OCT NIBJ: North Idaho conference helps women take charge of financial futures

Gathered around a dining room table, Teresa Irish and a group of women began planning what would become a financial conference for women in North Idaho.

Two years later, and with over 800 lives impacted, the committee of North Idaho Women and Their Money now realizes that simple table talk has transformed the way women approach financial conversations in Idaho.  

“I invited a few people to my house — the treasurer and three women I invited — and we just grew into a committee. And, gosh, I think it was only eight months later that we hosted our first event, our inaugural conference,” Irish said. 

The conference was prompted by state treasurer Julie Ellsworth, who shares a passion for informing women on financial literacy, according to Irish.  

What began as a small planning effort has grown into an event designed to make financial information approachable, practical and available close to home. 

The free, one-day event features an array of booths and workshops to cover financial topics, available to women from any walk of life. Topics vary from estate planning, investing 101, raising a credit score, learning how to afford a house in North Idaho, business assistance, and more.  

“41-to-42% of our attendees were from single-income households, and 56% reported that the female was the primary income earner for their household,” Irish said. “It’s the number of women who are the primary head of households that are juggling work, family, money, life decisions, and this is a place they can come to find a lot of those answers.” 

Irish said the conference aims to bridge a gap for women who are seeking financial knowledge, where the information is otherwise not widely available.  

It’s a place to get answers, Irish said when describing the event. On top of the variety of booths, available resources, and 18 different breakout sessions, the conference is a “no sales zone,” where exhibitors are limited to non-profits and state departments instead of commercial entities.  

“No one comes promoting their own companies or anything, it’s just purely about the day of providing women with great financial literacy opportunities and actionable takeaways that they can apply to their lives going forward, moving on to the next steps for themselves and their families,” Irish said.  

Irish said making the conference free was an easy and important decision. She said the conference should be accessible to everyone, regardless of income.  

All women are welcome to the NIWATM conference, with the last two years seeing attendees between the ages of 15 and 85 years old.  

Next year’s conference is scheduled for June 9, 2027, at North Idaho College with a maximum attendance of 550 women. At the time of publishing, an announcement for the upcoming keynote speaker has yet to be released. 

    The second annual North Idaho Women and Their Money Conference wrapped up Tuesday afternoon with the presentation of $1,000 North Idaho College scholarships to 40 attendees.