Shawna moved to Buffalo from Arizona in 2013. She was faced with a choice—take a 9-to-5 job and put almost all her earnings toward childcare or bite the bullet and start her own photography business.

“I started talking to every person that I could,” Shawna said. “And I found in Buffalo, it’s really easy to do that. If you meet one person, they end up connecting you to 10 other people.”

As her photography business continued to grow, she realized she was having a difficult time balancing her career and family while working from home. As she investigated local coworking spaces, she couldn’t find something that fit her exact needs. In talking to other women in the area, she realized she wasn’t alone.

So, Shawna founded The Vanguard House, a coworking space made by women, for women. Once The Vanguard House is up and running, there will even be a childcare component to help working mothers who are facing the same struggle that Shawna once did.

As women in technology, entrepreneurship, and remote work continue to grow, the importance of the opportunity offered by The Vanguard House grows with it.

“People are eager to help if they see you’re doing something that the city needs,” Shawna said. “It’s so exciting to feel like I’m at the forefront of change in Buffalo and can make a difference,”

What’s your favorite place to take a coffee meeting?

Definitely Remedy House or Five Points Bakery across the street.

What is Buffalo’s best kept secret?

Our architecture. I did a wedding photo shoot on the balcony of the new Curtiss Hotel, with the city scape in the background. Friends of mine from other cities were commenting how surprised they were at the beauty of the city buildings.