This story was created by #ThisIsTucson and BRINK and underwritten by Vantage West, celebrating the locally-owned businesses that make our community strong. Thank you for supporting the local organizations that support us!
When Tiffany Nakatani started her own business after years of working in a corporate position, she knew she wanted to find a community of like-minded women.
As she began creating her herbal tea blend business Love in a Cup, the beginnings of her next venture began to brew.
In the process of seeking out and benefiting from local resources such as the YWCA Southern Arizona's Women's Business Center, Nakatani realized she wanted to offer that same support to other women running a business.
Nakatani launched Boss Women Unite to help women in business get exposure and make connections — and in the process, find community. What began as a series of markets for women entrepreneurs has grown into an organization that hosts workshops, pop-up sales and other networking opportunities.
Nakatani's goal is always to pass on what she has learned to others — a legacy she received from her mother and grandmother. Over the summer, she led a group of teen girls, including her daughter, through a workshop that concluded with them developing their own business idea and selling their goods at a mini market.
Even in the midst of the pandemic, Nakatani has found ways to connect the women in her community, offering Boss Women Unite's physical space to other women makers, artists and business owners to use for pop-up markets and curbside pickup.
For more information, visit bosswomenunite.org.
Supporting local-businesses as they Thrive
Vantage West is committed to supporting and celebrating the locally-owned businesses that make our community strong. For the time being, the Thrive series is focused on the efforts locally-owned businesses have made to continue serving our community during the unprecedented challenges posed by COVID-19.
