WE Nashville: By women, for women

In the back room of a cozy meeting space, nearly 20 women gather around tables pushed together, many with notebooks and mugs of tea or coffee in front of them .

They are jewelers, food distributors, nutritionists, shop owners, chefs and photographers, but within the diversity of their trades they share a common bond: They are entrepreneurs.

Since last spring, they have been gathering twice monthly, growing their ranks at meetings and on their Facebook page, with more than 120 Nashville-area women joining the online group, WE Nashville (Women in Entrepreneurship). They share strategies, ask for input on particular business challenges they face and encourage one another with their business growth.

"It's incredibly energizing to be around other people who are doing what they love and who are committed to a business they love," said founder Jemina Boyd, who created her organic baby food brand, Chubby Bunny Baby Food, out her kitchen in 2012.

The group's strength demonstrates the number of women starting businesses in Nashville, but also the demand for a community that provides support and resources to new entrepreneurs. While Nashville has several variations of entrepreneur and business organizations, these women saw a need for a group tailored to female founders that was both inviting and informative and created just that.

WE Nashville began last spring with five women who met one another at Nashville farmers markets. They began asking each other questions about their strategies — how do you promote your business, how do you pay yourself, how are you using social media, etc. —and decided to meet more formally over beers. The group grew from there, meeting twice a month at Atmalogy, a cafe and meeting space owned by WE Nashville member Heather Riney.

At a recent Monday night meeting, customer experience consultant Donna Drehmann shared insights and advice on the importance of and strategies for improving customer service, spurring conversations on Etsy reviews, upselling and how to effectively get customer feedback. On Facebook the members post articles or at times solicit votes for online competitions they are in.

In addition to sharing best practices, they have also helped promote and hire one another. Photographer Dottie Beasley, also an original WE Nashville member, sought to add baby photography to her brand at the same time Boyd was looking to design her Chubby Bunny website with product and baby photos. Boyd hired Beasley and they cross-promoted their services. Similarly, Trish Marzella Mathisen, owner of nutrition company Nutrisha, sells her kale chips at Atmalogy.

Because launching a business can seem a daunting endeavor, there is a lot of encouragement that goes around, too.

"Being an entrepreneur is hard work, and it takes a lot passion, a lot of drive and a lot of hustle, " Boyd said. "This group has worked really well for a lot of our female entrepreneurs to just (be able to) say, 'I can do this.' "

The Entrepreneur Center has made efforts to get more women in the door to access its resources. There was a women's coffee that met monthly at the center's previous site, and Connie McGee's new company Evolve that is based at the center is focused on helping women-led businesses and women entrepreneurs. And while there are examples of women going through the center's business accelerators, the start-ups working from there are largely led by males, an issue not just unique to Nashville.

And as Boyd points out, the center's focus is often on tech-heavy businesses seeking investment capital, and most of the businesses being started by WE Nashville women do not fit that description, but rather embody more of the city's maker community ethos. So the group very organically designed this community according to their own needs and vision.

WE Nashville is a great example of women supporting one another and addressing a need when they see it. It's a group that will continue to grow in Nashville as more young women look to create their own jobs and companies, and as those with careers already underway look to reinvent themselves and follow new passions. And as several of the groups' members pointed out, having role models and a team of support is critical for those who have taken on the risks associated with entrepreneurship.

"(It's great) to know there are women going through the same thing I am, that get it," Riney said. "As entrepreneurs, we know it can be a little isolating at times."

Reach Jamie McGee at 615-259-8071 and on Twitter @JamieMcGee_.

WE Nashville

The group meets the third Monday of every month at 7 p.m. and holds a lunch meeting on the third Thursday at noon. Both meetings are held at Atmalogy at 2320 West End Ave. The group is also on Facebook.

Founders are Jemina Boyd of Chubby Bunny Baby Food, Trish Marzella Mathisen of nutrition company Nutrisha, Jennifer Kite of online baby boutique Scout, Dottie Beasley of Dottie Beasley Photography and Emily Marlow of 400 Moons.