The power of female relationships: She Unites connects Dubuque area women through activities, events

When Nat Finley relocated to Dubuque from Muscatine, Iowa, in 2020, she felt a bit of a disconnect.

“I wanted to meet more people,” said the photographer, entrepreneur and owner of Nat Finley Photography.

Specifically, she wanted to connect with other women who, like her, wanted to explore what the community had to offer, particularly if they were putting down new roots.

Through a business connection, she met Adele Herman, another entrepreneur and transplant to Dubuque from Rochester, Minn.

“Nat and I became fast friends but both wondered where the women’s groups were in the area,” said the graphic designer and marketing professional. “We couldn’t be the only ones feeling this way about being disconnected from the community.”

It was during a New Year’s Eve conversation that the two decided to seize the opportunity for a need they saw to help women connect with other women through community engagement.

In 2021, the duo founded She Unites, a nonprofit organization that aims to connect women through unique programming opportunities, from its core Gatherings that take place during the third Wednesday of each month at The Innovation Lab in Dubuque to Recess — occasional Saturday morning or Wednesday night recreational activities that have highlighted hiking, biking, kayaking, snowshoeing, yoga, self-defense classes, its popular pickleball tournaments and more.

“It’s a group that’s mission is to provide education, and events and activities for women, by women,” Finley said. “We wanted to provide high-quality opportunities to help women not only connect with other women, but to get out of their comfort zones and educate them on things they might not know very much about. It has been very fun to watch and is particularly great for women who might find themselves a little more introverted or intimidated to try a new activity by themselves.”

The organization hosted its debut event at Dubuque’s Smokestack. Thinking it would be a success if it drew at least 20 attendees, Finley and Herman realized just how much of a community need they were meeting when more than 100 women showed up.

“It was very eye-opening and a true testament to how much amazing women want to connect with other amazing women,” Finley said. “Since then, it has just continued to snowball.”

This year, She Unites relocated to The Innovation Lab for its educational speaker programming, which follows the academic year. Additionally, it increased the size of its board of directors.

Activities are open to all women.

“Our core group seems to be women in the ages of 25 to 45, but now we’re starting to see people in their 70s and 80s come to our events, in addition to high school students and recent college graduates,” Herman said. “It’s really cool. Some of the highest turnouts are those older than 55 who come to our Recess events. We have a lot of people who are new to the area, but we also have people coming to our events who have lived here for years.

“We always try to offer a wide variety of topics covered from guest speakers for women in all phases of life, as well as activities for all women to try. It doesn’t matter how old you are. Women, in general, want to get outdoors, to try new things, and we provide a bit of a safety net and support system to be able to do that in the comfort and company of other women.”

Most events also are free to attend or only require a minimal fee, thanks to partnerships with local businesses, event hosts and sponsorships.

Gatherings do not require pre-registration, while Recess events do.

“We didn’t want things like cost or membership to be a barrier,” Herman said.

They also didn’t want the focus of the group to be business-driven.

“There are a lot of organizations in town that offer business-to-business connections,” Finley said. “We wanted this to look and feel different and to be more about women connecting through activities, rather than just professional development. I think because we’ve kept that kind of a focus, we’ve been able to meet all kinds of cool women.”

The organization prides itself on promoting diversity and engaging women from various walks of life.

“I love how She Unites fosters community and empowers women,” said Ashley Hoppenjan, of Dubuque, who has participated in a variety of the organization’s programming. “The education events are informative, and the recess sessions provide great opportunities to get outside and be active. All of the events are a fun way to spend time with friends and meet new people.”

She Unites recently launched its program lineup for 2025 and anticipates continued growth. Additionally, the organization hosts a podcast to keep conversations going between in-person events, as well as a New Voices series, featuring guest writers who touch on various topics.

Now in its fourth year, Finley said she believes She Unites has hit its “sweet spot.”

“We know how to provide our programming, and we know how to do it well,” she said. “Women truly are seeking the power and connection of other women. They have great ideas, and their energy is unmatched. We never thought we’d be running a nonprofit, but to be able to have created a space to bring women together like this, help them build relationships and try something new, has been very inspiring to see.”

Megan Gloss writes for the Telegraph Herald.