Empowering Female Founders: How SCAPE Supports Women Entrepreneurs

Starting a business is no small feat—especially for women who are carving their own paths in competitive industries. Across Southwest Colorado, female founders are bringing bold ideas to life, pushing boundaries, and building businesses that solve real problems. Whether it's reimagining sustainable meals, developing cutting-edge technology, or preserving local heritage, these women are making an impact.

Why Female Founders Matter

Women-led businesses are a crucial force in the entrepreneurial landscape, bringing fresh perspectives and driving innovation across industries. In the United States, women-owned businesses generate $2.7 trillion in annual revenue and employ nearly 12.2 million people. However, despite their growing impact, female entrepreneurs still face barriers when it comes to securing funding, resources, and recognition. Research shows that women-founded startups receive significantly less venture capital than their male counterparts, despite delivering higher revenue on average. Increasing the representation of women in entrepreneurship isn’t just about equality—it drives economic growth, fosters innovation, and brings diverse perspectives to industries that need them most. By increasing representation in entrepreneurship, we unlock new opportunities, fuel economic growth, and inspire future generations of women to step into leadership roles. 

Organizations like SCAPE are working to change this by offering the mentorship, funding, and connections female founders need to scale their businesses successfully. SCAPE helps entrepreneurs turn their ideas into thriving businesses. While SCAPE supports all entrepreneurs, today we’re highlighting five female-led businesses making waves: Farm to Summit, Agolix, EsoTerra Ciderworks, MindReels, and Barn Owl Precision Agriculture (BOPA).

Let’s take a closer look at five incredible female founders within SCAPE’s network, each of whom is making a lasting impact in her industry.

Farm to Summit: Bringing Fresh, Sustainable Meals to the Outdoors

Founded in 2021 by Jane Barden and Louise Barton, Farm to Summit is all about making backcountry dining tastier and more sustainable. With backgrounds in farming, fine dining, and ecology, their team has been able to create dehydrated meals that are both flavorful and environmentally friendly.

The idea came from their own outdoor experiences—prepackaged meals just didn’t cut it. They saw an opportunity to use surplus produce from local farms, cutting down on food waste while giving adventurers high-quality, delicious meals.

With SCAPE’s guidance, Farm to Summit has been able to scale production, connect with local farmers, and grow its brand. They recently expanded their operations with a new storefront in Durango, making it easier for customers to find their meals and support their mission.

Agolix: Making Assessments Easy for Small Businesses

Agolix is the most approachable online assessment tool that supports small business owners, coaches, and consultants. At the helm is CEO Dr. Jennifer Sparks, a problem-solving enthusiast who previously worked in aerospace project management. Alongside her is Witt Sparks, Agolix’s CTO, whose expertise in technology helps drive the platform’s innovation.

Agolix helps professionals create and share assessments that offer real insights, improve client engagement, and drive business growth. It’s simple, efficient, and designed to take the hassle out of data collection.

Agolix continues to refine its product and expand its reach, helping professionals create assessments with ease. Thanks to Dr. Sparks’ innovation, businesses everywhere are getting the insights they need without the headaches.

EsoTerra Ciderworks: Crafting Heritage Ciders with Heart

For Elizabeth and her co-founder, cider guru Jared Scott, EsoTerra Ciderworks is more than just a business—it’s a connection to history, culture, and community. EsoTerra crafts premium artisanal ciders using heritage apples from historic orchards in the Southwest, keeping these old orchards alive and thriving.

From label design to event planning and finance, Elizabeth wears every hat in her business. She’s passionate about cider-making, but she’s also dedicated to supporting local apple growers and preserving the region’s cider culture.

EsoTerra has built a loyal following, celebrating the art of cider-making while also spearheading a groundbreaking initiative: The Arboretum. This project is dedicated to preserving the genetics of historic apple trees by grafting wood from century-old orchards onto new rootstock. With over 200 apple varieties planted across Montezuma and La Plata counties, The Arboretum serves as both a conservation effort and a hub for community engagement in sustainable fruit growing. With every crisp sip, Elizabeth and her team are keeping the tradition alive while carving out a new future for cider lovers.

MindReels: Personalized Video for Daily Inspiration

In an era where content is king, MindReels is changing the way people engage with personal growth media. Founded by Erica Hines, MindReels blends AI-driven assessments with personalized video creation to deliver motivational, inspiring content tailored to each user.

Imagine starting your day with a video designed just for you— one that reinforces your goals, strengthens your mindset, and keeps you moving forward. That’s the vision behind MindReels. By combining cutting-edge tech with human psychology, Erica has built a platform that makes personal development more engaging than ever.

MindReels is redefining how people engage with personal development, using AI-driven video to inspire and motivate. Erica’s work is proof that technology can be used to empower individuals and help them unlock their full potential.

Barn Owl Precision Agriculture (BOPA): Bringing Tech to the Farm

Agriculture is evolving, and Sarah Hinkley is leading the charge. As the Co-Founder and CEO of BOPA, Sarah is using technology to help farmers work smarter, not harder. BOPA designs and builds farm automation systems, including the Autonomous Nano Tractor (ANT), which streamlines planting, weeding, and spraying.

Sarah’s journey began with Barn Owl Drone Services, where she saw firsthand the struggles farmers face. Determined to provide real solutions, she transitioned to BOPA and has since introduced one of the first autonomous tractors in the industry. With 40 units already sold and a growing team, BOPA is transforming precision agriculture.

BOPA continues to lead the charge in precision agriculture, helping farmers integrate automation into their daily operations. By bringing automation to farms, she’s helping agricultural communities increase efficiency, cut costs, and embrace the future of farming.

SCAPE’s Commitment to Supporting Female Founders

SCAPE is proud to support these women as they grow their businesses and make a real impact in their industries. Through mentorship, funding, and a strong network, SCAPE helps founders turn their ideas into successful ventures.

The success of these women-led businesses is proof that with the right support, anything is possible. SCAPE is committed to fostering an environment where female founders can thrive and is excited to work with even more women ready to take their businesses to the next level.

Join the Movement

Are you a female founder looking to take your business to the next level? Applications for SCAPE’s accelerator program are now open, offering mentorship, funding, and the resources you need to grow your company. Learn more and apply to SCAPE here.