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Hannah's story

Ice cream has always been my favorite treat. It's pretty awesome that many people can say the same thing, and that makes me smile.

When I moved to Brooklyn from Long Island in 2013, I felt a growing distance between me and my family. To comfort myself, I began making the foods that I would make for my parents and my two brothers when I was living with them. Living apart made me realize how much it meant to me to cook a great meal and share it with others.

I didn't grow up in a family of great cooks and bakers, so when I started cooking, I'd be in the kitchen for hours determined to make really great Korean meals that not only were healthy but also flavorful and delicious.

But I soon discovered that my passion for cooking was more sweet than savory, and I found an even greater joy whenever I made ice cream and shared it with family and friends. Just hearing the word "ice cream" can light up someone's eyes and make them smile. It's a beautiful thing.

On Thanksgiving Day in 2014, I gave a freshly spun batch of my "black sesame" ice cream to my boyfriend for his birthday. He absolutely loved it and encouraged me to keep making more. So I started making ice cream every day, and I decided to create flavors for the people I love most. I wanted to make flavors for my family that they could connect to and feel good about.

The first flavor I created is our "Toasted Rice" ice cream, which is the crowd favorite at our local markets. My inspiration for Noona's Ice Cream is the flavors of Korean food that I grew up with, and this special flavor is inspired by a traditional Korean rice snack called "Noo-Roong-Ji". I reimagined this rice snack into an ice cream flavor by toasting raw rice then steeping it into fresh cream, so the toasty flavors of the rice infuse the cream. This flavor resonates with many people because rice is a beloved staple ingredient found in most cultures. After sharing it with family, friends, and neighbors, word spread and it wasn't too soon after that I began hand-delivering my "Toasted Rice" flavor all across the 5 boroughs of NYC.

My personal dream is tied to my professional pursuits, which is to build an ice cream company that not only provides delicious ice cream but also mentors young people who want to become food entrepreneurs. It means so much to me to be a positive influence on younger people, because I was fortunate to have had many people to look up to when I was a kid.


This loan is special because:

It supports a woman entrepreneur purchase equipment and scale her business.



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About Noona's Ice Cream

Industry: Retail
Years in operation: New Business
Website: noonasicecream.com

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