Women in Snow
Leadership Retreat
Influential Encounters is hosting an intimate leadership retreat for women in snow and ice. One full day of world-class hands-on training at Storm Academy. Two days of curated programming, chef-prepared meals, lakefront accommodations, and the kind of connection that only happens when bold women share the same space and unite for the betterment of ourselves, our companies, and our industries.
Who This Is For
Women working in snow and ice operations looking to advance their career
Women in office or leadership roles supporting snow teams
Business owners investing in operational understanding and skill development
Experience levels: beginner to expert
What You’ll Learn
Equipment operation fundamentals across plows, loaders, skid steers, sidewalk equipment, and deicing technology
How equipment setup, technique, and conditions affect performance
Clearer understanding of snow operations from start to finish
What included
All Storm Academy training and hands-on instruction
Lodging at a private lakefront retreat home
All meals prepared by an in-house chef, plus on-site hospitality throughout the experience
Dedicated time to learning as well as ample time for connection building
The Experience
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Day One: Arrive and Connect
You will arrive at a private lakefront home on Madison Lake in southern Minnesota. The evening is yours. Welcome drinks, a chef-prepared dinner, time around the fire. Influential Encounters facilitates the room so that by the time the first day ends, you already know the women around you.
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Day Two: Train
A full day at Storm Academy in Mankato, Minnesota. Hands-on equipment operation, classroom instruction, and seat time across plows, loaders, skid steers, sidewalk equipment, and deicing technology. Every attendee gets time on the equipment regardless of experience level. That evening, a facilitated debrief back at the lake house turns a day of training into a leadership conversation.
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Day Three: Integrate
The morning is designed to help you take everything you learned and identify what changes when you go home. Curated programming, connection time, and space to think before departures in the afternoon.
Where You’ll Stay
The retreat takes place at a private lakefront home off the shores of Madison Lake, Minnesota. Set on two wooded acres with floor-to-ceiling windows, multiple decks, a fire pit, and direct lake access, the home was chosen because it creates the conditions for a retreat to actually work: space to breathe, room to gather, and an environment built for connection.
Large open gathering areas support group sessions and shared meals. Smaller spaces throughout the home offer room for quieter conversations and downtime. The outdoor spaces, including the fire pit and lake access, become natural gathering points between sessions.
Thank You to our Training Host and partner!
Our Training Partner and Amplification Sponsor
Storm Equipment was one of the first companies to believe in Influential Encounters when our mission to support women in male-majority industries was still taking shape. Their early support helped turn a vision into a growing community.
Storm Equipment is a national distributor and support provider for snow and ice management equipment, supplying plows and related solutions and backing contractors with parts access, warranty support, and operational expertise. That commitment to education and skill development led them to open the Storm Academy training pad in Mankato, Minnesota to our community, making possible the first women-only, multi-day hands-on snow training experience of its kind.
In this retreat, Storm Equipment serves as our training host and Amplification Partner. Their Amplification Partnership strengthens the in-room experience through audio and visual support at select events, and extends our reach through professional videography that carries the learning and stories of this community far beyond those in attendance. Their continued belief in this work is something we do not take for granted.