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Gel-Oh Dolly!

Do you want a fun, easy-to-use way to consume your favorite craft cocktails and deserts? That’s where Gel-Oh Dolly! comes in. Gel-Ol Dolly! is a grown-up twist on an old favorite. They provide a gourmet Jell-O shot mix for you to create your own fancy shot.

For Dolly Fiedelman co-founder of Gel-Oh Dolly!, running her own company seemed natural coming from a family of entrepreneurs. The desire was always there – that’s why Fiedelman took a chance on her favorite summer go-to. Gel-Oh Dolly! was sparked at a tailgating party at Red Rocks. After bringing gourmet Jell-O shots, it soon became an expectation that she would be providing them at every gathering. “People kept telling me I should sell them, and here we are!” Fiedelman said.

Unlike your typical shot, these Jell-O shots use real food ingredients to create craft cocktail and gourmet dessert inspired mixes. You have the freedom to get crafty with glasses and garnishes, or keep it simple and just mix with your favorite spirit, chill and enjoy!

Fiedelman and her co-founder Terri Johanson joined LEADING EDGE for Entrepreneurs in spring 2017 to put a plan in place, and create a business from their idea: “The program allowed us to evaluate and understand our concept and decide if it was viable. It also pushed us to start thinking in the entrepreneur mindset.”

During LEADING EDGE, they created a plan for a brick and mortar, selling individual Jell-O shots and focusing on events. However, due to cost in the liquor licensing and perishability limiting scalability, they pivoted to the dry mix right before joining Trout Tank: Food Frenzy. They found themselves putting their pitch together in two weeks. Although they were the only company pitching at the event that was not selling at the time, Gel-Oh Dolly! received the People’s Choice award.

“Trout Tank led us to opportunities to do pop-up events and while we didn’t think we’d be ready to do so and sell in the timeframe given, it pushed us to take the leap,” Fiedelman said. With their pivot to dry mix, they now have a product that can be shipped world-wide.

Recently, they partnered with one of their favorite breweries, Intrepid Sojourner Beer Project for the Bacon and Beer Classic at Mile High Stadium. They experienced a great reception and collaboration, where they made an orange cream Jell-O shot that can be made with a light wheat beer. And, this is not the last time the two are partnering – they are in the works right now to plan future events together.

Back at their launch, Gel-Oh Dolly! served four year-round flavors. They have since launched six new flavors, including seasonal favorites like winter cosmo and spiced orange. “While we continue to grow our brand awareness, we pride ourselves on changing people’s perceptions of Jell-O shots,” Fiedelman said. As they continue to hone in on their operations, they plan to focus on large events, such as corporate events and weddings. This gives them the opportunity to work with the client one-on-one to not only create a custom label but flavor as well, to create a unique experience for each customer.

C-21 Project

Keaunna Figgers, Denver’s newest fashionista, is raising awareness of Down syndrome and doing so in style through her company The C-21 Project, which refers to the extra 21st chromosome that she was born with. Born with Down syndrome, Figgers faced obstacles from the start – she had open-heart surgery at just 3 months old and was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at a very young age. Growing up with arthritis, Figgers would spend hours coloring in

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Alt Ethos

You may have seen their installations during Denver Startup week or read their name in 303 Magazine as “Denver Artists to Watch in 2018.” Alt Ethos is introducing a new way of capturing the attention of audiences through experiential design. By combining mixed reality (MR), augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to create interactive light displays, people are more than just viewers – they become part of the art display. CEO Ethan Bach and

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Med-Fit

Med-Fit, PLLC provides physician-supervised individualized weight management systems designed to help overweight and obese clients lose and maintain a healthy weight. Owner Dr. Angela Tran is Board-Certified in Internal Medicine and Obesity Medicine and has practiced in primary care since 2007. Despite Angela’s extensive education and experience, she admits she knew very little about how to start a business when she decided to seek assistance from the Denver Metro SBDC in January of 2012. Angela

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Under the Sky Event Rental

The idea to launch Under the Sky Event Rental came to Rebecca Anderson when she told her seatmate on a flight to Denver about her wedding. She and husband Patrick had their intimate wedding under katas—Nordic tents that resemble Native American tepees. But, she had only seen them rented in her native United Kingdom. “That planted the seed,” she said. Back in the U.K., there are roughly 30 kata rental companies, up from just seven

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Coppertops Paperie

When considering starting her own business, Jessica Burke was given the advice, “do something you completely love, even in the tiny details.” The only thing she felt absolutely certain she loved – tiny details and all – was paper products. Jessica’s passion drove her to start CopperTops Paperie, a company that sells personalized paper products, in 2013. CopperTops is most widely known for their patent-pending bottle wrap, which emerged from a conversation with a customer

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Wong Way Veg

When Lisa Wong stepped foot into the Denver Metro Small Business Development Center in 2011, her dream of starting a food truck in Denver was just that – a dream. Wong envisioned herself running a business that would marry her love for vegetarian food with her passion for building community. Two years later, her dream became a reality. But Wong’s dream didn’t come to life without hard work. In the fall of 2012, she enrolled

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