It’s a blueberry pancake breakfast with friends. It’s competing at bingo for fabulous purses – with beer. It’s the Ladies Golf Clinic, which makes the world’s most maddeningly difficult sport just a little more approachable. It’s raising money for training, programs and scholarships that benefit women in business and improve our community as a whole, and fostering rewarding connections across a growing network of women entrepreneurs.
It is the Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce's Women’s Committee: by and for ladies who are invested in our local economy and want to see it thrive. Join if you believe you have anything of value to offer other businesswomen. Attend their events even if you have no particular interest in business, but are rather intrigued by the concept of purse bingo.
“I joined the Women’s Committee because I want to help women become better leaders,” said Kim Guild, Realtor and president of The Guild Group at Keller Williams Realty. “All of our members share that in common: we take joy watching other women succeed. That’s why we learn from each other, grow thanks to each other, and lift one another up. If professional advancement is your personal goal, then the Women’s Committee welcomes you to meet the people who can help get your career to the next level.”
“I came from the corporate world, and am no stranger to the conventional method of ladder climbing,” said Mallorie Rife, Realtor with Edina Realty. “That’s part of the reason why I believe our group is so important. We provide professional women with a supportive, non-competitive community they may not have known even existed. I was sorry to see the Women’s Committee fade away during the pandemic. Yet thanks to Kirsten Barott, who joined the chamber in 2021 as our relationship and events manager, our group is now on track to full revival.”
“Our growing community engagement says it all,” said Kim. “Attendance at our quarterly Women’s Networking Breakfast has doubled since we resumed hosting the event. It’s grown that much in so short a time because everyone in the community is welcome to join us and network. To our members and guests, networking is never about immediate gain. Instead of adding notches to our belts, we’re actively exploring how we can combine our resources to help elevate small businesses. And if I’m being perfectly fair, I think we can also attribute some of the Networking Breakfast’s recent success to The Original Pancake House which so graciously hosts us.
“Our Purse Bingo events at Fat Pants Brewing Co. have also become increasingly popular, and not solely on the strength of networking opportunities. We drink beer, play bingo for purses, and have fun while raising money for our programs. Vendors who have sponsored recent events include Dr. Amanda Haeg of Cadence Chiropractic, Kristin Derus Dore of Eden Biofeedback, and Matt Rosen of Sergeant Shortbread. Matt’s amazing cookies didn’t earn him a special pass. Purse Bingo is a co-ed event, because we thought it would be inhumane to keep men away from beer.”
“Now that we’re regaining our momentum, we’re excited to reestablish the Women’s Committee’s positive presence in Eden Prairie High School students’ lives,” said Mallorie. “Our mentorship programs are invaluable to young women who are only just beginning their careers. In addition to guidance in her chosen field of study, we give each mentee direct connections to local industry leaders who can dramatically accelerate her career trajectory.
“Most of all, we’re excited to continue showing women that they can have it all without sacrificing their work-life balance. Many of our most successful members are one-woman shows at work and loving moms at home, and we all radiate the compelling, uplifting energy that bolsters any aspiring entrepreneur. We’re not in the Women’s Committee to see what we can get. We’re in it because we love sharing what we’ve got.”
“Believe in yourself, have a sound plan, and surround yourself with good people,” said Kim. “When you get right down to it, those are the three elements to success in business – life – everything, really. Wherever you are in your professional journey, the Women’s Committee is here to give you everything you need to go further.”
You are invited to the Women’s Committee’s upcoming PowHER Up Networking Breakfast and Purse Bingo events this November. If you would like to learn more about joining, then you are welcome to reach out to co-chairs Kim and Mallorie at kim@theguildgroupmn.com and mallorierife@edinarealty.com, or Kirsten at kirsten.barott@epchamber.org.
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"If professional advancement is your personal goal, then the Women’s Committee welcomes you to meet the people who can help get your career to the next level.”