Today we’d like to introduce you to Rural Pathways Staci Gilpin PhD & Charity Anderson PhD
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Staci: I’ve been passionate about teaching for as long as I can remember. Growing up on a small grain and livestock farm in rural Northwest Iowa, I was that kid who would line up my younger siblings and play “school,” creating lesson plans and worksheets and always jumping at the chance to be the teacher. That early spark led me into K-12 education, but I soon realized there was more to my professional calling than a traditional classroom. Alongside teaching, I felt the pull toward entrepreneurship—an idea that first began percolating during a business course I took at the University of Iowa. Even though I sometimes felt out of place (my graduating high school class was only 29 students!), I never let go of that dream.
Eventually, I decided to honor both my love of teaching and my entrepreneurial instincts by building something of my own. I wanted to fuse my creativity with my commitment to rural communities. From that vision, Rural Pathways was born in May 2024, co-founded with my good friend and business partner, Charity. She grew up in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, and while her adult life has taken her to big cities like New York and Chicago, her rural roots run deep. We’re both social scientists who left our positions in higher education to embark on this journey together. Neither of us had formal business training, so we leaned on mentors every step of the way and agreed we wanted a social enterprise that felt bold, brilliant, and sustainable—one that mirrors our core values of equity, ease, and impact.
Getting Rural Pathways off the ground wasn’t always smooth or straightforward. At one point, we weren’t sure whether to form a nonprofit or an LLC. A conversation with Teresa Kittridge, founder of 100 Rural Women, introduced us to the concept of a social enterprise. Once Charity and I dug into what that meant, we knew it was exactly the path we wanted to take. Today, Rural Pathways is an LLC that donates at least 10% of its profits to the communities we serve. Our staff of 11 is made up of accomplished women from diverse backgrounds, and everything we do is guided by our moral compass rather than a “do more, make more” mindset. We want our work—and the life it affords us—to reflect the values we hold, especially when it comes to supporting rural areas.
One of the most rewarding aspects of this journey has been listening to our constituents—rural school leaders, nonprofits, and community members—and crafting our services around their feedback. Initially, we thought we’d step in with brand-new solutions, but what people really wanted was help growing what they already had in motion. Out of that realization, capacity-building became our niche, and we serve as fractional professionals, becoming part of our clients’ teams to move projects forward in meaningful ways.
My path has been winding and sometimes uncertain, but I’ve learned to embrace risk. I’ve been the only woman in a room full of more seasoned professionals. I’ve battled imposter syndrome, questioned myself, and picked myself up after a few tumbles. But remembering my shy farm-girl roots and seeing how far I’ve come keeps me inspired. I’m grateful for the chance to shape a business that stays true to my beliefs, brings other talented women along for the ride, and supports rural communities in ways that are truly transformative—whether by creating more child care slots, helping local nonprofits thrive, or simply offering a fresh perspective on what’s possible.
Although neither Charity nor I currently live in what’s considered a rural area, we both feel like our journeys have come full circle through the work we do at Rural Pathways, reconnecting us with the people, places, and values that shaped who we are today.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Charity: Neither Staci nor I come from a traditional business background, so when we first started out, we struggled to gain our footing. We hadn’t yet connected with mentors who could guide us, and it showed. Once we finally found the right people to learn from, the doors really began to open. Clients started coming our way, and I realized how important it was to invest in our own growth. As a new venture with minimal income, it felt risky to spend money on things like branding and a website, but we knew it was crucial. Rural Pathways is a virtual business by design, which helps us keep overhead low and lets us meet with clients in the places they call home. Having a strong online presence makes all the difference in showing them what we stand for.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Charity: Rural Pathways is a women-owned social enterprise based in Duluth, Minnesota, dedicated to “bold strategies for quiet places.” Our mission is simple: to help rural economies grow and close the opportunity gap. We believe in the potential of rural areas and want to see them thrive. We recognize that living in a rural community is a choice, and we’re here to make that choice easier by offering services that address the unique challenges rural nonprofits, communities, and organizations face.
What We Do
Grant Writing and Fundraising
Storytelling for Success: Every organization has a powerful story that needs to be told. With our research background, we seamlessly weave data into compelling narratives, helping clients craft winning proposals, conduct prospect research, and manage grants so they can focus on their mission.
Accessible Services: We’re a fee-for-service LLC, but if funding is a challenge, we’ll help connect clients with potential funders who may be able to support their project.
Applied Research and Program Evaluation
Community-Centered Insights: By gathering feedback directly from the community, we ensure that programs and initiatives are truly meeting local needs.
Data That Drive Improvements: Our evaluations help clients demonstrate impact, maintain funding, and prove that their programs are worth continued investment.
Technical Assistance
Fractional Professionals and “Looking Good”: We step in as temporary team members—offering data analysis, stakeholder engagement, strategic planning, and professional development, so organizations can achieve more without overextending staff. From pitch decks for funders to targeted branding and storytelling, our goal is to make our clients look good and feel confident in front of key decision-makers.
Customized Solutions: Because every rural area has its own character, we tailor our technical assistance to fit each community’s specific goals and needs.
Collaborations and Community Impact
Child Care Access in Northeastern Minnesota: We’ve partnered with the Northland Foundation to expand child care availability in Northeastern Minnesota, working closely with providers and community leaders to ensure families have the support they need.
Securing a DEED Grant for Mapleton, Minnesota: We’re especially proud of securing a large DEED (Department of Employment and Economic Development) grant for the community of Mapleton in southern Minnesota. This funding will help create additional child care slots by building a Child Care House on an infill lot left vacant after a fire. Our collaboration with The Business of Child Care, an organization whose mission aligns closely with ours, has been vital in making this project a reality.
What Sets Us Apart
Social Enterprise Model: Unlike traditional businesses focused solely on profit, we balance financial sustainability with a mission to address societal challenges. Each year, we reinvest at least 10% of our profits into the communities we serve—funding projects and programs that directly benefit rural areas.
Virtual by Design: Our remote structure keeps overhead low, allowing us to pass cost savings along to our clients and meet them where they are. We value authentic, on-the-ground connections in the communities we serve.
Diverse Network of Affiliates: Our team includes a wide range of professionals from various fields. This extensive network means we have specialized expertise on hand for everything from community engagement and digital access to workforce development and resource alignment.
Deep Rural Roots: Both of us have firsthand experience with rural living; we know the challenges and assets of these areas because we’ve lived them. That’s why our work is laser-focused on implementing sustainable, community-driven solutions in places often overlooked or misunderstood.
Our Brand and Values
Bold, Innovative Strategies: We believe rural areas deserve forward-thinking approaches to problems like child care, housing, health care, workforce development, and education.
Access: By offering fractional services and bridging critical resource gaps, we help rural nonprofits and communities forge their own paths.
Mission Over “More”: Profit isn’t our only bottom line. Our true measure of success lies in how effectively we can help organizations thrive and enrich the communities they serve.
What We’re Most Proud Of
From expanding child care options in northeastern Minnesota to creating an innovative Child Care House in Mapleton, our work is about more than just projects—it’s about strengthening local economies, supporting the people who live in rural areas, and making rural life as fulfilling and opportunity-rich as anywhere else. When clients partner with Rural Pathways, they’re not just accessing grant writing or research services; they’re joining a movement to redefine what’s possible in rural America.
Staci: If you’re ready to build bold strategies in your own quiet corner of the world—and be great while doing it—we’re here to help you every step of the way. We’re passionate about giving back and supporting other academics as they venture into the realm of entrepreneurship. Ella Epshteyn, the founder of Attecs LLC and a former higher education professional, has been a key mentor for me throughout this journey. One of her many specialties is helping academics package and monetize their knowledge, and her feedback has been invaluable to me.
Last year, Ella launched YouAreHigherED, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting entrepreneurial educators and academics exploring career paths beyond higher education. When she invited me to join the board, I eagerly embraced the opportunity to help others navigate their own transitions.
This spring, Charity and I are excited to partner with YouAreHigherED to facilitate a free grant writing workshop for academics interested in leveraging their research and writing skills to support nonprofit organizations. We want to help others see the realm of possibilities.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Charity: From my perspective, flexibility is the most vital quality behind Rural Pathways’ success. Our clients know their own needs better than anyone. Our job is to listen attentively and adapt to what they truly want, rather than impose a rigid “solution.” That’s where our shared sense of humor comes in, too. Staying lighthearted and even-tempered helps us roll with unexpected changes and maintain good relationships under pressure.
I also can’t overstate the importance of my diverse lived experiences—growing up in rural Appalachia, then living and working in urban areas like New York, Chicago, and Seattle. Having navigated such different worlds has given me a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities that exist in rural areas, and it’s made me more open-minded in finding creative solutions. The same for Staci growing up in rural Northwest Iowa. We talk about the impact of these lived experiences on our work all the time. All these elements together—flexibility, humor, and exposure to a variety of cultures and communities—form the backbone of how we approach success in this work.
Pricing:
- Staci: We operate on a fee-for-service model and work with organizations of all sizes and budgets. We do not charge clients by the hour. Instead, we use project-based pricing. If funding is limited for a potential client, we can tap into our network of nonprofit partners to help secure the resources they need, ensuring that cost doesn’t become a barrier to achieving their goals.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ruralpathways.org
- Instagram: @ruralpathways
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Rural-Pathways/61564582425169/?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rural-pathways/
- Other: [email protected]
Image Credits
All color photos (except the photo of the Rural Pathways table) are by Kayley Spencer Photography – https://kayleyspencerphotography.pixieset.com/
Black and white photo by Michaela Rai – https://whatwesawstories.com/
Color photo of Rural Pathways table by Staci Gilpin
