Inside The Collective: September Wins, Events & What’s Next
Written by Mandy Krickhahn, Collective Founder & CEO // September 2025
September is bringing the kind of energy we live for: collaborative, bold, and unapologetically driven.
From awesome collabs to big wins, our entire Collective community has been showing up, growing businesses, creating change, and doing it all while lifting each other up, and we are absolutely here for it.
Let’s start with some exciting news…THE NEW WEBSITE IS LAUNCHING NEXT MONTH.
That’s right, our fresh new site is launching soon, and it’s built with our members in mind. We’re talking streamlined logins, better functionality, easier access to perks, and a cleaner, faster space to show off what makes this community so special. We’ve been working hard behind the scenes to make this a game-changer (and we can't wait to celebrate the occasion with you all 😉).
SAVE THE DATE: Website Launch Party on Tuesday October 28th
We’re throwing a bash to celebrate this exciting new chapter, and members are invited to bring a plus one! Come connect with fellow members, raise a toast to everything we’ve built together, and get a sneak peek at the new site that you’re going to love!!!
September Member Events
If you’re not plugging into member events yet, this is your sign. We’ve got some bangers this month:
Wellness & Mimosas (Members Only) - Thursday, September 18th at Up4Movement with TC Member, Katrina Faye Jackson. Join us for networking, a studio tour and optional beginners pilates class. (Members can RSVP in the member dashboard.)
Money Mindset Workshop (Members Only) - Wednesday, September 24th at Duneland Pottery with TC Member, Alex Ferreira. Come through to get real about finances, build better habits, and stop letting money stress run the show. (Members can RSVP in the member dashboard.)
National Coffee Day (Open to Public) - Monday, September 29th at FLUID Coffee in Crown Point - We’ll be celebrating because what better way to honor this sacred day than with community, caffeine, and connection? Come hang out, say hi, and sip something strong with fellow members. (RSVP Here)
NWIIWA Awards Banquet on September 25th (hosted by the NWIIWA)
We’re ridiculously proud to share that SIX of our members are finalists at this year’s Northwest Indiana Influential Women Awards!
If that’s not proof that Collective Members are leading the way in business and impact—we don’t know what is. Help us cheer them (and all the incredible nominees) on as we count down to the big event!
Our finalists include:
Julie West, Founder of the Play for Jake Foundation
Lauren Peters, Owner of Fringe + Ink
Jeny Burkhart, Owner of Waxi Taxi
Lauren Najar, Owner of Lauren Najar Coaching
Sami Welter, Owner of Ella Jayms
…and me!
What an absolute honor to be nominated alongside these powerhouse women. We’ll be celebrating every step of the way, stay tuned!
Farmed & Forged Final Month
We’re in the final month of the 2025 Farmed & Forged season and are closing it out strong. It’s been an incredible summer with over $15,000 in SNAP benefits redeemed in La Porte County. That's a real impact for families, farmers, and our local economy & food system.
And don’t miss our Farmed to Fork weekend on September 13th in Michigan City and September 14th in La Porte. Some of our members will even be putting on cooking demonstrations!
Burn ‘Em Brewing
The Red Door
The Heron Bistro
Expect demos, delicious samples, and lots of local flavor all weekend long.
Hey Members, want to be featured in our next newsletter?
Don’t forget, member features are one of your perks. Share your wins, upcoming events, collabs, or product launches and we’ll include it in our monthly newsletter that hits over 1,500 inboxes. You deserve the spotlight.
This community is stacked with doers, dreamers, risk-takers, and change-makers, and September is your month to shine. Let’s keep building something bold together.
Hope to see you at the next event,
🖤 Mandy
