Nine local entrepreneurs showcased their businesses and plans for growth during the 2026 Questa Pitch Contest, held on August 20 at the Questa Public Library.
Hosted by the Questa Economic Development Fund (QEDF) through the Questa Business Bridge (QBB), the contest awarded $30,000 in grant funding to support participating local entrepreneurs.
In an effort to build a stronger entrepreneurial system in Questa, the Pitch Contest is the culmination of an 11-session business education series where participants gained business skills and knowledge, drafted business plans, built professional relationships, and prepared for the Pitch competition.
Each contestant then had five-minutes to “Pitch” for funding to launch their new venture, purchase equipment and needed resources, or expand operations and marketing. This was followed by a question-and-answer session with a panel of five judges, who had the arduous task of determining how award money would be allocated, based on presentation scores, contestant applications, and budgets. Ultimately, each participant was awarded funding.
The four contestants with the highest scores received the maximum amount of $5,000 or more:
Brenda Wills of Memaw’s Bagels & More will purchase a commercial spiral dough mixer and convection oven that will increase production capacity, improve consistency, and enable menu expansion for her artisan bagel business.
Lauren Trujillo’s new venture, Lacy’s Lamb & Co., sells fresh lamb meat locally. She will be purchasing lambing pens, an electric fencing, and livestock monitoring cameras to improve animal safety.
Tatyana de Pavloff of Sew Artful will add a semi-industrial sewing machine and a professional-grade iron/steamer to her alterations business to help her deliver higher-quality results in less time.
Valerie Vigil’s mobile Fizz Lab offers an extensive menu of unique non-alcoholic beverages. She will further enhance her food truck for maximum sales with a generator, small freezer, commercial blender, and other supplies.
Five contestants were recognized with partial funding to help advance their businesses:
Adelita Mead is opening DD’s Doggy Daycare. She will purchase kennels, dog beds, supplies and build a fenced area for a dog run. Additionally, she will invest in printed promotional materials.
Katy Swan is launching Grounded Being which will turn locally sourced animal organ meat into freeze-dried nutritional supplements. She will purchase a freeze dryer, enabling her to produce a higher-quality product with greater nutritional value.
Mark White, founder of the Cerro Arts Factory, will fund an e-commerce website where consumers and retailers can place orders online, it will also feature artists’ original work.
Molly Stroh, stylist and owner of Salon del Sol, will invest in the historic building she purchased in Questa for her shop. She will be replacing damaged windows, improving energy efficiency and customer comfort.
Ruby Rae Allred, creator of the Pregnancy Oracle Deck, will fund the first self-published print run of the 40-card deck and companion guidebook she wrote and illustrated to support women through pregnancy and birth.
“The Pitch Contest reflects what can happen when a community invests in the people who are building its future,” said QEDF Director Lynn Skall. “These entrepreneurs are creating businesses, services, and opportunities that strengthen Questa from the ground up, and we are proud to support their work.”
Community support makes the program possible:
The judging panel included Malaquias Rael, QEDF Board Chair; Maria Gonzalez, LOR Foundation; Katherine Flory, Questa Credit Union; Peter Mitchell, NM EDD; and Anwar Kaelin, SBDC UNM-Taos.
Sponsors included the Questa Credit Union, The LOR Foundation, Triad Securities LLC (operator of LANL), Village of Questa, the Questa Public Library, and Chevron.