DENVER — Inc. magazine announced its seventh annual Female Founders list, honoring a bold group of 250 women whose innovations and ideas are challenging the status quo and tackling some of the world’s biggest problems. Among those honored is Jill Ellsworth, Founder and CEO of Willow Industries, the leader in cannabis decontamination technology.
In 2015, utilizing her expertise in food safety and passion for game-changing innovation, Jill Ellsworth founded Willow Industries to build a pillar of quality assurance and safety standards for the young industry. Empowering businesses to provide safe, clean cannabis for patients and consumers, their ozone-based technology, WillowPure, safely cleans and eliminates the presence of mold, yeast, E. coli, Salmonella, Aspergillus, and other harmful pathogens found in cannabis cultivation.
Securing two rounds of venture capital investment funding since inception of the company, Jill Ellsworth has expanded their R&D efforts around cannabis contamination, in addition to building Willow Scientific, a robust microbial consulting team which has provided essential insights and research for businesses, regulators and labs. In 2023, driven by workplace safety concerns in cannabis cultivation and processing, Willow Industries designed an air filtration system, WillowAir, to sustain clean facility environments, but more importantly, protect employee health.
“With the dynamic changes in the industry over the past year, I am so proud of the strides that Willow has made in the education and adoption of quality standards”, said Jill Ellsworth, founder and CEO of Willow Industries. “2023 was a challenging year for many markets, especially cannabis, and I have been inspired by the unwavering dedication of our team and our work in bringing the importance of safety to the forefront of the industry.”
The list features women across all industries who have overcome challenges and lifted those around them, while leading impactful organizations across the country. They join the ranks of previous honorees including Jessica Alba, Tracee Ellis Ross, Rihanna, and Shonda Rhimes.
“The past year, for many, will go down as one of the hardest ever—between a funding freeze and ad-spending pull back”, said Diana Ransom, Inc. Executive Editor. “The female founders on this year’s list are a testament to what triumph over adversity looks like. They should all be proud of this singular accomplishment.”
To see the complete list, go to: https://www.inc.com/female-founders/2024.
About Willow Industries
Willow Industries is an industry leader in cannabis microbial control and post-harvest microbial decontamination technology. Founded in 2015 by CEO Jill Ellsworth, the company is built on one simple principle: cultivators should be equipped with resources to provide patients and consumers with consistently safe cannabis. Based in Denver, CO, Willow’s services are currently available to all licensed cultivators in the United States and across the globe, where they implement an innovative and accessible model that employs a holistic, turnkey approach for their partners. Their patented WillowPure systems use organic, ozone-based technology that is scientifically proven to reduce or eliminate contaminants such as yeast, mold and bacteria from cannabis, while protecting the medicinal properties of the plant. Willow’s modern technology and in-house team of microbiology experts, Willow Scientific, ensure cultivators employ best practices and quality control from start to finish. Willow Industries has been named one of Inc. 5000’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America three years in a row, and is a 2x honoree as one of the top companies in the Forbes 42.0 Cannabis list. For more information, visit WillowIndustries.com.
