Cultivating a Land-Based Business for Conservation and Profit: Developing Your Idea

Time & Location

Jan 30, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Winter Camp Webinar Series

About the Event

Are you currently working for someone else, doing something completely unrelated to your conservation values? 

Do you dream of one day running your own business, developing an idea that both celebrates and enhances your land and conservation values while earning income?  

Land stewardship can readily partner with running a financially profitable business, giving you both entrepreneurial freedom and cash flow while you cultivate a livelihood that truly reflects your environmental priorities.

In partnership with the Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC), WiWiC’s Winter Camp Series for 2025 will give you an inspiring boost of information and resources to launch your entrepreneurial dreams. WWBIC will cover key business start-up basics and share resources to start you on your way, including funding and support opportunities.  Each session will showcase a Wisconsin woman business owner running a land-inspired business, sharing her insider experience and advice. 

Whether you are looking to earn a full-time income or are a retiree interested in a side hustle, these sessions uniquely provide the opportunity to learn from other women and ask questions in a safe space.

January 30, 2025: Developing Your Business Idea

WWBIC Presenter:  Kathryn Dunn, Vice President of Programs and Operations

Kathryn joined WWBIC in mid-2024 leading the Program and Operations teams that provide small business lending and business training programs targeting women, People of Color, veterans and low-wealth individuals. A statewide economic development organization, WWBIC has served more than 80,000 individuals and provided more than $135 million in loan capital to small businesses since 1987. Prior to joining WWBIC Dunn served as the Chief Strategy Officer for the Greater Milwaukee Foundation and Vice President of Community Impact for 13 years. Dunn has a long career in philanthropy and nonprofit leadership work focused on expanding access to capital, supporting entrepreneurs – particularly under-resourced individuals, and promoting engagement and equity as key to lasting change. Her career includes managing grantmaking strategies, program related investment programs and local, regional and national collaborative initiatives in economic development, mission investing and workforce development. Dunn holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Masters of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. began her career in the Milwaukee community, serving as Vice President of WWBIC from 1993-1997.

Farmer Presenter:  Cella Langer, Farmer Owner, Oxheart Farm

Langer grew up on a homestead in central Massachusetts, where she milked goats and weeded the garden even as a small child. Cella’s love for agriculture and education has brought her to work in school gardens of Detroit, indigenous mountain villages of Ecuador, vegetable and livestock farms in Minnesota & Wisconsin, a cheese-making dairy farm in western Massachusetts, and an incubator farm for immigrant and minority farmers near Madison. She currently raises a diverse mix of vegetables, pastured pork, and beef; milks happy, healthy cows; and makes delicious yogurt and soft serve ice cream on her family farm in western Wisconsin.

Whatever your background, from beginners to experts, all women are welcome and we want to hear your story. Feel free to bring your lunch. Wisconsin Women in Conservation is hosting a Winter Camp Webinar in both January and February.

WiWiC Hosts:  Esther Shekinah & Jennifer Nelson

About Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corporation

WWBIC is a leading innovative statewide economic development corporation that’s been “Putting Dreams to Work” since 1987. They open doors of opportunity by providing underserved individuals who are interested in starting, strengthening or expanding businesses with access to critical resources such as responsible financial products, and quality business and financial training. WWBIC focuses on individuals who face barriers in accessing traditional financing or resources in pursuit of their dreams and economic well-being … in particular women, people of color, veterans, rural and lower wealth individuals.

About Wisconsin Women in Conservation

WiWiC is a state-wide collaborative effort led by the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute in partnership with Wisconsin Farmers Union, Renewing the Countryside and Marbleseed (formerly MOSES).  A five-year multi-faceted project funded by the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), WiWiC brings together Wisconsin women landowners, farmers, farmworkers, urban growers and conservationists to connect and learn about conservation practices, resources, and funding opportunities.