"My advice to those starting a business would be that people respond well to seeing someone real behind the business. Getting to know the story of the founder/product. If you want to build an authentic brand- put yourself out there. Plus, make a bomb product!"

The next gal in our She’s Empowered series is Katelyn Williams, founder of Kate’s Ice Cream. Her ice cream is plant-based, gluten-free and absolutely delicious! She makes tons of fun flavors - including limited-edition Snickerdoodle Cookie Cone, made with our Cinnamon Snickerdoodle nut butter. She created this collab flavor for International Women’s Day, and we made an incredible Waffle Cone nut butter using her yummy waffle cones. It sold out within just a few days! We are so excited to introduce you all to Kate and her GREAT plant-based ice cream.

Tell us a little about you! 

I'm born and raised South Louisiana and have lived in quite a few different places with my husband Brandon, pup and cat. We have landed in Portland as home and love it! I am very active, love building my company, and get super excited when I can jet out of town for a little getaway.

What do you do for work? Tell us about your professional journey. 

I'm the founder and recipe creator of Kate's Ice Cream. We are a plant-based and gluten-free ice cream company in Portland, OR. My entrepreneurial journey started in 2014 when I founded my first ice cream company, Scoop Sights, in Boston, MA. I would make dairy-free ice cream popsicles and sell them out of a tricycle at farmers markets. It was so cute! I was so young and just figuring it all out along the way, and it taught me a lot. When we moved to Portland, I closed the business, but knew this was what I was put on this earth to do. I spent more time recipe developing and launched Kate's in May 2019. Running Kate's has been a huge joy in my life and I feel so inspired by the community that has come together through sharing a scoop of ice cream!

How do you stay motivated? 

Connecting with other people who have gone through similar paths like mine. I love hearing stories of other women who have founded companies, how they've continued moving forward. Running a business, there's a bunch of things that constantly go wrong (and right!), and each time you troubleshoot, you get stronger. Exercising this muscle of thinking "ok, this just went wrong, but I know I always figure it out, so I'm going to breathe and move forward". Also, working out helps me stay motivated. I've been very active most of my life and it comes natural to me to plan my workouts throughout the week. I'm a big runner, I actually met my husband at a running club! Working out in the mornings gets my groove going and jumpstarts my brain and body for the day. Plus, feeling confident in your skin keeps you feeling motivated to continue pushing through obstacles that come your way. Shoutout to Alex Piccirilli, my favorite trainer in the Portland (and my designer for Kate’s Ice Cream) :)

Do you have any advice for someone who is interested in starting a business/blog? 

My advice to those starting a business would be that people respond well to seeing someone real behind the business. Getting to know the story of the founder/product. If you want to build an authentic brand- put yourself out there. Plus, make a bomb product!

What are your favorite ways to #spreadgood in your community? 

I love bringing female community together. I recently hosted an International Womxn’s Day event bringing together a diverse panel of local entrepreneurs in town to talk about their story in achieving what they have. All the food vendors were local woman-owned companies and they were paid for their product. I wanted to emphasize valuing and supporting the makers, and directing the conversations to being real and authentic, because it’s through those type of convos that people connect and feel inspired.

Who is one person who inspires you and why?

Alison Roman is inspiring me right now. She's a cookbook author and New York Times food columnist, and is known for her personality and delicious food. I saw her speak at a Cherry Bombe Jubilee Conference last year and fell in love. She was so real, so funny and authentic. Plus she wore brightly colored lipstick and nail polish, which prompted me to not be afraid to dress colorfully! She helped me see that being completely yourself helps people connect with you and your brand, and that's what I try to do with Kate's.

How do you work to stay centered and practice self-care in your busy day-to-day reality? 

I am a big fan of the morning routine. I start every day with time to myself in silence before the sun comes up. *What up to all those morning people!* I make matcha, journal, and meditate, then usually get a workout in. This has been key for staying centered throughout the day and focusing on what I have ahead. I'm a big fan of the morning routine!