Success Stories

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.

Full Stop. Bakery’s future is ambitious and bright. The founder envisions the brand achieving global recognition and establishing a Full Stop. Crackery in the United States. This space aims to educate visitors about sourdough, create lasting memories, and offer a variety of sourdough products. As Full Stop. Bakery continues to grow, its commitment to bringing
people together through food remains steadfast.

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 [them] 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 US. 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”.

Plains to Peak Chocolate Company is run by Sunni Sylvester and her husband Jeff. The two did not always have aspirations to make their own chocolate, but like many businesses today, a simple passion and idea can be all it takes to start something great. The direction of your business career can be random, and that is exactly what happened with Sunni and Jeff.

“We started randomly. I would buy chocolate, look at the ingredients, and question the fillers in the chocolate. This led me to do some research and experimenting, and eventually I figured out how to make chocolate using the whole cacao bean,” said Sunni. “Now, we make our own bean to bar chocolate. We roast the beans at home, we crack them, winnow them to get the nibs, grind the nibs, add the coconut sugar, temper it, mold it, and hand wrap every one of our bars.”

A couple of years ago, when Plains to Peak was just an idea sprouting into action, Sunni decided to reach out to Boulder SBDC. Sunni, a registered nurse who still works full time, and Jeff, a designer working for the Saint Vrain School District in Longmont, did not have much of a business background when starting Plains to Peak. According to Sunni, “I didn’t understand how to set up an LLC, how to pay taxes, or any of that stuff, so I reached out to the SBDC. In our first meeting, [an SBDC staff member] listened to our story and aspirations, and later that same evening sent me steps on how to establish an LLC, and how to register with the state and the city. These clear steps were exactly what I needed.”

The Boulder SBDC places a large emphasis on maintaining relationships with its clients, and encourages attending our workshops, which is what Sunni and Jeff did. They took both Startup Roadmap and Startup Essentials workshops through SBDC, which Sunni described as “invaluable.” Sunni further explained “Since the workshops, we have reached out to one of your presenters several times, just asking for assistance with setting up the legal parts of the business. She has been very responsive, very supportive, and very helpful for us.”

As Plains to Peak Chocolate continued to develop, they began to think about the expansion process. Expanding a business can be extremely difficult if you do not have an explicit plan, and a strong grasp on finances. The SBDC set Sunni up with a consultant to talk over any expansionary plans. Sunni reflects, “The consultant talked to us about scaling, getting investors, taking out loans, our different options, and what we had to be ready for if and when we wanted to expand. It gave us reassurance that we were on the right path and that being cautious and using income right now to save up for our business down the road was a good idea.”

A further step the SBDC took to help Plains to Peak was connect Sunni and Jeff with other people who were in the process of setting up their business, and who are in different stages of growth. According to Sunni, “This helped us talk about scaling, and potentially getting a commercial space. Hearing how other people expanded their businesses was huge for us.” Sunni continued, “Someday we could see ourselves teaming up with other small food producers and maybe share a space. We’re always having those conversations and keeping our eyes open for opportunities.”

Right now Sunni and Jeff sell their chocolate every Saturday at the Longmont farmers market. They have come a long way since their initial decision to start selling chocolate. They have invested in new equipment to make production easier and truly feel that they are experiencing success. The two understand that while working under cottage foods law they can only sell direct to consumers, but they are looking to add more markets to their repertoire this year. They are constantly reevaluating their goals, and remaining cautious, but are very excited to grow their business and maintain their values.