Erica Yngve
Erica Yngve is a lifelong entrepreneur. Growing up in Tucson, AZ, she began her first business at 11 years old by doing alterations and sewing for family and friends. She graduated from the University of Arizona with degrees in Business Management and German Studies. Her interest in manufacturing was piqued by her first job as a buyer for Simula Automotive Devices in Tempe, AZ. Honing her business and language skills, she moved to Chicago, IL, and worked for Eastlake Management, overseeing the operations of multiple properties from downtown skyscrapers to large subsidized housing communities. As she completed her MBA in Operations Management at DePaul University, Erica shifted to the nonprofit sector to manage education operations for the Red Cross of Greater Chicago.
After starting her family, Erica moved back to Tucson, AZ, and helped found Oracle Imports where she coordinated overseas manufacturing of textiles and accessories for Arizona-based companies.
In 2018, her dream of starting her own fashion brand came to fruition when she started Bralessly -clothing designed for women who want to be comfortable and modest. Erica won the 2019 IdeaFunding pitch competition during the TENWEST Festival.
Originally, Erica’s products were manufactured in Phoenix, but she came across a small cut & sew operation in Tucson and shifted her production to be closer to home. When the owner decided to retire, Erica agreed to purchase the business assets. Soon after, Erica made a second acquisition of Postcraft – a 90-year-old company focused on industrial sewn goods for housing, healthcare, hotels, and cruise ships. The combined cut & sew operations were rebranded as Sonoran Stitch Factory in 2020. The factory now serves over two dozen apparel and sewn good companies from across the country - including Erica’s own products under the Postcraft and Bralessly brands.
Sonoran Stitch Factory has become Southern Arizona’s largest cut and sew manufacturer. The factory is located in a 25,000-square-foot facility in the Old Pascua neighborhood. The facility features warehousing and shipping docks that allow Sonoran Stitch to provide clients with full kitting, fulfillment, and shipping services. The full-service stack has enabled clients to focus on new product development, marketing, and sales. In 2021 it won Tucson Metro Chamber’s UAIC-sponsored “Startup of the Year” award.
Sonoran Stitch has created a number of local workforce development partnerships to help refugees, people with disabilities, and college students get hands-on training. In January of 2021, Erica partnered with the non-profit MoonshotAZ based in Flagstaff, AZ, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, and the City of Tucson to start AZ Stitch Lab, an industrial sewing training program, developing a workforce to fill the needs of southern Arizona business that utilize industrial sewing. AZ Stitch Lab was a finalist in the Common Grounds Awards in 2021.
Erica is on the boards of Pima Community College’s fashion design program, and the National Small Business Association, and is a member of Local First Arizona. She lives in Tucson with her husband and three sons and a dog.