Arealles Ortiz ’15, owner and operator of Curly Girl Pops, runs one of the coolest culinary ventures on the Vermont food scene. Her wholesome, small-batch popsicles have become a summertime staple at farmer’s markets and small shops across the state. With frozen treats featuring vegan, health-forward ingredients like hibiscus tea, blue spirulina, goji berries, and spinach—sweetened with Vermont maple syrup, naturally—the business student turned nutrition and food sciences major has found her niche by following her passion.     

“I feel like it's always been inside of me,” says Ortiz. “I've always wanted to pursue something different and be my own boss, I guess. And I've always been interested in food since I was really little, playing with Easy Bake ovens and cooking with my grandma when she would come visit from Puerto Rico. Just having memories around food, that's really important to me.” 

Ortiz says her business and colorful creations are rooted in her food science background and Puerto Rican heritage.  

“The inspiration behind it was a love for food and nutrition, stimulating people's senses through color and getting them interested in the rainbow of fruits and vegetables. And then Puerto Rican culture, which is eating tropical fruits of all vibrant colors.” 

Another color that’s important to Ortiz? Green. Sourcing organic, local ingredients and using sustainable, biodegradable packaging is at the core of her business model. And so is serving up smiles. She puts in a lot of hours as a “solopreneur,” from working with local farmers to producing and packing pops, to operating her mobile popsicle stand in the shade of a rainbow-colored umbrella. But on the other side of all of that effort, she says, there is a payout.  

“What I love most is people's reactions when they have a Curly Girl popsicle for the first time and really like it. The joy makes everything worth it for me.”