By Lindsey Murray | ISU Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship

CYstarters Spotlight: A 14-part series highlighting student entrepreneurs pursuing their business ventures as part of the CYstarters 2024 summer cohort. Through this program, students have the unique opportunity to prioritize the development of their own startup or business idea. Each individual receives $6,500 and access to resources such as mentorship, networking opportunities, and educational sessions on entrepreneurship and business startup. 

Zane Lenz (L) and Grant Veenstra (R), co-founders of Frozen Gains

If you ever run into Zane Lenz and Grant Veenstra, they’ll undoubtedly have you laughing. While interviewing the pair, it was clear that they aren’t simply excellent pals and fraternity brothers, but they are collaborative and dynamic business partners as well. In this partnership, Grant and Zane are bringing a brand-new product into the world of fitness and nutrition. Co-founders of Frozen Gains, this duo is crafting a delicious weight-gainer ice cream tailored for athletes striving to build muscle mass. This idea was born from their shared passion for fitness and disgust of poor-tasting protein shakes.

Grant Veenstra, a finance major in the Iowa State University Ivy College of Business, is an Urbandale native. His entrepreneurial journey began at the young age of eleven with a lawn care business (a classic side hustle for any budding entrepreneur). “When I was a kid, I never really liked rules. So, when I found entrepreneurship, I was excited to make my own thing, work at my own pace, make my own rules,” Grant recalls.

But his entrepreneurial pursuits didn’t end there. As a high school student playing on his school’s basketball team, Grant remembered always being too skinny to compete effectively, and falling short against many other players. With a dream of one day competing at a college level, he had to find a way to put on some weight.

“I started drinking mass-gainer shakes. They were awful, but I needed them to bulk up,” he shares. Despite his aversion to the shakes, Grant saw significant progress and eventually earned a basketball scholarship to Northwestern. “I was proud because I was the biggest freshman on the team. But when I met with the coach, he told me he wanted me to put on another 15-20 pounds. And I thought, ‘Please, no more shakes!’”. Shakes were not the answer for Grant this time, but he thought a weight-gainer ice cream to finish off a meal sounded like a tastier option.

Enter Zane Lenz, a computer engineering major from Ames, Iowa, with a technical mind and a passion for fitness. Zane’s path to entrepreneurship was more cautious. “Coming into college, I wanted to pay my way rather than rely on my parents, but the idea of starting a side hustle seemed daunting with the time and money investment required,” he explains. The turning point came when the duo joined the same fraternity, Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE), and began discussing business ideas.

Frozen Gains started as a concept during their fraternity talks but officially launched through the CYstarters program this summer. CYstarters has provided them with the structure, mentorship, and networking opportunities they needed to transform their idea into a tangible product. “The mentors and accountability sessions have been incredibly beneficial,” says Zane. “We’ve learned so much about goal-setting and holding each other accountable.”

At Frozen Gains, Zane handles the tech side, designing their website, while Grant focuses on sales and takes a more client-facing role. But they collaborate on many of the day-to-day operations including actually creating the product. Their complementary skills have been vital in navigating the challenges of developing their unique product.

Creating a calorie-dense, protein-rich ice cream has been difficult. The pair have consulted nutrition specialists and experts at the Iowa State Creamery to begin creating their formula. “We’re in the trial-and-error phase, experimenting with ingredients and flavors,” Grant explains. They’ve even purchased a soft-serve ice cream machine, making new mixes and refining the texture and taste of each batch. “Each batch seems better than the previous one.” Last Friday, the pair invited CYstarters cohort 9 to participate in the first official Frozen Gains taste-test, and the results were incredibly positive!

Achieving the right consistency while packing in the necessary calories and nutrients has proven tricky. “Getting the ice cream to freeze properly without being too thick is a challenge,” Grant notes. But with connections made through CYstarters, including industry professionals from Blue Bunny Ice Cream and The Farmer’s Dog, they are confident in overcoming these obstacles.

Both Grant and Zane have a new perspective on entrepreneurship. “It’s intimidating at first because you’re on your own, but the potential to scale your own business and create passive income is exciting,” Grant says.

As they prepare for Demo Day, Zane and Grant have set ambitious goals: to present a ready-to-taste product and establish connections with local grocery stores and retailers. They are also focused on creating their website and refining their marketing strategy to target athletes and fitness enthusiasts.

Their advice to aspiring entrepreneurs? “Just do it. No one will force you to start something, but once you do, the resources provided by the Pappajohn Center are there,” says Grant.

Keep an eye out for Frozen Gains, a game-changing ice cream, and join the Ames community in supporting CYstarters cohort 9 at Demo Day next Tuesday, July 30. Register at www.isupjcenter.org/event/2023-cystarters-demo-day/ and taste Frozen Gains for yourself!