In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Hannah Dittman sits down with Alan Chen and Conner Mennig, co-founders of Frozen One - a protein ice cream brand built to prove that "better for you" doesn't have to mean sacrificing taste. Frozen One delivers 40 grams of protein and under 400 calories per pint, a fraction of what a traditional pint of ice cream contains, and has grown into one of the fastest-rising frozen brands in the country.

Alan and Conner met at UW Madison in 2020 and reconnected in Austin while both stuck in unfulfilling sales jobs. A single gym conversation in January 2025 about the lack of good high-protein options turned into a Ninja Creami machine that same night - and a trademark filed two days later. Together they run a scrappy, relationship-driven operation: Conner focused on operations and finance, Alan on product and marketing, both present at every investor and buyer meeting.

Hannah and the co-founders dig into the three fundraising milestones that took Frozen One from a Ninja Creami in an apartment to over 2,300 doors nationwide, including Target, Wegmans, and Central Market.

Listen in as they discuss:

How a single gym complaint in January 2025 turned into a trademark filing two days later
Landing a $250K first check on a SAFE from a local Austin investor Conner met at a house party
The scramble to close an oversubscribed $2M round after Target asked for 1,500 doors in three months
Splitting founder responsibilities: Alan on product and ice cream R&D, Conner on operations and finance
Landing Central Market by cold-calling the buyer - and how that velocity data fueled investor conversations
Building the team: a creative director roommate, a "head of ice cream," an ad-ops hire, and a new COO from Van Leeuwen
Why the current $5.5M round with Brand Foundry is primarily focused on closing the team and bandwidth gap
Turning investor "no's" into direct, honest feedback conversations instead of walking away quietly
What surprised them most about CPG: just how genuinely difficult and slow retail execution is, even after landing the deal

Episode Links:

Alan Chen – Co-Founder, Frozen One Email: alan@frozen-one.com (domain inferred from Conner's confirmed email - please verify)
Conner Mennig – Co-Founder, Frozen One Email: connor@frozen-one.com
Frozen One Instagram: @frozenoneprotein
Website: frozen-one.com

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Show Links:

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Episode music by Super Fantastics