A Leeds businesswoman has opened a boutique at Chapeltown Enterprise Centre – one of three Leeds business locations managed by Unity Enterprise (UE), the not-for-profit subsidiary of BME housing association Unity Homes and Enterprise – to sell her clothing and jewellery, while helping local entrepreneurs bring their products to market.
UE currently provides 153 affordable business units for almost 100 diverse businesses in the city, employing more than 1,250 people. In addition to providing business space and support services, UE hosts regular business masterclasses and workshops including Breaking Barriers, a bespoke programme of events covering mindset, social media marketing, branding, sales and pitching, web design and multimedia.
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SANYAN Collective is a Leeds-based creative retail and community hub founded by award-winning fashion designer and creative entrepreneur Karen Williams, whose contemporary African-inspired fashion brand, SANYAN, offers elegant women’s clothing shaped by her adaptable fluid-fit philosophy.“Moving into Chapeltown Enterprise Centre was the perfect move at precisely the right time. I am grateful to UE for their support, including delivering the Breaking Barriers course which brought the three of us together.
“I have started gaining local recognition, including being honoured with the Yorkshire Black Business Award for Retailer of the Year 2026.
“The long-term vision for SANYAN Collective is to become a permanent creative and cultural hub within Leeds and a long-term launchpad for emerging independent Black-owned brands — a place where businesses can gain visibility, grow sustainably and eventually move on to make space for the next generation of creatives.”
Cedric Boston, Unity Homes and Enterprise Chief Executive, said:
“SANYAN Collective is a fantastic concept and a great way for local entrepreneurs to come together and share a space where they can sell and promote their wares.
“I am particularly pleased that two of the female entrepreneurs are Unity housing tenants, hopefully they will be trailblazers for many others to follow.
“UE’s mission is to identify and offer people in hard-to-reach BME communities, including housing tenants, the chance to change their economic prospects by encouraging them to view business as a sustainable and rewarding career.
“Karen is a role model for what can be achieved with a sharp business idea, a willingness to collaborate, a drive to succeed and the support we can provide.”
