JACKSON, WY— When Kirstie McPherson and Reed Jones decided to bring their idea to life, they hosted a launch party in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. They expected around 20 people to show up. More than 90 did.
The idea was Women in Rural, a new networking platform made by, and for, women in rural communities.
“People are really starving to connect with other like-minded women,” McPherson told Buckrail.
The premise is simple: Women in Rural is a membership-based online platform designed to connect women across industries, states, counties, and lifestyles. It started in Colorado, where the founders both live. But it’s making its way to Jackson, and debuting Saturday at the Silver Dollar Bar & Grill.
McPherson and Jones are both business owners in Craig and Steamboat Springs, Colorado, respectively. Their communities are different, McPherson said — hers is more agricultural. Jones’ is a mountain town. But their needs, they noticed, are the same.
“Women in rural communities, we kind of do it all,” McPherson said.
And they do it, Jones added, with far fewer resources than people in cities like, say, Denver. So it helps to be able to talk to other people, in particular other women who share their struggles.
Members have access to other members’ profiles, contact information, and industries (think LinkedIn), in addition to a private Facebook group and informative blog posts about topics both professional and personal. The blog has already covered how to write a good professional bio, and how to actually stick to resolutions. They also plan to introduce networking events and retreats for members.
The founders want women from all walks of life to engage on the platform, from business owners to stay-at-home-moms. “We all have unique offerings, and can help each other grow and succeed together,” McPherson said.
McPherson and Jones, alongside their new Jackson counterpart Shelby Dyer, invite Jackson women to be part of the movement. Meet the founders, learn more about the platform, and even apply to be a member at a meet and greet Saturday, February 23 from 3-5 p.m. at the Silver Dollar.
“We’re creating a movement,” McPherson said. “We want every woman in a rural community to be a part of it.”
