We are rural women. We are strong. We’re ambitious. We’re leaders and we inspire. Some of us are mothers and caregivers, partners, workers, community members, and friends. And we don’t do it alone. We seek community, connection, and representation of people like us. 100 Rural Women plants that seed. We aim to cultivate a community that empowers rural women and lifts one another up. Welcome to our spotlight series, where we interview amazing women who are making a difference for rural communities across Minnesota because we believe that women like you, you deserve a spotlight.

Meet some of our amazing leaders across rural Minnesota and beyond!

Win

 We are excited to highlight Win and shine that spotlight. We are confident she will be [...]

Alexandra Pham

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Malida

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Daughters Rising

Our mission is to lift up rural women EVERYWHERE. This collaboration fulfilled our dream of taking [...]

P Doh & P Por

“If you wear a Karen shirt, it means you are wearing a blessing from the people [...]

Kham Hom

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Alisa Benson

“Know your worth.” Tell us about you and how you got connected with 100 Rural Women [...]

Anna Pollock

“The biggest thing that I try to do in my community is to celebrate where people [...]

Nora Hertel

“My “why” is to cultivate compassion and wisdom in the world” [...]

Kimberly smiles. She has short blonde hair and clear-rimmed glasses.
Kimberly Gillette

“I’m here to show people that there is life outside of the career that you once [...]

Susan Joyce

“Whenever we are helping somebody else, it’s impossible to fail ourselves.” [...]

Erica is smiling with mid-length blonde hair wearing a pink shirt.
Erica Bjelland

“I felt like I knew so many people around me and really got to invest in [...]

Hara Chalier smiles at the camera. She has short brown hair and wears a blazer
Hara Charlier

“Rural is full of people who really know who they are and what they stand for.“ [...]

An image of Fawn with long dark hair smiling. She is wearing a blue shirt and a colorful scarf
Fawn Sampson

“When I was younger, I used to say I’m going to change the world. Now I [...]

Su Legatt

“I want to figure out creative ways to involve people, tell their stories, document those moments, [...]

Smiling woman with short blonde hair. She is wearing a pink long-sleeved shirt and resting her chin on her hand.
Monica Kramer McConkey

“Do not underestimate your ability to impact the lives of others. You exist for a purpose.” [...]

Kara has long black hair and stands confidently. She is an Asian woman with light skin and wears a smart electric blue blazer.
Kara Inae Carlisle

“It is not power over or power under, it is power with; a deep understanding of [...]

Bernadine stands in front of a lake with light brown hair being blown around by the wind. She has light skin and is wearing a beige jacket.
Bernadine Joselyn

“We are the leaders that we’ve been waiting for.“ [...]

Smiling woman with shoulder length brown hair. She is light skinned and wears a fun patterned blouse.
Brigid Tuck

“There’s always a pathway forward. It’s just about finding it and figuring out how do we [...]

Rani has long wavy dark brown hair pulled back and is smiling widely. She has brown skin and wears a black cardigan.
Rani Bhattacharyya

. “Am I beyond the curve? Do I need to be here? Can I say no?” [...]

DeeDee has medium length brown hair and is stading in front of a forest. She has light brown skin and wears a white v-neck tee.
DeeDee LeMier

“I’m not alone in really loving rural spaces and loving rural communities.” [...]

Mary is standing in front of a short hedge with short brown hair. She has light skin and is wearing a beautiful necklace and yellow cardigan.
Mary Rotter

“Things don’t always need a quick fix” [...]

Tesla has short brown hair swept over the side. She wears a blue halter top and stands in front of a tree's foliage.
Tesla Mitchell

Don’t be ashamed of your weaknesses Question: If you could give one piece of advice to [...]

Heidi has medium blonde hair and is talking into a radio microphone.
Heidi Holtan

. Question: Tells us about a moment you felt discouraged and how you overcame it. Answer: [...]

Elissa has short curly brown hair and is smiling in front of a green hedge. She is light skinned and wears a striped purple blouse.
Elissa Alzate

“ Question: If you could give one piece of advice to your former self, what would [...]

Noreen has medium length curly brown hair and is smiling while holding a chicken. She has light skin and is wearing a blue polka dot button up.
Noreen Thomas

  “Help, not step, on each other or deplete each other’s energy.  But be the light.” [...]

Katie has long blonde hair and is wearing sunglasses. She is on a street and wears a maroon turtleneck.
Katie Heppner

“Never let the perfect be the enemy of the good.” Editor’s Note: Over the 2020 summer, [...]

Smiling woman with glasses and short brown hair. She is a white woman wearing a snake print blazer.
Sandy Voigt

“Know that you have importance and be able to tell yourself that every day” Editor’s Note: [...]

Fallon has short brown blonde hair and is standing in front of a hall of flags. She hhas light skin and is wearing a smart blazer..
Fallon Ryan

“I want to be the wild card” Editor’s Note: Special thanks to Fallon for sitting down [...]

Dani has medium length brown hair and is wearing traditional clothing and earrings for Bois Forte Band of Chippewa. She has light brown skin and is smiling largely.
Dani Pieratos

We don’t need Daddy’s permission to start, grow, launch, and build the beautiful futures we envision. [...]

Cheryal has long brown hair and is smiling in a garden. She has light skin and wears dangling earrings.
Cheryal Hills

“Showcase leadership through relationship” Editor’s Note: In the summer of 2020, one of our interns was [...]

Carla is laughing while holding a warm drink on a park bench. She has light skin and blonde hair pulled up into a bun. She wears a blue floral shirt.
Carla Mertz

A [...]