From Studies to Protein Ice Cream: Two Women Build a Million-Shekel Brand
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
Hadar Cohen and Noa Ram, both 23, have built Pro Cream, a protein ice cream brand with over 1,000 Israeli outlets and annual revenue of about 1 million shekels. The duo abandoned their university studies to pursue the business, which began as a kitchen experiment. Despite early failures and significant financial losses, they developed a successful product and now manage all operations themselves, reinvesting profits until recently drawing salaries.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Hadar Cohen and Noa Ram launched Pro Cream, a protein ice cream brand, after abandoning their university studies.
- The brand achieved over 1,000 points of sale in Israel within two years.
- Pro Cream generates approximately 1 million shekels in annual revenue.
- The founders faced significant challenges, including financial losses and manufacturing issues.
- They now manage all business operations themselves and have recently started drawing salaries.
Hadar Cohen and Noa Ram, both 23, have abandoned their planned university studies to build Pro Cream, a successful protein ice cream brand. The two childhood friends from Omer, in southern Israel, were on track for traditional academic and military careers before a shared idea sparked their entrepreneurial journey.
Cohen, a former combat medic and model, was set to study nutrition, while Ram, an ex-logistics officer, was preparing for biotechnology engineering. Their path diverged when Cohen, seeking to lose weight for modeling, found protein-rich diets unpalatable. Ram, also health-conscious, was frustrated by the lack of tasty, healthy protein snacks. This shared dissatisfaction led them to experiment in Cohen's kitchen, aiming to create a high-protein, delicious ice cream.
Initially, they planned the venture as a short-term experiment before starting their degrees, investing 2,000 shekels each. Their early attempts were fraught with challenges, including unappetizing flavors and technical difficulties with protein powder's thickening properties. A viral social media video, however, unexpectedly propelled their homemade ice cream to popularity, with customers traveling to buy it.
Despite initial setbacks, including a 100,000 shekel loss on faulty packaging and a broken deal with a manufacturing plant, Cohen and Ram persevered. They ultimately partnered with the 'Eitalek' factory in Alfei Menashe, developing a successful product with 17 grams of protein and an airy texture. The brand now boasts over a thousand points of sale across Israel, including major chains, and generates approximately one million shekels in annual revenue.
Both women have fully committed to Pro Cream, canceling their studies. They manage all aspects of the business themselves, from marketing to distribution, emphasizing their hands-on approach. Despite receiving acquisition offers, they plan to continue growing the company, with aspirations for international expansion. They have recently begun drawing regular salaries after two years of reinvesting all profits.
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