Women-owned businesses help drive local economy

I’m a big fan—some might say a fan boy, of a few things in life: poetry, hiking, and, of all things, peanut butter.

I can’t get enough of the stuff.

As a kid, I used to mix honey and peanut butter in a vat and eat it for lunch and sometimes dinner. Chase it with some chocolate milk and—well, you just arrived in heaven, my friend.

That’s why it was so cool when I got to Rapid City last year and found Nerdy Nuts, a locally produced peanut butter company. The company’s toffee peanut butter was love at first sight. With my love of peanut butter, a container lasts me only about thirty days. And my days of Jif Peanut Butter are long gone.

Starting a business is tough. Starting a business in Rapid City as a woman can be even tougher. Erika Peterson and Nerdy Nuts have transcended both. With only their wits, charm, a clever marketing campaign and some of the best peanut butter in the country, the company has recently ascended like a rocket ship to the national stage.

Welcome to this issue of Elevate, where we explore not just peanut butter, but a lot of things women-owned businesses have been starting (and completing). There’s the story of how Nerdy Nuts helped turn a food desert into an oasis. There’s also the story of Western Mailers, where a stay-at-home mom turned owner shows that degrees and offices aren’t necessary to build a successful business. And our story on WAVI, a local women’s domestic violence shelter, brings attention to a issue that has become more pronounced during the recent pandemic.

All of these stories, and the women who drive them, elevate the region for all of us. We couldn’t be more excited. We hope you are too.

Stay safe (with some Nerdy Nuts) and god-speed.