How Women Are Thriving in Williston, North Dakota

Exhale Yoga

Thanks to the oil fields that helped put Williston on the map, many people believe that the city has a population mostly made up of men that lacks things that appeal to women. But Brookelle Otte, president and CEO of the Williston Area Chamber of Commerce, says that couldn’t be further from the truth. Otte grew up in Windsor, a small community in Colorado, before studying entrepreneurship at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. It was there that she met her fiancé, who is from Williston. Otte moved to the city in January 2024 after finding her job at the chamber.  

Small-Town Feel and Entrepreneurial Spirit

I love the small-town feel of Williston, and what has surprised me and has been really endearing is how many unique mom-and-pop shops there are here. There’s a lot of entrepreneurial spirit in Williston, which I really resonate with.

One thing I found really interesting is that there are a lot of women-owned businesses here, which I didn’t realize until I had integrated into the community a bit more. That’s really awesome to me. The community here is so strong.

One thing I’ve noticed about Williston is that people here are very friendly; they’re very eager to make connections and help you connect with people. Everyone wants everyone to feel safe and happy, and that’s a little different than some of the other places that I’ve lived before. I feel like as soon as I moved here, people were welcoming me with open arms, and that’s an awesome feeling.

Fitness, Friends, and Finding Your Niche in Williston

There’s a lot for women to do here. There’s a yoga studio near my office that I go to all the time and a pink-gloves boxing class at the Williston Area Recreation Center (ARC), where I also go to swim classes.

Fitness is one of my core values, and it has been a great way for me to find other women in the community and make friends. Every class I’ve taken at the ARC, I’ve gotten to know people and made new friends. I have found a lot of connections that way. I have friends who take art classes at The James Memorial Art Center. We have great coffee shops, great boutiques. There’s a lot to do; it just takes a little looking.

Organizations and Events in Williston

Truthfully, working at the chamber quickly integrated me into the community, and that was a great help. For anyone moving here, the chamber is a great way to get involved. There’s the Chamber Ambassadors committee, Williston Professionals Network, and other initiatives to get people to move here and get integrated in the community. We have a relocation concierge who takes people on a tour to learn about what’s in Williston. You can meet new people on the tour. Being in the chamber has put me at the center of everything going on here in Williston. I’ve gotten to meet new people in the community, and that’s been so beneficial to me.

The Williston Downtowners Association puts on Summer Nights on Main, which is every Thursday during the summer, and they have food trucks and live music. I swear the whole town shows up, that’s great to go to. The chamber puts on a Women in Leadership Expo every other year, and that’s coming up, which is a great way to meet other women. We have a farmers’ market in the summer. I love to go and meet people there. There’s a little shop downtown called Cooks on Main that offers cooking classes, and I’ve met people through that. There are so many events here.