Welcome to Your New Home Office
Unita is the South Bay’s most inclusive creative club
South Bay’s very own Unita, offers co-working spaces for creatives types to get more done outside of the home. If you’re like me you may find it hard to leave the comforts of your home office. Working in pajamas is convenient, but it’s also hella lonely. As it turns out Unita gives the same warm fuzzies that cozy nooks at home do, but with the bonus of friendly folk and a zen vibe to create. Whatever your craft, odds are you may enjoy making it at Unita.
If you do go, be sure and check your ego at the door, along with any preconceived notions about what shared office spaces typically feel like. The makeup of the Unita community is as unique as the bespoke furniture that fills the rustic space.
While stepping inside the second Unita location in South Hermosa Beach I’m immediately taken by the quiet calming energy that fills the industrial space of exposed brick walls and original wood beamed ceilings. The sweet smell of pine, mint, and lemon linger. I look for a candle. I don’t see one. The smell is coming from the burning bundle of Palos Santos wood that Ego, the co-founder is wafting through the air. If my eyes were closed I may mistake this for a spa as I feel transformed to a focused, calm, zen-like state. Then I feel a dog licking my toe and look up to see its smiling owner, also in flip-flops. As if I forgot where I was, I’m reminded of the beach proximity as a rack for surfboards complements sits adjacent to the printer. I’m later told this one is just for show, but there are some in actual use that come and go.
Unlike other co-working spaces with billion-dollar valuations, I’m not feeling like I’m in an Ikea showroom, but rather a home of someone with an eye for design.
I learn that the old fashioned phone booth is an original that’s been sourced from a local antique shop. It was not manufactured to look old. It’s the real deal. I like that. The same is true for the rich colored textiles, warm aged solid wood desks, pendant lighting, and worn leather chairs.
Despite the Hermosa Beach location only being 6 months old, if the furniture could talk it would have decades worth of stories to tell.
Yet, I know the furniture isn’t the only thing holding decades worth of stories. What makes any community, a community? Why yes, of course — the people. That’s why I got dressed this morning and left my home office.
The Unita Family Today
55 companies and 100 individuals now call themselves part of the Unita club, and with the launch of their largest space in Manhattan Beach in July, this goodness is sure to surge much like crowds do the beach for the 4th of July.
This month, Unita is celebrating the second anniversary of its first location in El Segundo. The Hermosa Beach location opened early this year.
When I met the duo behind Unita, it quickly made sense to me why the community feels so damn nice. Ego and Serkan both emanate warmth, and as long-time friends, have a history of bringing people together. It’s true that leaders set the tone for any company — even one where the business itself is empty space for other companies to build their dreams.
Aesthetics aside. Who’s behind Unita? I aimed to find out. In between swapping stories of our babies at home, I got to know more about what a former professional basketball player and his hometown buddy are doing building a better WeWork.
The Founding Fathers
Ten years ago Ego and Serkan’s lives looked very different than they do now. Neither married. No kids. Ego was in the prime of his professional basketball career and Serkin an engineer. Both well-connected and well-to-do bachelors in the Turkish capital city of Ankara. They started hosting the kind of parties they wanted to attend; laid-back and culturally infused with art, music, and interesting people.
People from all over the city would come to hang out, enjoy creative work, good company, and a view of the city skyline. Ego describes to me how surreal the parties became, and the power of word of mouth became wildly apparent when one day a complete stranger invited him to a party at his own apartment…
When an Achilles injury forced Ego to retire his basketball jersey, he started working for his family’s business selling concrete machinery. He traveled to over 40 cities in a few short years but made Southern California his home-base. In a sense coming back to this area was like coming home as he and his now wife both attended Long Beach State.
With Serkan engaged and living in Turkey and Ego and his wife calling the South Bay home with a growing family, it seemed like their days of hosting were a thing of the past. As it turns out, they were just being reimagined.
It wasn’t until Serkan started working in sterile co-working spaces in Ankara that he saw the opportunity to do things a bit differently. Ego tells me that Serkin called him from Turkey and said, “Why don’t you come out here for my wedding, and afterward we will follow you back to Southern California. We’re going to open a better co-working space.”
Ego didn’t believe him so he said, “Sure, let’s do it.” Serkan held to his word. Following his wedding, he and his new bride (now creative director at Unita) moved to Redondo Beach and became temporary roommates with Ego, his wife, and their 6-month-old son.
The South Bay wasn’t the first obvious location for their venture. Given their likeness to art, they first thought the natural location would be the arts district of LA. But it didn’t feel like home. It felt competitive. Too cool. Not enough calm. It wasn’t right.
These days, while Ego has yet to have a stranger suggest he check out Unita, the same word of mouth effect seems to have made this non-penthouse (office) party, the place to be.
A friend — one who has impeccable taste in design, and people — mentioned that I should check out Unita. As it turns out, I’m very happy I did. Perhaps you will be too?
The Inclusive Creative Club
Make no mistake, you needn’t know how to surf or be a Palos Santos wood-burning fanatic to fit-in here. (I’m just now really learning what it is). If you’re a good person doing good things, then odds are you’ll find yourself attracted to Unita.
If it’s not the collection of one-of-a-kind antiques that inspire you, then the people that bring the energy for doing cool shit will.
Get out of bed for your community. Create alongside others. Be kind.
If you’re interested in learning more about who makes Unita colorful, then follow along here as I tell the stories of our members.
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About the author: Dessa Brennan is a “surfer” member at Unita, new mom, and recently traded the Chicago winters for Southern California sunshine. Through her consultancy, Spinach Strategy, she partners with healthy brands to uncover their purpose and bring it to life through honest writing that compels people to act.
