CYstarters Alumni, Grant Veenstra and Zane Lenz, Awarded $2,500 by Story County Community Foundation to Boost Business

AMES, Iowa — November 6, 2024 — Two Iowa State University students have been awarded a $2,500 grant from the Story County Community Foundation to advance their business, Frozen Gains. Zane Lenz, a Computer Engineering student in the College of Engineering, and Grant Veentsra, a Finance student in the Ivy College of Business, co-founded Frozen Gains, a unique weight-gainer ice cream designed for athletes looking to build muscle mass. Inspired by their passion for fitness and dissatisfaction with standard protein shakes, Zane and Grant crafted a product that combines great taste with high protein content.

The grant was part of a competitive small business initiative supported by the Story County Community Foundation in partnership with the ISU Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship and the Iowa Small Business Development Center (SBDC). The competition offered up to $2,500 to emerging entrepreneurs and small business owners in Story County. Five local business finalists — including Beeler Lawn & Landscape, Blue Crib Customs LLC, Frozen Gains, PhotoSynthesis, and Piece & Freedom Bakery — presented live to secure one of two $2,500 Small Business and Entrepreneurship Grants.

The only student-owned business in the competition, Frozen Gains earned the award alongside Piece & Freedom Bakery. Zane and Grant have previously participated in Pappajohn Center programs, including the CYstarters summer accelerator.

Congratulations to Zane and Grant of Frozen Gains on this exciting milestone!