Jamestown Regional Entrepreneur Center Hosts Women's Business Conference March 10-11

The Jamestown Regional Entrepreneur Center (JREC) will bring its 2026 Women’s Business Conference to the newly expanded Jamestown Arts Center at 115 2nd Street Southwest on March 10-11, starting March 10 at 12:00 pm CDT and running through March 11 at 4:00 pm CDT. Registration requires completing a reservation form, after which registrants receive a separate link to purchase the $75 ticket; organizer Katherine Roth can be reached at katherine.roth@uj.edu, by phone at 701-353-0038 ext. 800 or via JREC at 701-253-4112. The venue phone listed on the event page is 701-251-2496, and a hotel room block is available at the Gladstone Inn & Suites, 111 2nd St NE, Jamestown, phone (701) 252-0700.

Named presenters for the two-day program include Elizabeth Phares Oren, director of client success at the North Dakota Women’s Business Center (NDWBC), who will serve as presenter and emcee and co-lead a session with Wendy Klug of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s North Dakota District Office. Oren said, "We’ve seen firsthand the strength of Jamestown’s business community through its involvement as an NDWBC Strong Women, Strong Connections Community Chapter," Oren said. "We’re proud to sponsor the JREC Women’s Business Conference and look forward to creating even more opportunities to educate, connect, and engage entrepreneurs.” Jamestown Sun reporting notes Klug said SBA is "thrilled" to participate in the conference.

University of Jamestown faculty will also appear: Liz Hunt, Ph.D., executive director of the Unruh School of Character in Leadership, will present "The Power of Character: Shaping Organizational Culture from the Inside Out." Hunt said, “I’m truly excited to be part of the 2026 JREC Women’s Business Conference. It’s an amazing opportunity to support the growth of regional women leaders and entrepreneurs. My session focuses on character development and culture. I’ve seen firsthand how character can transform not just individuals, but entire organizations. When we lead from the inside out — with integrity, courage, and authenticity — we create cultures where people thrive and purpose takes root.”

Additional presenters announced in event listings include Amber Blomberg, Caring Foundation and Community Engagement executive director for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Dakota, who will share data on employee health and wellness trends, and Stephanie Blumhagen, executive director of FARRMS, who will discuss supporting farmers to build resilient businesses. JREC descriptions list session themes across leadership development, entrepreneurial pathways, organizational effectiveness, community impact and personal capacity-building.

JREC traces its local work to incorporation in January 2018 by the University of Jamestown and the Jamestown Stutsman Development Corporation; Katherine Roth has described JREC’s mission as to “assist entrepreneurs in facilitating and launching successful products and businesses by igniting the synergies of industry, community, the University of Jamestown, government and other entrepreneur centers statewide.” The center operates an office in Room 109 of the Unruh-Sheldon Building, open to visitors 8:00 am–5:00 pm, and offers ongoing programming such as webinars and youth entrepreneurship events.

National listings identify this as the ninth annual Women’s Business Conference. Attendees planning to come from Jamestown or elsewhere in North Dakota are advised to complete the JREC/SBA registration form early to secure a spot and then follow the separate ticketing link to purchase the $75 conference ticket.