SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — There’s an event in downtown Sioux Falls that encourages women entrepreneurs.

Every two weeks, Queen City Bakery in downtown Sioux Falls is home to Coffee N Connections.

“Women connecting with other women, supporting and encouraging them through whatever journey they’re on for their business or professional life,” Coffee N Connections founder Kim Vanderpoel said.

Coffee N Connections was created in 2018 by Fresh Impact owner Kim Vanderpoel.

“It was very lonely when I first started my business and needed a chance to just talk to other women,” Vanderpoel said.

And it started with a simple invitation.

“I put it on Facebook, ‘let’s have some coffee’ and almost five years later, here we are,” Vanderpoel said.

She says the conversation includes everything you’d discuss with a friend.

“Today, we’ve talked about having arthritis, we’ve talked about hair, we’ve talked about clothing, and we’ve talked about raising our prices, we’ve talked about clients,” Vanderpoel said.

Coffee N Connections often sees up to 30 women, and each has the opportunity to stand up and introduce themselves and their business.

“It’s a place to share your heart and really understand what other people are going through and support them,” Style Everlasting owner Stacey Serfling said.

Stacey Serfling is a style and fashion consultant and owns Style Everlasting. She’s been coming to Coffee N Connections for about five months.

“Connections are really built face to face, so I was searching for an opportunity to meet with other business leaders in the area and just get to know what their businesses were about and how we might build relationships together and refer clients to one another,” Serfling said.

And they’ll continue to share their experiences for the foreseeable future.

“As long as they keep coming for coffee, we’re going to keep having it,” Vanderpoel said.

The women of Coffee N Connections will meet again Thursday, June 15th between 8:00 and 9:30 a.m. at Queen City Bakery.