Happy March Chamber members! Can you believe Spring is (hopefully) right around the corner?

As I look forward to this new season, I am filled with anticipation and excitement to see what is next for our growing region. This is also a great time to reflect on the creators, dreamers, innovators and go-getters who make our community, region and state vibrant and thriving.
This year, International Women’s Day is celebrated March 8^th, and I’m excited to celebrate and recognize the accomplishments and hard work of women in our region. According to a US Census Bureau survey, there are 2849 women-owned businesses in North Dakota, with nearly 42% of all small businesses in both North Dakota and Minnesota being owned by women.

Women are a vital part of the workforce, and I’m excited to see the above numbers continue to grow. Without these businesses and innovations, our cities, states and countries would be missing a vital part of the economy.

The Chamber aims to support female leaders and heighten their impact, and strives to provide resources, tools and connections to enhance the journey of being a woman in the business world. Internally, our Chamber team members are provided continuing education opportunities and are encouraged and empowered to be involved in the community. We are also proud of our Women Connect event series, which filled an apparent community gap and has grown to become one of our largest event series. This monthly event series covers many personal and professional topics, with a mission of bringing women together in a unique, courageous forum to build connections and provide a space to be brave and explore what leadership means both personally and professionally. This event also hosts a national keynote speaker each year; Holly Hoffman, Marissa Orr and Rachel Hollis are a few speakers we recently welcomed to the stage. We hope you’ll join us this June for an incredible afternoon of inspiration as we welcome Mel Robbins as our 2022 Women Connect Celebration speaker. 

I invite you to dive in to the March Bridge to learn about and support these working women in our region, and to get an inside look in to what inspires and motivates them. We congratulate and support ALL of the women business owners of The Chamber and our region, and we wish we had hundreds more pages in this Bridge to mention them all. Enjoy this issue, you might just find a new store or business to check out, or even be motivated to start your own!