My involvement in the outdoors started at a young age skiing and hiking with my family. At that time, my sister and I would roll our eyes each time our parents said, “Wow, look at that view” and I would get led into ski school by my younger sister crying. As I grew up, I found my own love for the outdoors through rock climbing, backcountry skiing, and camping with friends.

I started guiding seasonally in Alaska in 2010 as an ice climbing and glacier trekking guide. Living in a tent in the Alaska summer and spending six-plus days a week exploring and sharing the beauty and magic of Alaskan glaciers with others, really solidified my love and connection with wild places. I spent six summer seasons in Alaska. During the off-season, I was finishing up school in Bozeman, waiting tables, and eventually started working in bakeries. I fell in love with the bakery life - the early mornings, the sense of accomplishment at the end of a shift, and the freedom of having my afternoons to myself.

When I was younger, my time in the outdoors was more competitive and fast-paced: skiing, climbing. I spent time as a glacier trekking and ice climbing guide in Alaska. Now, I find it’s more of a therapeutic experience. I’ve gotten into hunting, fly fishing and cross country skiing. Today it’s about quieter, slower experiences for me. Hunting is a great example. I love cooking and understanding where our food comes from. Hunting provides an intimate experience with the land and the animals. Being in their world and being able to track them is incredibly humbling and rewarding.

When I left Bozeman, I searched for another bakery job and ended up making donuts and baking for an ice cream and donut shop in Crested Butte, Colorado. My dream became to open my own bakery. I went to San Francisco and took classes and recipe tested on my days off. After spending two winters in Crested Butte, I decided that I needed more than what the small ski town could offer me. I moved back to Bozeman and was hired as the Production Manager for Genuine Ice Cream.

That first year, we had two employees and a small number of wholesale clients. In the spring of 2018, we opened the first seasonal Genuine Ice Cream shop, wrote the menu, hired employees, expanded our production, and I transitioned into the General Manager role.

I poured my heart and soul into building and growing a company that I could be proud of - one that supports our community, that is respected in the business community, and that provides a supportive and growth-oriented work environment and culture for its employees. In early 2020 I bought the business that I had worked tirelessly developing. Almost 5 years after starting as Production Manager, Genuine Ice Cream has a year-round shop, a bustling production kitchen, and a staff of over twenty.

The outdoors has always provided me with different things I have needed at different stages of my life. When I was younger, it gave me independence and confidence. Today, it is more therapeutic and quiet. It’s how I handle the stress of running a business. Because the outdoors is capable of providing us with so much, I believe in giving back to organizations that protect it and ensure future generations will enjoy the same opportunities.

We have a unique opportunity as an ice cream company in that we see so many different people coming through our doors. We see ourselves as having the opportunity to be ambassadors of the area for tourists and locals stopping in, to share what we love about Montana with them during their brief time with us. Even if someone has traveled here to eat at great restaurants and shop downtown, the natural beauty that surrounds us is a part of what brought them here. Maybe they aren’t getting out to hike Mount Blackmore, but they could go for a stroll up Peet’s Hill, and that might become one of the most memorable parts of their trip. Like ice cream, the outdoors can be a great equalizer for people. It’s something we can share and unite around.

At Genuine, we believe it is our responsibility to be active members of our communities and bring joy to those we interact with through our actions and our ice cream, and we are so psyched to be a part of the 2% for Conservation business community.

Ellie Southworth is the Owner of Genuine Ice Cream, which is based out of Montana and is the first 2% Certified ice cream producer in the world.