Rising Stars: Meet Karen Abram of Simi Valley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Karen Abram.

Hi Karen, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I definitely didn’t set out thinking I’d open a frozen yogurt shop.

My background is in building products and experiences. I started in advertising working with brands like Nissan, Pedigree, and Sony, and later moved into tech, creating products in the real estate space. I’ve always been drawn to building things that people don’t just use, but actually enjoy.

For a long time though, all of that lived behind a screen.

The shift really came when I received the “Lead the Way” award from Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast. It made me pause and ask myself if I was actually taking the kinds of risks I was always encouraging my kids and my Girl Scout troop to take.

I liked my career, but I kept feeling pulled toward building something more tangible. Something rooted in the community, where I could see the impact in real time.

Starting Froyo & Fido in my 40s with two kids was definitely a leap, but it felt like the right one.

Looking back, it all connects. I’m still building experiences, just in a very different, more real-world way now.

Alright, 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?
It definitely hasn’t been a completely smooth road.

Opening a brick-and-mortar business is a whole different kind of challenge compared to building products behind a screen. There are so many moving parts that you don’t fully appreciate until you’re in it. Construction timelines, permits, inspections, equipment issues, staffing… something is always shifting.

One of the biggest challenges has been learning everything in real time. I didn’t come from the food or retail space, so there’s been a lot of figuring things out as I go. From understanding health requirements to dialing in operations to hiring and training a team, it’s been constant learning.

There’s also the emotional side of it. You’re putting something very personal out into the world and hoping people connect with it. There are moments where it’s busy and everything clicks, and moments where you second guess things or have to quickly adapt.

That said, a lot of those challenges have actually shaped what the business is today. They’ve forced me to be more thoughtful, more scrappy, and more connected to the details.

And honestly, seeing the community show up the way they have has made the harder moments feel worth it.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’ve spent most of my career building products and experiences, first in advertising and then in tech, where I focused on creating tools in the real estate space. At the core of it, I’m a product thinker, but really I’m just deeply curious about how things work and how they can be better.

I tend to go pretty deep on things. I ask a lot of questions, I test, I tweak, and I don’t really stop at “good enough.” I’m usually chasing that feeling where something just clicks and gives you goosebumps, where it feels simple, intuitive, and a little bit special. That’s always been the bar for me.

What I’m most proud of is building things that people genuinely enjoy using. Whether it was software or now a physical space with Froyo & Fido, the goal is the same. It’s about creating an experience that feels thoughtful from start to finish, even in the small details.

What probably sets me apart is that I care just as much about how something feels as how it functions. I’m constantly observing, adjusting, and refining. I don’t see things as “done.” I see them as something that can always be improved, simplified, or made more meaningful.

Right now, that curiosity has just shifted into a different environment. Instead of screens and interfaces, it’s a real-world space, real people, real moments. But the mindset is exactly the same.

Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Ice cream and frozen yogurt have been at the center of some of my fondest childhood memories.

My high school tennis partner and I used to encourage each other by saying, “do it for the rocky road.” My best friend and I would plan afternoons driving to Dairy Queen for what we called a “natural disaster,” which was our name for a Blizzard after we forgot what it was actually called and it just stuck.

But some of my favorite memories were with my dad. As the youngest of four, those little pockets of one-on-one time felt really special, and they almost always included a stop for ice cream. It might be picking up a clown face ice cream from Baskin Robbins after dropping my sister off somewhere, stopping at the ice cream truck after skating around Balboa Park, or grabbing a Foster’s Freeze treat to help get me through those awkward teenage years.

Looking back, it was never really about the ice cream. It was about the time together, the rituals, and those small moments that somehow became the ones that stuck the most.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.froyoandfido.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/froyo_and_fido/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Froyo-and-Fido-61572966345201/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/froyo-and-fido-simi-valley