LaTanya Orr keeps building even when life (literally) hits the front door

In early January, a car slammed into the century-old building that houses The FoundHERS Suite, a women-centered co-working and professional hub founded by LaTanya Orr. The crash caused major damage and immediate uncertainty for the businesses inside. Sadly, that included Orr’s second-floor offices.

“The two storefronts beneath me received the brunt of the blow,” Orr said. “But we did sustain damage upstairs, on the second floor… three of our offices, which are on the front of the building, we were told [were] off limits basically, until further notice.”

The disruption has been ongoing. Orr says she’s still waiting on the formal documentation that determines what’s safe and what comes next.

“The storefronts… are closed, at least indefinitely.”

For now, the Suite has operated with limited access, using the rear entrance and adjusting day by day, all while Orr keeps members informed. She’s trying to figure out the next steps.

“It’s been an interesting month… to say the least,” she said. “Totally crazy. Something you can’t plan for.”

But Orr didn’t talk about the crash like a defeat.

“My suite members are just wonderful people,” she said. “We’ve established a little community… where we’re doing partnerships and collaborating on different projects… we’ve got a little family kind of thing going on in the space.”

A local connector helps turn chaos into options

As Orr deals with uncertainty around repairs and timelines, she says one of the most helpful pieces has been having a local partner who understands the Southland landscape. Someone who knows how to make introductions quickly.

In her case, that partner has been the Southland Development Authority (SDA) through Jamie Makuch, the SDA’s Business Development and Growth Services team member who regularly connects entrepreneurs to resources, programs and space options across the region.

“Jamie… has been a dear,” Orr said. “She has been so resourceful… and she’s been disseminating and sharing [information]… and has been just great.”

As Orr explores what a short-term move could look like, she says the SDA team has helped surface possibilities and suggestions in and around the communities most relevant to the Suite and its members.

Filling a gap south of Hyde Park with a then-unusual concept

Orr’s dream of opening a women-focused business incubator goes back more than 30 years. Long before co-working became mainstream. She had been building a freelance career in marketing, branding and communications.

“Back then,” she reflected, “it was a totally out-the-box concept to have a shared office space.”

Life moved, the idea sat for years, and then the timing came back around.

“For such a time as this… late ’23, I decided… if it wasn’t ever a time for me at my age to do something that I had always dreamed of, it was then,” she said. “That’s how The FoundHERS Suite was born.”

When Orr began looking around Chicago for shared workspaces, she noticed something that didn’t sit right: community-centered co-working options were scarce in the neighborhoods she cared about most. Especially south of Hyde Park.

“There was absolutely nothing south of Hyde Park,” Orr said. “Let’s not even add the exclusivity for women business owners on.”

So she built what she wished existed. In May 2024, The FoundHERS Suite opened its doors.

Orr says she’s watched multiple members grow during their time in the Suite. Ayana Haaruun, founder and executive director of Black Girls Jump!, joined after searching for workspace close to home and community.

Since joining, Orr says Haaruun and her organization have grown. And now Haaruun is moving into a larger location with the capacity to support practices and merchandising.

National recognition in the middle of disruption

In January, Orr was accepted into the Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women: Black in Business Spring 2026 cohort. This is a competitive national program supporting Black women-owned businesses through education, leadership development and access to capital. It’s huge.

She describes the program as an intense and structured experience designed to help entrepreneurs build systems and scale.

“I liken it to a very rigorous executive MBA program,” Orr said.

The program acceptance is a big boost during a difficult time.

“I’m a woman of faith,” she said. “When things happen, I know things are not by chance… I felt like… it was a physical shift, but… also… a spiritual shift.”

How Orr stayed calm in the face of a building crash

With a steady voice, Orr shared something she said she rarely brings up in interviews. Orr revealed she is a widow. She reflected on how this season of loss reshaped how she responds to crisis.

“When you’re faced with… a life and death type of situation… it definitely builds the resilience,” Orr said. “Even though this collision happened… no one died… it’s something that you can fix. When I think about something I couldn’t fix… my husband passed.”

It’s that lived perspective, she said, that keeps her looking forward.

“If you’re a true leader, you’re gonna rise to the occasion,” Orr said. “Find the silver lining… search out solutions… despite the situation.

About the Southland Development Authority

The Southland Development Authority, a not-for-profit economic development organization, is committed to driving equitable and sustainable economic growth in the south suburbs of Chicago. Through innovative programs, strategic partnerships, and impactful direct investments, the SDA is building a vibrant, inclusive economy that drives wealth growth for individuals, businesses and municipalities. Combined with the benefits of the South Suburban Land Bank and the Monarch Fund, the SDA serves as a model for regional development.