Girls Run Missoula

“The SBDC supported the transformation of my business plan into a successful, COVID-19operational, and highly functioning program for young women in Missoula.”

Angela Bridegam, Owner

After working decades in the field of domestic and sexual violence, Angela Bridegamreturned to school at the University of Montana to pursue hermaster’sdegreein PublicAdministration and Nonprofit Management. While in graduate school, Angela created abusiness plan for GoRun Missoula, originally called Girls Run Missoula, to give young girlsthe skills and confidence to avoid adverse experiences throughouttheir lives. The businessplan focused on teen dating violence, suicide, substance abuse, eating disorders, andmental health challenges to name a few.

The Missoula community was experiencing its first full swing of the COVID pandemic whenAngela graduated. Which high anxiety, fear of the unknown, and the stress of both teachingand mothering her children, Angela looked to her Girls Run Missoula (GRM) business planas a response to growing challenges around safe childcare and made an appointment withthe Missoula SBDC.

Her interaction with the SBDC started at a very basic level. This included referrals to legalsupport, tax information, processes to register through the state as a business, insuranceand budget creation. Further assistance included cash flow projections, options for hiringemployees, and suggestions for how to move through transitional periods as the businessgrows. The SBDC provided moral support when addressing the uncertainty of running abusiness in a pandemic.

Knowing she needed to actfast, Angela created a pilot program to see if her dream couldbecome a reality. With the support of COVID Specialist Christine Littig, Angela hassuccessfully completed a pilot program and fully launched Girls Run Missoula. In a shorttime GRM has seen 200% growth in participation numbers between the 2ndand 3rdseason,and again between the 3rdand 4thseason. The assistance in fine-tuning GRM marketingstrategies drew the attention and support of a year-long sponsorship by Toyota and otherindividual donors.

By many measures, girls are excelling like never before, and yet their anxiety anddepression levels are higher than ever. Girls Run Missoula creates an opportunity to changethis treand by instilling protective factors such as social connection, concrete supportnetworks, and social and emotional competence. While GRM is still focused on thoseinitial business plan goals, GRM is also aware that the program is creating an environmentand support system that is helping young women find focus, strengthand mental fitness(as well as physical) during the COVID pandemic.