“We started Women Ignite with a simple goal: to host an annual event that would bring female entrepreneurs closer together, and introduce them to community resources that can help grow their businesses,” said Amalia Moreno-Damgaard, founder of Eden Prairie’s own Amalia Latin Gourmet and immediate past president of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Minnesota Chapter.
“The first Women Ignite, which NAWBO held in partnership with the Metropolitan Economic Development Association (MEDA) last year, was an enormous success with around 300 registrations. This year’s Women Ignite, which added the Women's Business Development Center (WBDC) and Business Bridge Greater MSP as partners, gained 450 registrations. It’s a heartening sign of great things to come for women and diversity in business.
“This year’s Women Ignite welcomed guest speaker Senator Amy Klobuchar, as well as featured guest Lili Hall: founder, CEO and president of KNOCK, inc. As the owner of a multicultural brand strategy and design firm that has scaled globally – and someone who recently overcame breast cancer – Lili provided just the inspiration attendees needed to get out there and continue shaping the world in their image.”
“We’re honored to have welcomed representatives of several of our area’s largest employers, including 3M, Chase Bank, J.P. Morgan, Medtronic, Target, and United Healthcare Group,” said Dorothy Bridges, CEO and president of MEDA. “Their valuable insights helped attendees recognize opportunities to think bigger, scale faster, and grow their solo enterprises into influential employer-based businesses.
“Fostering deeper connections between large corporations and minority-owned businesses has been a large part of MEDA’s focus since our foundation in 1971. Events like Women Ignite help BIPOC entrepreneurs learn how to become contract ready, and fully leverage local connections to the national market.
“Take Kobi Co., for example, which was founded by mother and daughter Tasha Harris and Kobi Gregory during the peak of Covid-19. It started out as small as you could imagine: a 19-year-old woman making scented soy-based candles in her mom’s basement as a means of coping with anxiety and depression. But soon, Kobi saw further. She married her low-tech product with the high-tech industry by adding QR codes to her candles. When scanned, those codes bring consumers to curated Spotify playlists that align with the scents of their candles.
“With MEDA’s support, Kobi Co. is now in serious talks with a major national retail chain. For a business to have grown so much, so quickly is a real testament to the power of women working together.”
“The Twin Cities have grown increasingly diverse over the 22 years I’ve lived here,” added Amalia. “Witnessing that explosion of vibrancy firsthand has been invigorating – but it’s not enough to simply see different faces on the street. I thank MEDA, WBDC, Business Bridge, and every other organization that supports NAWBO’s goal of creating a business community that mirrors our actual community. It’s diversity in practice, instead of merely in theory: the bright future our country is destined for.”
This year’s Women Ignite was held on August 27th at the MacMillan Conference Center. Take heart if you missed it, because its third iteration is sure to come in 2025. Visit nawbo.org to stay apprised of NAWBO’s upcoming events, and meda.net to learn more about MEDA’s mission to help BIPOC entrepreneurs on their paths to success.
Women Ignite organizers thank this year’s sponsors for their generous support!
Alina Health • Bremer Bank • Hellmuth & Johnson
KNOCK, inc. • Kowalski’s Markets • Madison Avenue
Northeast Bank • RBC • Rohloff Associates • U.S. Bank