Tucson boss ladies can connect with each other at this new, collaborative work space

Nakatani raves about how Soliz's work in graphic design and branding empowers women and gives them a voice. 

Soliz talks abut how Nakatani knows how to listen and live from her heart.

Their relationship is an example of how the two business owners want the space they share to operate: As a place for women to find community, encouragement and kindred spirits. 

The roughly 800-square-foot space is now the headquarters for Boss Women Unite, a business Nakatani started to help women in business get exposure and make connections. 

Since starting the business two-and-a-half years ago, Nakatani has brought women business owners together for vendor markets. She also leases several kiosks at the Tucson and Park Place malls for a rotating lineup of vendors who can choose to rent a cart for a period of time. 

And while Nakatani knew she could continue doing all of this through phone calls and coffee shop meetings, she wanted a physical space to cultivate a stronger community. 

"I've had women reach out to me and say, 'Do you have a location? Where can we go to meet with you? Where can we talk?' so this really was something I felt I needed," Nakatani says. 

In fall 2019, Nakatani worked with Soliz, who owns her own brand illustration and graphic design business, during the YWCA Southern Arizona's Women's Leadership Conference. The women bonded over their shared passion for connecting and empowering women. 

Nakatani asked Soliz to help with the branding for Boss Women Unite. Part of that included dreaming up what Boss Women Unite HQ would look like. 

By the beginning of 2020, they were renovating a three-room space off of Park Avenue that would house Boss Women Unite and Angela Soliz Design Studio. And although their grand opening isn't until summer, Nakatani and Soliz have already welcomed their community into the space at 1130 E. Pennsylvania Street.

Big windows fill all three rooms with sunlight, and murals with encouraging words adorn the walls. The front room doubles as a mini-lobby and boutique, with shelves showcasing products made by local ladies such as Ladie Zee and Antonella Handcrafts. 

Soliz and Nakatani share an office in another room and have converted the third into a coworking and workshop space where business owners can set up shop at one of the long tables — for free, by the way — and help themselves to coffee, tea and wifi during business hours. They also host regular workshops, coaching sessions, dinners and community-building groups. 

In March, for example, they're offering a workshop on developing a DIY website. And their Boss Up series, also starting in March, will take six weeks to walk through crafting a business plan. Entrepreneurs can also host workshops of their own for $35 an hour. 

"It’s meant for female entreprenurs to own that space and use it the way they need to," Soliz says. "If they don’t have a brick-and-mortar space, it's a great place to hold workshops and go have community. When you’re starting a business, it can really help to have someone to bounce ideas off of."

With the new space, Boss Women Unite is also launching a membership program for $200 a year or $17 a month, which provides discounts on workshops, mall carts and other offerings. 

Nakatani believes that since kicking off Boss Women Unite and its markets, she has worked with around 200 women. 

On March 28, Boss Women Unite will host an art reception celebrating women artists, who can submit their work to be displayed (and sold if desired) in the space for free. Just drop your art off before March 25. 

"One of the things that I genuinely believe — and this is part of our mission — is that we need to surround ourselves with likeminded people and women who are going to encourage us and empower us and challenge us to grow," Nakatani says. "That's what I have in Angela, and that's what we're creating with the other women who come here." 

Visit bosswomenunite.org to learn more.