A group of all-female entrepreneurs comprised of elementary and high school students has started an ice cream business as part of a project to support the Moose Jaw Transition House.
It was in late June when finals were occurring that a few young women had the idea to start a youth leadership collective (YLC), with the goal — among other things — of gaining business experience.
“We’re just really interested in seeing the power of what we can do kind of by ourselves and what we can create and the people we can help … ,” said group co-founder Jakson McAuley.
McAuley and other founders sent notices to high schools announcing the YLC project and encouraging other young women to join. Some joined because they knew each other through sports, while others were recruited after submitting resumés.
The initiative grew to 10 young women from Vanier, Peacock, Central and King George Elementary. Most girls are in Grade 11, while one is in Grade 12 and one is in Grade 8.
The group includes Rose Miko, Ireland Guillaume, Madison Marktanner, Kate Hansen, Joyce Xu, Josie Rogers, McAuley, Callista McQueen, Mitike Cridland and Mattaya Coupland.
They then brainstormed projects they could pursue, eventually landing on an ice cream business.
“It kind of just popped into Jakson’s head. She kind of just thought of it and was like, ‘Let’s open an ice cream store,’ and we kind of just all made it happen,” recalled Hansen.
There didn’t seem to be many ice cream shops downtown, while a conversation with now-graduated students inspired the all-female YLC team to start with a sweet treat business, said McAuley, noting it’s also “a very summer thing.”
The young women opened The Good Scoop on July 1 at 31 Main Street North — hours are 12 to 9 p.m. — between John’s Music Ltd. and Celtic Heart Day Spa. The group operates in the front of Tara’s Commodities — which sells ethnic oil and rice products — because that business belongs to Xu’s mother.
Business has been great since the shop opened, with many tourists popping in, although it would be nice if more residents visited, said McAuley.
Hansen noted that business is brisk when the weather is hot, while McAuley laughed that no one comes when it’s raining.
This is the first time any member has operated a business, although a few ran lemonade stands as children.
“This is like an extreme version of that,” laughed McAuley. “It’s a lot more make-it-up-as-you-go than I thought. A lot of problems are thrown at you (but) you kind of have to get through.
“But it’s been really good so far … . We’ve learned a lot about the way everything works and reaching out to (other) businesses and what we need to do to get more people through the door. But it’s been really good to get some real-world experience.”
Hansen agreed, saying it’s been fun interacting with tourists and learning from where they’ve come.
Once the summer ends, The Good Scoop will donate a portion of its profits to the Transition House. The group chose that charity, McAuley explained, because they are young women and thought it was appropriate to support an organization that helps women in Moose Jaw.
Being an all-female business team has been great since they all get along, while it’s similar to hanging out with friends, she continued.
“It’s kind of empowering,” McAuley chuckled.
The Good Scoop will close on Aug. 31, while the girls are unsure if they will reopen next summer since the project was short-term.
“We wanted to get a taste of what business is like,” added McAuley.
The Good Scoop can be found on social media pages such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Contact info is 306-519-8489 or [email protected].
