Founder Fundraising Journey: Frozen One, Alan Chen & Conner Mennig

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 laterLanding a $250K first check on a SAFE from a local Austin investor Conner met at a house partyThe scramble to close an oversubscribed $2M round after Target asked for 1,500 doors in three monthsSplitting founder responsibilities: Alan on product and ice cream R&D, Conner on operations and financeLanding Central Market by cold-calling the buyer - and how that velocity data fueled investor conversationsBuilding the team: a creative director roommate, a "head of ice cream," an ad-ops hire, and a new COO from Van LeeuwenWhy the current $5.5M round with Brand Foundry is primarily focused on closing the team and bandwidth gapTurning investor "no's" into direct, honest feedback conversations instead of walking away quietlyWhat surprised them most about CPG: just how genuinely difficult and slow retail execution is, even after landing the dealEpisode 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.comFrozen One Instagram: @frozenoneproteinWebsite: frozen-one.comDon't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.Show Links:Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to "Transcript" at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (35K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Hannah's LinkedInQuestions or comments about the episode? Email podcast@startupcpg.comEpisode music by Super Fantastics