In November 2020, amidst a period of deep reflection, the journey of Full Stop. Bakery began. The founder, Sadie Stutzman, then a graduate student in Mechanical Engineering at CU, realized a need for change in her life trajectory. The desire to prioritize people and connections led to the pivot into the food industry. This shift was further fueled by the creation of The OG: Parm & Herb Sourdough Cracker, a collaborative effort with the founder's mother and sister.

Full Stop. Bakery specializes in artisanal sourdough crackers, offering a range of five savory and one sweet seasonal variety. These crackers are unique for their versatility, pairing well with wine or serving as a snack on hiking trails. The sourdough aspect not only adds a distinct taste but also benefits easier digestion and promotes a healthier gut biome.

The heart of Full Stop. lies in its people-centric approach. The founder cherishes the
connections made with customers, colleagues, and mentors, viewing these relationships as the core motivation behind the business. This focus on people has been a guiding force, inspiring the founder to envision their crackers bringing joy to various life moments. The journey of Full Stop. has seen significant progress. Starting as a home bakery, it evolved into a commissary kitchen, with a growing team dedicated to the founder's vision. The business has marked its growth through increased revenue, capacity expansion, and a widening customer base. Comfort zones are continuously challenged, paving the way for new phases of growth.

Sadie Stutzman’s participation in the Boulder SBDC's Leading Edge course in 2023 was a pivotal moment. With an engineering background, the course provided foundational business knowledge, networking opportunities, and a platform to develop an investor pitch. The guidance and mentorship from seasoned professionals at the SBDC have been invaluable, offering insights and support in navigating the business landscape.

For more info please visit: Boulder Bakery | Full Stop. Bakery | United States (fullstopbakery.com)

Sisters, Marta and Anna, began dreaming about starting a bilingual preschool together, while living in different countries in 2020. They were working in preschools and shared their experiences, views, and learnings with each other. They wanted to create a preschool that offered bilingual, quality education with a multicultural perspective. Marta and Anna’s dreams materialized into a project once they moved to Colorado and found a community to offer their child care services. In March 2023, Golden Aspen Bilingual Preschool was opened in Gunbarrel, Colorado.

The center is bilingual (Spanish/English) and follows a play-based education philosophy. Much of the program is based on Reggio Emilia's approach to early childhood education, and classrooms are mixed-age with children between 2 and 5 years. Multiculturalism is a strong component of the program, and the founders believe, “being exposed to different cultures enriches human beings”. Children are also provided with opportunities and tools for developing social-emotional skills in order to form healthy relationships.

At Golden Aspen Bilingual Preschool, children are offered a multicultural, quality education through an immersive, fun experience. The children are provided a safe environment to explore, learn Spanish, and grow among different cultures, races, nationalities, and backgrounds. The founders’ favorite aspects of their business are the interactions with the children and overall challenges and accomplishments that come with running a preschool. They are proud of the progress they have made along the way, “we started with a dream, and we now have a preschool”.

Marta and Anna first began working with the Boulder SBDC through its Spanish-language early childhood education provider training program and continue to participate in workshops and one-on-one advising sessions. They have received assistance with starting up, managing an early child care business, sales and marketing strategies, including best uses of social media, and other topics. Marta and Anna are grateful for the support they have received from the Boulder SBDC team and appreciate the variety of resources available at no cost, especially online and in Spanish, “SBDC has been accompanying us along the way, and it has been very helpful and a great support…They are very professional and supportive and have an amazing disposition to help small businesses”.
Golden Aspen Bilingual Preschool has found success in its receptivity in the Boulder County community and is looking forward to its future growth. After only 9 months of opening, the preschool had a waitlist and was set to its next classroom in 2024, “we are supporting the community, and the community of Boulder is supporting our growth; it has been an amazing journey! Thank you,
SBDC”.

For more info please visit: Golden Aspen Bilingual Preschool – Developing, playing, exploring, learning and sharing in a bilingual and multicultural environment.

After three years of infertility and miscarriages, Dr. Amy Beckley used her own science
expertise to uncover her own luteal phase defect - a problem with ovulation quality. With help from her doctor and a simple supplement, Amy was able to get pregnant with her daughter. After her experience, Amy started Proov, a series of at home fertility tests, supplements, and guides. She wanted to create a better way to conceive that was faster and less costly. Proov is dedicated to helping couples conceive and empower women at every stage of life to track their own hormones quickly and easily at home. Amy says her favorite part of her company is “seeing all the success stories and cute little babies Proov helped create.”

With the help of the Colorado TechSource program, Amy was able to apply for and be awarded multiple federal SBIR grants totaling over $2 million. According to Amy, ”the grant writing resource was amazing. It helped Proov apply for grants they wouldn't have been able to. Grant income was the first money into the company and really helped us grow and be successful.” She also notes that, “Colorado is an amazing place to own a business,” with great resources and people.

In 2021, Proov was awarded FDA clearance and has since rolled out their own mobile app, raised millions of dollars in venture capital, and launched in Walgreens stores across the U.S. They are now working to get into hormone health for menopause to help women in their 40's navigate the “tricky perimenopause transition so they can thrive”.

For more info please visit: Proov - At Home Fertility & Hormone Marker Tests To Confirm Ovulation - FDA Cleared PdG Test Strips (proovtest.com)