Xcelerate’s new Digital Marketing Peer Group is a focused, small-group learning experience for women business owners who are actively exploring ways to grow their digital marketing knowledge and online presence. From brand positioning and social media strategy, to AI-powered search, paid advertising, and media outreach, you will gain practical tools and expertise to build a digital marketing strategy that will strengthen your brand, improve your online presence, and help you reach more customers. 

Through generous funding from the City of Portland’s Bureau of Planning & Sustainability (BPS) and the U.S Small Business Administration (SBA), this is a low-cost, limited time opportunity to access professional, hands-on digital marketing expertise to grow your brand. 

Sessions will be facilitated by Xcelerate coach, Jen McFarland of Women Conquer Business, with two focused Skills Intensives led by expert coaches Kathy Presto and Mallory Pilcher to deepen strategic learning during the six-session term.

Applications open November 13, 2026 and remain open through December 9, 2026. Groups begin in early January.

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The Curriculum 

Xcelerate’s Digital Marketing Peer Group combines strategic guidance, practical skill-building, and peer accountability to help you move your business forward. Together, you'll explore:

• ‍Marketing strategy: Identify your business goals, set realistic priorities, and build a 90-day marketing plan that fits your capacity.
• Brand and messaging: Strengthen your positioning, develop your personal brand, and communicate what makes your business distinct.
• Social media and content: Choose the right platforms, develop content ideas, and create a sustainable social media strategy.
• SEO and online visibility: Improve how customers discover your business through search engines, AI-powered search, and Google Business Profile.
• Growth marketing: Explore paid advertising, media outreach, and other opportunities to expand your reach.
• Peer learning and accountability: Exchange ideas, share resources, troubleshoot challenges, and stay accountable to your goals.

You'll leave with practical tools, actionable takeaways, and a clear 90-day digital marketing action plan.

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Who This Is For

The Digital Marketing Peer Group is designed for women and gender-expansive business owners and/or their team members who:

• Have a business registered in Oregon.
• Have a foundational understanding of digital marketing and are ready to build on their existing knowledge.
• Have a product or service on the market, or are gaining traction with a go-to-market plan.
• Want to strengthen their brand, expand their online presence, and reach more customers through strategic marketing.
• Are ready to show up, share ideas, take action, and invest in their business's growth.

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Winter 2027 Program Overview

Term: January–March 2027
Meeting Day: Tuesdays
Meeting Time: 1:00–3:00 PM 

• Jan 12: Marketing That Fits: Priorities, Capacity, and Realistic Expectations
• Jan 26: Becoming the Face of Your Business: Brand, Personal Brand, Earned Attention, and AI as Your Marketing Thinking Partner
• Feb 9: Skills Intensive: Social Media Content Strategy
• Feb 23: Getting Found: SEO, AI Search, Media Outreach, and What's Changed
• Mar 9: Skills Intensive: Growth Marketing and Paid Ads
• Mar 23: Earned Attention and the Next 90 Days: Publicity, Media Outreach, and Your Plan

Location: VIDA Coworking, Portland
Group Size: 6–12 participants
Session Length: Opening and closing sessions are two hours; all other sessions are 90 minutes.
Financial Investment: $299 for the three-month term (less than $50 per session). Payment plans and flexible sliding-scale pricing are available.
Membership: Active Xcelerate Membership required.

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Meet Your Facilitator(s)

Jen McFarland, Digital Marketing Strategist at Women Conquer Business

Jen brings extensive experience in strategic marketing and helping women business owners build sustainable, effective marketing strategies. Through practical guidance and thoughtful discussion, she'll help participants identify opportunities, strengthen their messaging, and make more intentional decisions about where to focus their marketing efforts. Her work has been featured in Forbes, Yahoo Finance, and the documentary Click the Link Below.

Specialized skills-intensive sessions will also be led by guest facilitators Kathy Presto (Growth Marketing and Paid Ads) and Mallory Pilcher (Social Media Content Strategy).

Kathy Presto brings 15 years of experience helping businesses grow through data-informed marketing, customer acquisition, website optimization, AI-powered marketing, and performance analytics.

Mallory Pilcher is a brand strategist and fractional marketing leader specializing in creative direction, customer experience, and digital marketing. With a background in psychology, she offers  a thoughtful, story-driven approach to building brands and developing multi-channel marketing strategies that support sustainable growth.

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*Accessible Pricing

We believe access to meaningful business support shouldn't be limited by your current financial circumstances. Our flexible sliding-scale pricing offers discounted pricing tiers as low as $149 (less than $25/per session), making peer mentorship more accessible to our community. 

Median household income standards are one way to measure your financial picture, and we encourage you to consider your finances holistically when choosing the tier that best fits your circumstances. Whether you're navigating financial hardship or have room in your budget to invest in your growth, there's an option designed to meet you where you are.

Want to learn more? Explore our sliding-scale pricing guide to understand the different investment levels and choose the option that works best for you.

→ Apply for the Digital Marketing Peer Group

Still have questions? Check out our FAQ or email Matea@xceleratewomen.org.

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