Today we’d like to introduce you to David Greenfeld.
David, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
So why ice cream? It’s kind of a funny story and begins in Cartagena, Colombia. It was the summer of 2015, and I was coming off a very challenging few months personally and professionally.
My closest friends from college convinced me that the best solution would be a trip to Cartagena to lift my spirits. During that trip, I came across vibrant paletas shops on every corner and was intrigued by the ice cream category as a whole. I also would spend many a late night in my cubicle eating ice cream pints and frozen treats and realized I needed a better alternative.
With some inspiration from the booming pressed juice market, I wondered why the same model couldn’t be applied to frozen novelties and plant-based ice cream. I also felt that the current healthy / better-for-you and vegan ice cream options on the market were sub-par and almost non-existent.
I called my childhood friend David Cohen who had experience in food & beverage working for a company called Yeastie Boys Bagels, and we began iterating and toying around with the idea of healthy popsicles.
By chance, the investment bank where I worked offered me the opportunity of a lifetime to move to Milan as an Associate, and I was exposed to the birthplace of ice cream. I managed to come across our partner on an obscure food blog who was exploring innovative ice cream manufacturing techniques in Europe.
After reading about him, I left him multiple voicemails to which he finally answered and agreed to let me visit his lab in Berlin. We eventually convinced him to partner with us and launch what is now known today as Dream Pops in August of 2016.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We’ve made so many mistakes; it’s hard to know where to start. We’ve made unnecessary equipment and packaging expenditures. We had a lot of difficulties cracking direct to consumer ice cream, frozen logistics and manufacturing worlds. We have refocused our strategy on natural retailers and grocery.
Our first beta tests were done in my mother’s kitchen. We would buy giant takes of liquid nitrogen, ship them to her office down the street and wheel them down the road getting strange looks from by-passers.
We initially went to market believing that the 3D printed mold would be the most compelling selling point to customers, but throughout the process learned to focus on maintaining one iconic shape, building a household plant-based brand, and on sourcing the highest quality ingredients.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Dream Pops – what should we know?
Dream Pops is known for re-imagining vegan ice cream for a new generation. We have developed a product that is equal parts beautiful and delectable. We also are focused on snack-ability, portion control, design and on being the healthiest ice cream on the market.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Grit. Building any business is all about perseverance. Most people give up or have a plan B. You have to be all in.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dreampops.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dreampops/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dreampopsofficial/?ref=bookmarks
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/itsdreampops
Image Credit:
Sarah Holt, Greyson Tarantino
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