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

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast-1235739/founder-fundraising-journey-frozen-one-alan-chen-conner-mennig
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast-1235739/founder-fundraising-journey-frozen-one-alan-chen-conner-mennig.md
Podcast: [The Startup CPG Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast-1235739)
Published: 2026-07-25T07:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://share.transistor.fm/s/469b1571
Audio file: https://pscrb.fm/rss/p/pdst.fm/e/media.transistor.fm/469b1571/d8dc3851.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-startup-cpg-podcast-1235739/episodes/founder-fundraising-journey-frozen-one-alan-chen-conner-mennig
Duration seconds: 2342

## Resource

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 roun…

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