Downtown Tampa’s Notary Latina finds a great space

The first thing you notice inside Sara Román’s workspace is not what is there, but how it got there.

Stacks of paper. Binders. Paper clips. Pens. A single chair tucked neatly into the corner.

“Everything that I have here was gifted to me,” Román says, her voice catching. “Every time I tell people, I get overwhelmed.”

Friends drop off reams of paper. Colleagues bring extra office supplies. An attorney Román barely knew arrived with a chair from her office. 

“She introduced herself and said, ‘I heard you need a chair,’” Román recalls. “I said, ‘Yes, thank you.’” 

A bright yellow beacon in downtown Tampa

On weekdays, a bright yellow trailer is parked outside the Hillsborough County Courthouse in downtown Tampa. This is Notary Kiosk, the mobile notary office Román launched in June 2025. Parked among the food trucks, she provides notarizations, fingerprinting, copying, family law document preparation, document translation, and other services to Spanish-speaking community members. 

Román, 42, chose the spot for its proximity to the courthouse and public transportation routes, removing access barriers for clients who already face complicated systems. Many arrive on foot. Others step off nearby buses. All are navigating paperwork, hearings, deadlines, sometimes harrowing situations, and uncertainty.

Being steps away from the courthouse matters.

“When you start something, yes, you need money,” Román says. “But you need the community more.”

Her kiosk makes access visible. It makes help immediate.

Creating social impact

Román, founder of Notary Latina, built her mobile business model around radical openness.

On social media, she makes unconventional requests.

“I tell people, please don’t buy paper for me,” she says. “If you have extra in your office, bring it to me. I want to recycle and reuse.”

She sees sustainability as a part of social impact. The donated supplies filling her trailer are proof of shared investment, not symbols of scarcity.

“I’m here late,” Román says. “Sometimes the homeless people ask me, ‘Can I charge my phone in your car?’ And I say, ‘Go ahead, friend.’ Nobody breaks in, or anything.”

Transparency builds trust. Trust builds protection. And protection builds community.

Bridging the digital divide

Román’s services extend far beyond traditional notary work. In fact, one of her favorite offerings is something many overlook, a Zoom setup for virtual court hearings.

“A lot of judicial hearings are via Zoom now,” she says. “And people still don’t know how to connect.”

The courthouse has one public room with two computers for Zoom hearings. For families navigating language barriers and unfamiliar technology, that limitation can mean missed hearings and serious consequences.

That’s where Román steps in.

She connects clients to virtual courtrooms. She helps them upload documents. She explains the process in Spanish and English. By the end of this year, she plans to complete her court interpreter certification, strengthening her ability to serve clients with professional credentials.

“I want to give them a prime experience,” she says. “Not just connect them to technology but interpret accurately and respectfully.”

A larger vision

In just eight months, Román has watched her idea evolve.

“I know people are observing me,” she says. “I know people are rooting for this idea to become something impactful. To bridge gaps. Latino people and beyond.”

The rental agreement on her current parking space runs through May. After that, she will decide whether to expand. Grant opportunities are on her radar. So is a deeper investment in technology infrastructure.

“I want to build something worth going national,” she adds. “Something scalable.”

Humanity, even on difficult days

Román, who began offering notary services in 2011, does not romanticize the journey.

“I have bad days,” she admits. “Sometimes you encounter people who are not kind.”

But she returns to her core belief. When people see a woman building something with conviction and honesty, they want to help.

In a bright yellow trailer next to the courthouse, filled with donated paper and community belief, Sara Roman is redefining what grassroots entrepreneurship looks like.

Paper by paper. Hearing by hearing. Connection by connection.

For more information, go to Notary Kiosk