Rural Pathways Wins Top Award at National Summit
DULUTH, MN, UNITED STATES, September 15, 2025 — Rural Pathways, a women-owned consultancy based in Duluth, MN, in partnership with Shawntel Gruba, owner and director of Iron Range Tykes Learning Center in Mountain Iron, MN, has been awarded the prestigious “Wings of Innovation” Platinum Award at TOOTRiS’ inaugural Wind Beneath Your Wings Summit, held September 8–10, 2025, in San Diego, CA.
The Summit convened Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) agencies, providers, and innovators nationwide to introduce new technologies, share best practices, and foster collaboration in support of caregivers, families, and child care providers. The event culminated in the “Wings of Innovation” competition, where attendees voted for solutions demonstrating bold, scalable approaches to advancing child care.
Together, Rural Pathways and Iron Range Tykes developed the Enhanced Two-Tier Provider Partnership Model, which stood out among six national finalists—including Child Care Aware of Missouri, Child Care Aware of Kentucky, Mountain Heart South CCR&R, PATCH Hawaii, and Child Care Aware of Kansas—to secure the top honor. The model leverages Section 45F Employer-Provided Child Care Tax Credits to bring new private dollars into the child care sector. By partnering directly with child care center owners and providers, the model ensures professional, living-wage compensation for staff while creating sustainable funding streams and expanding access for families.
“This recognition affirms what we see in communities every day: rural childcare providers are innovators, and with the right tools and partnerships, they can transform access to high-quality, sustainable care,” said Staci Gilpin, co-founder and co-owner of Rural Pathways. “Working alongside Shawntel Gruba and Iron Range Tykes has been instrumental in designing and proving this model.”
“This award is a testament to what’s possible when providers and partners work together,” added Shawntel Gruba, Owner/Director of Iron Range Tykes Learning Center. “By leveraging partnerships and employer investment, we can ensure providers like me—and our staff—are supported at living-wage levels, while families can AFFORD stable, high-quality care they need.”
TOOTRiS, the nation’s leading real-time, cloud-based child care platform, launched the Wind Beneath Your Wings Summit to elevate CCR&Rs and providers as they navigate mounting challenges in affordability, access, and workforce retention. More than $10,000 in prizes were awarded to finalists, underscoring the urgency and importance of innovative solutions.
With this recognition, Rural Pathways will continue expanding partnerships across Minnesota and beyond, advancing employer-provider collaboration models to address one of the nation’s most pressing workforce and economic challenges: access to affordable, high-quality child care.
For more information about the child care tax credits, visit our FAQ post here and download a two-page overview from the First Five Years Fund here.
Are you a rural business owner? Download our two-page guide to the child care tax incentives here.
Want to talk with us about how these tax credits can work for you? Contact us here or email us.