Today we’d like to introduce you to Aryan Davani.
Hi Aryan, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in Jamaica, Queens, where these types of modalities just weren’t available. I moved around several times during my life—from Iran to NY to North Carolina, all before turning 14. I then moved to San Francisco & LA, where meeting people was easy and difficult at the same time. I quickly grew tired of swiping on apps or going to bars to connnect.
Constantly starting over in new cities made it tough sometimes to find real connection and community. I often threw myself into work, chasing the hustle culture. But that left me often burned out and struggling with my mental health.
Then, after a tough breakup in early 2023, I discovered cold plunging and sauna and became hooked. It completely changed my headspace—I felt present and alive again. Wanting to continue my sauna + cold plunge routine, I realized that regular use became very expensive at the health spas that were charging by the hour. These expensive options also lacked real community, like bathhouses you would find in Europe, Japan, Korea, or many other places that provide communal co-ed experiences.
So like many great businesses, IcePass was created out of necessity to make cold plunging and sauna as accessible and affordable to anyone. We partner with some of your favorite businesses around LA and we build an urban oasis and wellness space where you can recover and reset, 7 days a week. We create welcoming spaces where people could not only feel better physically but connect with each other, too.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Definitely not a smooth road—but I think that’s true for any founder. Especially in a place like LA, the wellness space is incredibly competitive, and people have high expectations for quality and experience.
When we started IcePass, we were completely bootstrapped. That meant every dollar mattered, and we had to wear a dozen hats—marketing, operations, hauling equipment, even cleaning ice tubs ourselves. There were moments we’d show up to a pop-up and worry whether anyone would come. Or times when a cold plunge chiller would break mid-event, and we’d have to improvise to keep things running.
Beyond the physical grind, there’s the mental side. As a founder, you’re constantly questioning if you’re doing the right thing, if people will value what you’re building, and whether you can sustain the momentum. Like a lot of founders say, the highs are really high, but the lows can feel crushingly low.
But those challenges forced us to get creative and deeply connect with our community. The people who came to our early pop-ups became our biggest supporters and spread the word. We listened to feedback, kept iterating, and tried to stay focused on delivering genuine value instead of getting lost in the noise of trends.
I’ve learned that building a business—especially in wellness—isn’t just about a great product. It’s about resilience, patience, and showing up every day, even when things feel impossible. And honestly, despite the chaos, I wouldn’t trade the journey for anything.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
IcePass is a community-driven wellness brand specializing in contrast therapy, particularly cold plunges and sauna experiences. We operate four locations across Los Angeles and are proud to partner with the Los Angeles Fire Department, having donated cold plunges to seven different fire stations to support the mental and physical recovery of first responders.
We also work closely with recovery centers, helping introduce thousands of people to their first cold plunge and making the powerful benefits of contrast therapy accessible to all.
What truly sets us apart is our commitment to inclusivity: we believe everyone deserves access to these healing practices, regardless of financial circumstances. We never turn anyone away for financial reasons—a principle that led us to create our ambassador program, which helps sustain our mission while building a strong, supportive community.
At our core, we’re more than a wellness service. We’re a space where people can reset, connect, and discover resilience within themselves. We’re proud to be redefining wellness not as a luxury, but as an essential, shared experience open to all
What was your favorite childhood memory?
Hot summers playing outside with my friends, playing basketball for hours, going to the local pool or waterpark, and having sleepovers where we would stay up all night laughing, joking, and just being kids!
Pricing:
- $199 a month for unlimited access to all 4 locations for cold plunges, finnish, saunas, breathwork and Yoga Classes, and socials/events
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.icepassla.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/icepass_la?igsh=MXM5NzNkYWRha2Vtbg==
Image Credits
N/a
