Crowd Favorite winner supports fresh vegetable access for Northeastern Arizonans.
While studying how pathogens move through water systems in hospitals, lakes and wastewater plants for her graduate research at Arizona State University, Ashley Heida, Ph.D., had a breakthrough idea. The same mathematical models she used to simulate disease spread, she realized, could be applied to mining operations to improve efficiency and sustainability.
That insight led to the creation of Analytical Mineset, a startup designed to help mining companies turn their existing operational data into actionable intelligence. The concept earned Heida $10,000 as the statewide winner of the Moonshot Rural Arizona Pitch Competition last month in Prescott.
“I’m ecstatic and very thankful,” she said. “In the mining culture, you need to meet people in person and shake their hands. It’s essential for us to be at conferences demonstrating how companies can boost productivity, reduce vehicle wear and minimize environmental impact by using the data they already collect.”
Heida said the Moonshot funding will cover registration and travel expenses for the 2025-26 mining conference season, as well as local event participation and overhead costs.
Mines already generate vast amounts of data, from drilling performance and equipment use to ground conditions, but Heida says that information often stops at basic reporting. “We take that same data and use advanced analytics and modeling to identify what’s really driving performance and how to improve it,” she said.
For instance, instead of simply tracking truck haul times, Analytical Mineset can pinpoint causes of delays such as road roughness or loading wait times, then simulate how small adjustments could shorten cycles. “That shift from descriptive to predictive thinking creates real operational and cost-saving impact.”
During her winning pitch at the state competition, Friday, Oct. 18, at the Sam Hill Warehouse, she told the standing-room-only audience, “Our goal is to help the mining industry move from reacting to yesterday’s problems to predicting and preventing tomorrow’s.”
With 433 mines operating in Arizona, Heida believes there is plenty of opportunity ahead. She expects Analytical Mineset to hire three additional research scientists within the next three years.
Heida moved to Arizona in 2018 and quickly became intrigued by mining. “It’s an industry that’s often misunderstood,” she said. “Everything I rely on daily – my laptop, my car, my home – exists because of mining. If we’re going to continue needing mined materials, we should do it smarter and more sustainably.”
Earlier this year, Heida won the Moonshot Rural Arizona Pitch Competition in Sahuarita, south of Tucson. “Participating in Moonshot with Grow in Sahuarita was an incredible experience,” she said. “It connected me with mentors, provided access to accounting and legal support, and introduced me to tools like Cofounder OS, which helps startups manage financial projections and investor relations.”
Analytical Mineset already has been selected to teach a short course at the American Exploration & Mining Association conference in Reno, Nevada, next month and is being considered for a session at the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, in February.
Hometown Fresh Farm Wins Crowd Favorite Award
Michael and Kaylin Lindsey, founders of Hometown Fresh Farm, took home the Crowd Favorite Award and a $5,000 prize for their plan to open a hydroponic greenhouse next spring in St. Johns. The couple aims to grow a variety of lettuces, leafy greens such as kale and collards, and fresh herbs to combat food insecurity in the region.
“Winning the Crowd Favorite Award is so cool,” said Michael Lindsey, the farm’s chief grower. “It was really nice to get feedback from folks. It gives us more confidence in our vision and the help we’re able to provide.”
Their business plan includes purchasing refrigerated trucks to deliver fresh produce to what has been labeled a “food desert” in Northeastern Arizona, where families often travel miles for groceries. A sixth-generation St. Johns native, Lindsey said he understands the community’s food challenges, including how school breakfasts and lunches can be the only meals some children receive. “Our plan is to work with schools to provide the freshest produce possible,” he said.
On family land that has been farmed for more than a century, Lindsey currently grows microgreens to sell along with baked goods at their roadside farmstand. A lifelong vegetable grower, he said he has always been drawn to hydroponics and its efficient use of resources.
Michael says the land was once a dairy farm, later converted to alfalfa fields using flood irrigation. “From a revenue perspective, we can take a small portion of that land and produce what a 30-acre ranch once did.”
Entrepreneurial Impact
Moonshot CEO Scott Hathcock and Chief Marketing Officer Kiersten Hathcock founded the Moonshot Rural AZ Pitch Competition. The event empowered local entrepreneurs to promote business concepts for funding and mentorship, while igniting Flagstaff’s reputation as an innovative city where families can create, grow, work and thrive.
Meanwhile, other communities noticed and wondered how they could create a similar entrepreneurial environment. Answering the call, the Flagstaff-born pitch contest is now in 20 rural Arizona communities, managed by the Hathcocks.
“From mining technology to hydroponic farming, from indoor play spaces to artisan bakeries, these entrepreneurs are solving real problems and creating opportunities in their communities,” said Scott Hathcock.
“Ashley Heida’s win with Analytical Mineset demonstrates the cutting-edge innovation happening outside our urban centers, while Michael Lindsey’s Crowd Favorite recognition for Hometown Fresh Farm highlights how rural entrepreneurs are addressing food security and sustainability in creative ways,” he said.
This year, more than 150 entrepreneurs participated in the pitch tour stops. “These entrepreneurs are the backbone of Arizona’s economy and the future of their communities. We’re honored to support their journey and can’t wait to see what they build next.” FBN
By Bonnie Stevens, FBN
Photo by Morgan Boatman: The Moonshot team rallied around the evening’s big winners. Ashley Heida won the statewide pitch contest for her Analytical Mineset business concept and received a check for $10,000. Michael Lindsey took home $5,000 for his Hometown Fresh Farm startup, and the title of Crowd Favorite.