This Thursday morning, women in Marquette can come together, mingle, and exchange ideas over a cup of fresh-brewed coffee. Innovate Marquette is launching Women in Entrepreneurship Coffee and Conversation as an easygoing and informal gathering for women with an interest in business startup, business in general, and community collaboration.

The event is held on Thursday, August 28th from 8 a.m. until 10 a.m. at Knot Work Studio in Marquette at 1221 Division Street. As a drop-in for a couple hours, members can start their morning out with networking, sharing resources, and inspiration coming from women in our area making a name for themselves in business.

A Quiet Alternative for Mega Events

Whereas Innovate Marquette's annual Women in Entrepreneurship event is much bigger and a more formal event throughout the year, this week's Coffee and Conversation in Marquette is a deliberately smaller-scaled informal event.

According to Outreach & Engagement Manager Aubry Healy, the event is specifically designed so everyone can feel comfortable there, at any level ranging from veteran entrepreneurs, would-be founders, or even curious members in their communities.

“You don't need to own a business in town in order to come on in," Healy explained. "Perhaps you are considering a business concept or you would like to know what it is like living in this community. We can tell you how we can help you start a business or direct you to resources. We would like everyone to feel comfortable."

Building Community Through Talk

The emphasis on inclusiveness is what drives Innovate Marquette's mission. Innovate Marquette works throughout the year for promoting innovation, entrepreneurial spirit, as well as community-driven economic development in Michigan's Upper Peninsula region. Groups including Marquette Women in Entrepreneurship Coffee and Conversation not only provide business support but also much-needed individual interaction in a society in which so many entrepreneurs and small business owners so often suffer in isolation.

For attendees, the morning meeting is a friendship as much as it is business. Women will be able to share stories, generate ideas, and form real connections in a relaxed studio environment. To some, it may prompt beginning a plan for a business venture in their life, for others, it may just be a revitalizing beginning-of-the-day method for connecting with people.

Strengthening Marquette’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

Innovate Marquette is counting on the informal setting in hopes of getting more women involved in the entrepreneurial scene. By providing low-key opportunities such as these coffee hours, the organization allows members not to wait for mass conferences in order to feel included.

Marquette continually has been gaining notoriety as a center for innovation, small business creation, and creativity in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Programs like Marquette Women in Entrepreneurship Coffee and Conversation support Marquette's burgeoning image as an entrepreneurial-friendly city—an image especially predicated on fostering an environment for women tentatively entering business.

Everyone is free to come

The Coffee and Conversation event is open to all for free. Attendees are also at liberty to drop by on their lunch hour heading or coming in for work, stay for a networking event, or just grab a cup of coffee and mingle and mix.

With organizations like Marquette Women in Entrepreneurship Coffee and Conversation, Innovate Marquette is not only fostering a spirit of entrepreneurship but is also percolating a larger sense of community—one cup at a time.