Accelerating Women-Founded Startups
By: Genna Byrd
Tags: Entrepreneurship, Startup, Washington DC, Baking, Women In Business

Accelerating Women-Founded Startups

Last month, I visited the George Washington (GW) University’s Summer Startup Accelerator, hosted at the university’s Mount Vernon campus. The Accelerator is a 9-week residential program designed to equip student-founded startups with knowledge and resources to become fundable, scalable businesses.

Each of the 10 student startups was impressive but, as someone who studied Spanish language and strongly believes that food is culture, I was particularly drawn to Dulceology. The company is bringing alfajores — a traditional Latin American caramel cookie sandwich — to the DMV.

Alejandra Leiva, a GW graduate student, and her sister, Nicole, started baking their grandmother’s alfajor recipe when they were teenagers. They gifted the cookies to friends and family and soon found they were inundated with praise and requests for more alfajores. To keep up with demand, the siblings continued baking on nights and weekends throughout college, turning their hobby into a side hustle.

“Everything started from a love of the cookie,” Alejandra explained. “We enjoyed combining art and food, so we were always baking and experimenting with different styles.” The duo developed variations covered in chocolate, as well as a gluten-free alfajor after Nicole developed a sensitivity to gluten.

After several years as a side gig, Alejandra and Nicole took Dulceology full-time when they applied to the GW Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship’s New Venture Competition, one of the country’s top 10 collegiate startup contests. “At that time, alfajores were not a full-time business,” Alejandra said. “I didn’t consider Dulceology for the New Venture Competition at first, but we talked it through and ultimately decided to apply. I wasn’t sure how our cookies would measure up!”

Alejandra (left) and Nicole Leiva won $35,000 in total cash prizes for their business at GW’s New Venture Competition.

Not only did Dulceology survive — it advanced through several pitch rounds and secured $35,000 in funding at the final stage. Alejandra and Nicole credit GW for helping them grow their business. “The connections, feedback, and funding that we’ve received from GW have been huge. We’ve been paired with a dedicated mentor and advisor. Now we’re attending so many events meeting so many people who are helping us with the business,” Alejandra said. “The Summer Accelerator was immensely valuable too. We learned a lot about customer discovery, built relationships with distributors, and honed our pitch.”

As summer draws to a close, Dulceology is primed for more success. The startup continues to grow its client list and plans to reach consumers directly by participating in La Cosecha in early 2020. (Founded by Union Market, La Cosecha is a modern market that celebrates Latin American culture.)

I recently caught up with the busy sisters, who each shared a key lesson learned since launching Dulceology full-time:

#1: Keep at it. Growing a business is hard work and perseverance is important. “If it’s something you love, just keep going,” Nicole advised. “There will always be times when you want to give up and take the easy road, but remember why you started. Have faith that your dream will be worth the effort in the end.”

#2: Be coachable, and don’t try to do everything yourself. “You’re not the smartest person in the room. What has made our business strong is our ability to be coachable and to apply the advice we’re given.” Alejandra explained, “Starting a business is not a cake mix — it doesn’t come with instructions to just add water. You have to change and adapt. Each day, we do one thing better.”

Dulceology’s alfajores are available for shipping and delivery via their website.