, or successful?” When you want change, your life will shift, you let go, and begin to trust other people. This new energy will attract new people & create momentum in your life that reveals your purpose. Awareness is life’s balancing tool and you are in the right place at the right time, always.00:00 Introduction03:45 Music to Perfumery06:26 Leaving IFF for Pura08:03 Founders Pitch and Vision11:09 Leap of Faith to Utah14:20 Nose vs Scent Designer15:43 Designing for Air Diffusion17:29 Favorite Scents and Collabs19:40 Building a Fragrance House24:03 Day to Day and Innovation26:50 Why Home Scent Matters28:18 Scenting Your Space28:50 App Schedules and Controls31:00 From Music to Fragrance33:01 Fragrance Pyramid Basics35:00 Formulating for Diffusers37:58 Clean Safety Standards39:54 Malala Fund Scents46:40 Why Pura Inspires48:43 Car Scent Breakthrough51:42 Mentors and GratitudeLearn more about Mara Dumski:Mara Dumski is the Chief Fragrance Experience Officer at Pura, where she leads the creative direction of scent development and experience design. Before joining Pura, she spent over two decades at International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF), one of the world’s most influential fragrance houses.With a background in classical voice from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, Mara brings a unique perspective to fragrance, blending music, emotion, and storytelling to create scents that enhance how people experience everyday life.Connect with MaraInstagram https://www.instagram.com/maradwest/ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mara-dumski-5231512a Connect with Delina:Instagram @delinamedhinTikTok @delinamedhinYouTube @delinamedhinThreads @delinamedhin Website www.delinamedhin.com
What this episode covers
Mara Dumski, Chief Fragrance Experience Officer at Pura and former executive at International Flavors & Fragrances, joins us to talk all about building a career at the intersection of art, science, and emotion. With over 25 years at International Flavors & Fragrances, Mara shares how her background as a classically trained soprano shaped the way she understands scent and how she learned to “smell with her musical ear” while working alongside some of the world’s most legendary perfumers.She opens up about her unexpected leap from New York City to Utah to join Pura, a then-early-stage tech startup, and how she helped build a fragrance house inside a technology company from the ground up. From translating fine fragrance into air to redefining how we experience scent in our homes, Mara breaks down the artistry, innovation, and risk-taking behind creating immersive, emotionally-driven fragrance experiences.Mara also shares the deeper meaning behind scent—how it connects to memory, mood, and identity and why your home deserves the same level of intention as the fragrance you wear. She also takes us inside Pura’s most meaningful collaborations, including their work with the Malala Fund, where fragrance is used to tell stories of girls around the world fighting for access to education.Welcome to It Takes A Village with Delina Medhin, where inspiring founders & creatives share ‘who I built this with’. Have you ever asked yourself…“how can I be happier, healthier, peaceful, famous, powerful, or successful?” When you want change, your life will shift, you let go, and begin to trust other people. This new energy will attract new people & create momentum in your life that reveals your purpose. Awareness is life’s balancing tool and you are in the right place at the right time, always.00:00 Introduction03:45 Music to Perfumery06:26 Leaving IFF for Pura08:03 Founders Pitch and Vision11:09 Leap of Faith to Utah14:20 Nose vs Scent Designer15:43 Designing for Air Diffusion17:29 Favorite Scents and Collabs19:40 Building a Fragrance House24:03 Day to Day and Innovation26:50 Why Home Scent Matters28:18 Scenting Your Space28:50 App Schedules and Controls31:00 From Music to Fragrance33:01 Fragrance Pyramid Basics35:00 Formulating for Diffusers37:58 Clean Safety Standards39:54 Malala Fund Scents46:40 Why Pura Inspires48:43 Car Scent Breakthrough51:42 Mentors and GratitudeLearn more about Mara Dumski:Mara Dumski is the Chief Fragrance Experience Officer at Pura, where she leads the creative direction of scent development and experience design. Before joining Pura, she spent over two decades at International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF), one of the world’s most influential fragrance houses.With a background in classical voice from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, Mara brings a unique perspective to fragrance, blending music, emotion, and storytelling to create scents that enhance how people experience everyday life.Connect with MaraInstagram https://www.instagram.com/maradwest/ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mara-dumski-5231512a Connect with Delina:Instagram @delinamedhinTikTok @delinamedhinYouTube @delinamedhinThreads @delinamedhin Website www.delinamedhin.com
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S5. EP.83. Fragrance Masterclass with Mara Dumski, Chief Fragrance Experience Officer at Pura
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