Rural Women in Entrepreneurship Retreat
October 30–November 1, 2026
Steel Horse in Villa Grove, Colorado
Businesswomen have got their hands full: their companies, families, communities, and the invisible work that keeps it all moving. This retreat is an invitation to set some of that down for a weekend.
The RWE Retreat is a small, in-person gathering hosted by Startup Colorado for women who are building, leading, creating, and supporting businesses in rural Colorado. We’ll spend the weekend in rest, reflection, and real conversation — celebrating what we’ve built, naming what we need, and reconnecting with the kind of support that reminds us we’re not doing this alone.
We’re keeping it intimate: 16–20 women, one beautiful property, and the kind of closeness that only comes from actually sharing space together. Tickets start at $400, because this weekend should be within reach for all entrepreneurs
ABOUT THE RETREAT
For five years, the Rural Women in Entrepreneurship community has gathered virtually each month to connect, share stories, and support each other through the many seasons of business ownership and leadership. This fall, we’re bringing that same spirit offline and we’re doing it on purpose, and on a budget that actually works.
Wellness and rest shouldn’t be a luxury reserved for well-funded founders. The RWE Retreat is designed to be genuinely affordable without feeling like a compromise — because we believe the most transformative part of this weekend will be the women you meet, the conversations you have, and the space to finally exhale.
This is not a high-pressure business conference. It is not a pitch event. It is not a weekend packed wall-to-wall with programming.
It is a chance to pause, reconnect with yourself, learn from other women walking similar paths, and leave with a clearer sense of what you want to carry into the next season.
WHO THIS RETREAT IS FOR
This retreat is designed for women in Colorado who are building, leading, or supporting businesses in rural communities. You might be a good fit if you are:
- A founder, entrepreneur, or small business owner
- A creative or maker growing your work as a business
- A nonprofit, community, or economic development leader
- A business support professional serving rural entrepreneurs
- A woman in the Startup Colorado community looking for deeper connection
- Someone who has attended RWE meetups and is ready to gather in person
You do not need to be at a specific stage of business to attend. You simply need to be open to reflection, connection, and showing up in community.
A RETREAT SHAPED BY THE WOMEN WHO ATTEND
The agenda for this weekend will be intentionally responsive to the women who sign up.
After you register, you’ll receive a series of thoughtful questionnaires about what you’re navigating, what you’re craving, and what kind of support would feel most useful heading into the end of the year. Your responses will shape the conversations, sessions, and rhythm of the weekend. The retreat will reflect what this particular group of women actually needs.
The tone will center around wellness, contemplation, and business resetting. Think less keynote, more campfire.
We’ll also offer five scholarship spots for women who’d like to lead a session: a guided practice, a conversation, a creative exercise, whatever feels aligned with the spirit of the weekend. Scholarship recipients receive $50 off their ticket price. You’ll be able to indicate your interest when you register.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Over the course of the weekend, we’ll make space for:
- Intentional conversations with women from rural communities across Colorado
- Lightly facilitated reflection and planning sessions
- Shared meals and informal connection time
- Wellness, rest, and time outdoors
- Honest conversations about business, leadership, life, and sustainability
- Space to think about what you want to grow, shift, or release before the end of the year
The schedule will be intentionally spacious. You’ll have opportunities to connect with the full group, spend time in smaller conversations, and take quiet time for yourself.
The weekend will carry you from arrival and first connections on Friday evening, through a full day of gathering, reflection, and shared meals on Saturday, to a gentle closing Sunday morning — ending with a communal soak at Joyful Journeys Hot Springs before everyone heads home.
LOCATION
Steel Horse | Villa Grove, Colorado
The retreat will take place at Steel Horse, the flagship location of The Colorado Retreat Co., located in Villa Grove, Colorado, about 35 minutes south of Salida.
Steel Horse is a privately owned, mountain-view retreat property on 17.5 peaceful acres in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The property includes onsite accommodations, indoor and outdoor gathering spaces, a rustic barn, outdoor seating areas, a fire pit, a railcar lounge, and a caterer’s kitchen. The venue is designed for intimate multi-day gatherings and retreats.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Our program design serves two purposes: to keep the retreat affordable and accessible to everyone; and foster meaningful connections.
Every attendee will share a room with one other woman. We think of this as a feature, not a compromise. Some of the best conversations of the weekend will happen in those quiet moments before sleep or over morning coffee with your roommate.
We’ll help you make that pairing intentional. When you register, you’ll have the option to request a specific roommate, or let us know a little about yourself and we’ll make a thoughtful match. No one will be randomly assigned without care.
CHOOSE YOUR SPACE
Attendees can choose between lodging styles, depending on availability. Early registration gives you the best chance of getting your first choice.
Indoor Lodge Room A private guest room with a queen bed, sofa pullout, private bathroom, linens, towels, toiletries, mini-fridge, coffee machine, filtered water, and satellite TV. Steel Horse has six beautifully appointed guest rooms.
Heated Glamping Geodome (nestled in the aspens) A cozy geodome with a queen bed plus twin option, linens, towels, filtered water, solar-powered lighting and phone charging, heater, and heated blanket. Geodome guests use nearby shared bathroom and shower facilities.
RV Hookup Prefer to bring your own camper? Full-hookup RV sites are available with pull-through access, mountain views, 30- or 50-amp power, water, and sewer connection.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
Your retreat registration includes:
- Two nights of lodging at Steel Horse
- Shared meals throughout the weekend
- Facilitated retreat sessions shaped by your input
- Wellness and reflection activities
- Informal connection time with rural women entrepreneurs and leaders from across Colorado
- A curated gift, personalized just for you
PRICING
We are intentionally keeping this retreat as affordable as possible while covering lodging, shared meals, programming, and retreat costs.
| Lodging Option | Early Bird (through June 30) |
Starting July 1 |
Starting August 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indoor Lodge Room | $600 | $650 | $700 |
| Heated Glamping Geodome | $500 | $550 | $600 |
| RV Hookup | $400 | $450 | $500 |
A non-refundable $300 deposit is required to reserve your spot. The remaining balance is due by September 1, 2026, which is also the final day to sign up.
MEET THE ORGANIZERS
Vanessa McCrann
Vanessa McCrann is the Managing Director of Startup Colorado and the founder of the Rural Women in Entrepreneurship community, which she has been hosting as a monthly virtual gathering since August 2021. She was the Lead Organizer of West Slope Startup Week in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and serves as the Fun! Track Captain for WSSW26.
Vanessa approaches gathering with intention. She follows the principles laid out in Priya Parker’s The Art of Gathering, which holds that a truly good gathering is designed around a specific purpose and the specific people in the room. That philosophy shapes everything about how this retreat is built.
Christina Christian
Christina Christian is the owner of Steel Horse and Vanessa’s co-organizer for the RWE Retreat. She purchased the Steel Horse property in 2022 and has since developed it into one of Colorado’s most thoughtfully designed retreat spaces for intimate gatherings.
Before Steel Horse, Christina spent several years at Techstars leading retreats and support programs for entrepreneurs around the world. She is a community builder at heart, with a deep commitment to supporting founders, creating experiences that stick, and building the kinds of spaces where real connections happen. She brings that same care to everything she does at Steel Horse.
HOW WE'LL CLOSE THE WEEKEND
We couldn’t think of a better way to end a retreat about rest and renewal than with warm water and open sky.
On Sunday, we’ll make our way to Joyful Journeys Hot Springs, just a short drive from Steel Horse, for a final soak together before everyone heads home. It’s an unhurried, restorative close to the weekend — and honestly, it might be where some of the best conversations happen.
READY TO JOIN US?
Reserve your spot for the first Rural Women in Entrepreneurship Retreat.
Early Bird tickets start at $400. Indoor lodge room Early Bird pricing is $600 through June 30th. A $300 non-refundable deposit is required to register.
ABOUT RURAL WOMEN IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Rural Women in Entrepreneurship (RWE) is a monthly virtual gathering inside the Startup Colorado Community. Since 2021, this group has created space for women entrepreneurs, business owners, creatives, and community leaders across Colorado to connect, share resources, and support each other through the realities of rural business-building.
The RWE Retreat is a new in-person extension of that community.
RETREAT FAQS
How many women will attend?
We’re aiming to host 16–20 women — small enough to feel intimate, large enough to meet someone unexpected.
Will I have my own room?
Every woman will have her own bed, and we’ll limit each room to two women. If you’re coming with a friend and want to room together, just let us know when you sign up. Have a group of three? We have options for that too — reach out and we’ll figure it out together.
Can I choose my roommate?
Yes. When you register, you’ll have the option to request a specific roommate. If you’re coming solo, tell us a little about yourself and we’ll make a thoughtful match.
What lodging options are available?
You can choose between an indoor guest room, a heated glamping geodome, or an RV hookup. Indoor rooms include private bathrooms. Geodomes are heated and cozy but use shared bathroom facilities nearby. RV hookup sites are available at a discounted ticket price.
Can I choose between an indoor room and a glamping dome?
Yes, while space is available. Indicate your preference when you sign up — we’ll honor choices until one option fills, so early registration has its advantages.
Are the glamping domes heated?
Yes. Each dome includes a heater and heated blanket. They don’t have private bathrooms; guests use shared facilities nearby. Learn more at The Colorado Retreat Co.
Do I need to be a member of Startup Colorado to attend?
No — this retreat is open to any woman in Colorado who is building, leading, or supporting a business. If you’re not already part of the Startup Colorado community, we’d love to introduce you.
Do I need to have attended an RWE meetup before?
Not at all — but if you haven’t joined us for a monthly meetup yet, we’d love to see you at one before October. It’s a great way to get a feel for the community you’ll be gathering with in person, and our meetups are free and easy to drop into.
What is the payment schedule?
A $300 non-refundable deposit is due when you register. The remaining balance is due by September 1, 2026.
What happens if I need to cancel?
The $300 deposit is non-refundable. However, if we don’t reach minimum attendance by September 1st, we will refund your deposit in full.
Are there scholarships?
We’re offering five $50 scholarship tickets for women who’d like to lead a session during the retreat. You’ll be able to indicate your interest when you register.
What kind of sessions will happen at the retreat?
The agenda will be shaped by the women who sign up. After registration, you’ll receive a series of questionnaires to help us understand what you’re navigating and what you’re craving. Those responses will guide the programming, and the final agenda will be shared with attendees by mid-September.
When does registration close?
Registration closes September 1, 2026 — or earlier if spots fill.
Where is Steel Horse?
Steel Horse is located in Villa Grove, Colorado, about 35 minutes south of Salida — a privately owned mountain-view property with onsite accommodations, indoor and outdoor gathering spaces, and a caterer’s kitchen.