Photos: Chris Emeott
The Women Collective is a retail experience by and for women.
Amelia Reigstad began 2024 with a word of the year: purpose.
A former strategic communications professor at the University of Minnesota with a Ph.D. in gender communication, Reigstad had spent the previous four years running her professional development and training company. But she was ready for more. “I wanted to align myself and my work with more meaningful, purposeful initiatives,” she says.
In September, Reigstad opened The Women Collective in downtown White Bear Lake. It’s a curated retail space for women, showcasing a collection of products from women-owned businesses across North America. The intention is to build an empowering retail shopping experience that supports women on all sides.
“Women have smiles on their faces, or they’re laughing in the corner [at] our sassy products … It’s a happy, purposeful space,” Reigstad says.
Reigstad hatched the idea in April 2024. She got the keys to the building in June and opened to the public in September. While Reigstad’s initial concept was a flower shop—a symbol of growth and change—she says, “In retrospect, it’s exactly what it should have been.”
The store offers bags, blankets, books, candles, makeup, skin care products and more. And there’s still a flower element. “We have a build-your-own flower bouquet bar,” Reigstad says. “The flowers are locally sourced, and it’s one of my favorite parts of the store.”
The Women Collective is more than a retail space—it’s also home to a development, training and event space that allows Reigstad to host community gatherings and workshops. One such event is Reigstad’s Women Empowerment Series, a program focused on improving women’s communication skills and navigating professional topics like negotiating salaries.
Reigstad started this series during COVID-19, following the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, former associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. “I wanted to do something that would continue her legacy … to encourage women to use their voice to initiate change,” Reigstad says.
At The Women Collective, Reigstad’s guiding question is: “What brings women joy?” Whether it’s a vibrant lipstick, funky pair of earrings, fragrant lotion or a fresh bouquet of flowers, Reigstad hopes to spread happiness and empower women. “So much of what fills my cup is creating these cool opportunities for women and uplifting them and giving them a platform to shine,” Reigstad says.
Born in Abbotsford in British Columbia, Canada, Reigstad’s journey to White Bear Lake is intertwined with her love story. Her husband, Jared Reigstad, grew up here, and Reigstad joined him when the couple tied the knot in 2012. “White Bear is home now,” she says, adding that she wouldn’t want to open The Women Collective anywhere else.
“There’s a lot of women here, and there’s a lot of other moms who are all raising our kids here,” Reigstad says. “They need a fun space to just be them, step outside their day-to-day … and spend some time with other women.”
Hello Ms. Perfect
On January 14, Amelia Reigstad released her second book Hello Ms. Perfect: Navigating the Path of Perfection and Claiming Your Identity.
Hello Ms. Perfect: Navigating the Path of Perfection and Claiming Your Identity
“It’s about all the patriarchal, societal and personal pressures that women feel in all these different areas of their life,” Reigstad says.
Each chapter covers a different role: daughter, sister, wife, mother, stepmother, lover, caregiver, etc. “It really is encouraging women to use their voice and buck the system,” Reigstad says.
The book is available at The Women Collective and on Amazon.
The Women Collective
4716 Highway 61 N.
Facebook: The Women Collective – White Bear Lake
Instagram: @thewomencollective_wbl
