In an interview with CanadianSME Small Business Magazine, Ajoa Mintah, founder of Four All Ice Cream, shared her remarkable transition from a professional engineer to a food entrepreneur. Ajoa was inspired to start her own ice cream business driven by a passion for creativity and a desire to improve existing food products. She highlighted how her engineering background equipped her with critical problem-solving skills and a methodical approach, which she now applies to perfecting ice cream recipes. Ajoa emphasized the importance of balancing ingredient ratios through scientific methods, ensuring each batch of Four All Ice Cream meets high-quality standards while delivering unique flavors. Her dedication to integrating local ingredients and maintaining sustainable practices is also central to her business ethos, aiming to support local producers and minimize environmental impact. Ajoa’s journey reflects a successful blend of passion, innovation, and community-focused entrepreneurship.
Meet Ajoa Mintah, the mastermind behind Four All Ice Cream, where engineering meets dessert dreams! After earning her Chemical Engineering degree from the University of Waterloo in 2001, Ajoa embarked on a 16-year journey, venturing from the automotive industry’s product development to the finance sector’s technical consulting. But her heart yearned for something sweeter—literally. With a passion for making, Ajoa took a leap of faith to turn her love for ice cream into a reality.
Now, as the founder of Four All Ice Cream in Kitchener, Ajoa blends her education, diverse experiences, and unwavering creativity to craft frozen delights that defy dietary limitations. Her mission? To spread the joy of ice cream to everyone, no matter their dietary preferences or restrictions. With a knack for setting goals and solving problems, Ajoa brings a unique blend of engineering precision and culinary delight to each scoop.
Ajoa, transitioning from a licensed professional engineer to the founder of Four All Ice Cream is a unique journey. What inspired you to make this leap into food entrepreneurship, and how have your engineering skills influenced your approach to creating ice cream?
My inspiration to leap into food entrepreneurship came from a desire to feel unlimited. And entrepreneurship was the only path I could think of that would allow me to set my own boundaries. I focused on ice cream, because I LOVE IT, and thought I could do better than what was readily available, in terms of crafting a product that did not cause digestive discomfort after consuming (To that end we make our ice creams using a specific type of dairy containing A2 milk and we’re always gluten-free). It was also a way to celebrate what I thought was great about Waterloo Region (the abundance of fresh local food), while also applying my engineering skills.
In engineering, 2 key skills that we are taught are 1) How to problem solve and 2) How to learn, meaning how to go about finding answers to things you don’t know. That mindset really made my entrepreneurial journey a little less intimidating. It’s certainly challenging, but believing every problem has a solution makes going for it seem a little less insane.
Specific to ice cream, our approach is rooted in science! Before launching Four All, I took an Ice Cream Technology short course, offered by the University of Guelph, taught by Professor Douglas Goff ( a leading Canadian Food Scientist, who literally wrote the textbook on ice cream). And there I learned that ice cream has very specific properties, and is a careful combination of water, milk fats, solids & sugar. Those key components can come from various sources and as long as you account for and balance all of them in your specific formulation with your chosen ingredients you can end up with something great!
With this approach, every formulation for us starts off in an Excel spreadsheet where I analyze and take apart each ingredient and adjust and balance them to get our optimal ration (essentially our secret sauce).
Being announced as a member of the Stacy’s Rise Project Class of 2024 is a significant achievement. How do you anticipate this involvement will support and enhance Four All Ice Cream, particularly in your mission of food inclusivity?
The $25,000 grant from the Stacy’s Rise Project will be used to help relaunch Four All’s packaging. We recently streamlined our product offering and we want our brand assets to reflect this shift and better communicate our brand and mission to our consumer. We’ll also lean on our PepsiCo mentors to share their insight and advice on how best we can do this.
The Stacy’s Rise Project has also connected me and Four All Ice Cream to a community of likeminded women entrepreneurs, allowing our networks to grow and enabling us to access a community of intelligent women that we can learn from. For example, Kate Tremills, founder of Flourish Kitchen, is another winner of Stacy’s Rise Project 2024 who’s also on a mission to promote food inclusivity. We’re not on the exact same market, but we can certainly lean on each other for market insight and ideas.
The opportunity to learn from all the women in the 2024 Cohort as well as our mentors is invaluable. This allows me to add significant experience and knowledge to my team, that I would otherwise not have had access to.
You’re passionate about mentoring new entrepreneurs, especially black entrepreneurs. Could you share how your experiences have shaped your mentorship philosophy and the impact you hope to have through initiatives like the Stacy’s Rise Project and Lift Off Black Entrepreneurship and Innovation Hub?
My passion for mentoring new entrepreneurs, especially black female entrepreneurs, stems from my own experiences and the recognition of the systemic barriers we often face in the business world. Throughout my journey as an entrepreneur, I’ve encountered numerous challenges, setbacks, and moments of doubt. However, I’ve also been fortunate to receive guidance, support, and mentorship from individuals who believed in me and my potential.
This firsthand experience has deeply influenced my mentorship philosophy. I believe in the power of mentorship to provide practical advice and guidance and instill confidence, resilience, and a sense of belonging in aspiring entrepreneurs. Initiatives like the Stacy’s Rise Project and Lift Off, aim to create a supportive ecosystem where female entrepreneurs, regardless of ethnicity, can access resources, mentorship, and opportunities to thrive.
Seeing somebody that looks like you attempt something that you otherwise would have thought impossible, or simply “just not for you” is powerful, and sparks something in others. It’s cliché, but representation really matters. And initiatives like the Stacy’s Rise Project and Lift Off should never be allowed to die.
My philosophy is all about paying it forward—sharing knowledge, connections, and encouragement to help others succeed. By lifting each other up, we create a stronger, more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem where everyone has a chance to thrive. It’s about empowering the next generation and building a legacy of success.
Four All Ice Cream emphasizes supporting local and other small businesses. Can you elaborate on how this commitment is reflected in your operations and product sourcing? Why is this aspect important to you and your brand?
One of the important factors in starting Four All Ice Cream was to celebrate what I think is great about Waterloo region. Upon moving here in 2012 I was delighted to learn that driving 10 minutes in any direction would lead me to a farm. The proximity of St. Jacob’s Market also made it very easy to connect with other small producers. We prioritize keeping things local and supporting other small businesses not only to ensure higher quality of product, but to foster a sense of community and sustainability. It also feels good to know we’re helping our neighbours thrive while crafting delicious ice cream for everyone to enjoy! Without this community Four All Ice Cream would not have survived the global pandemic.
How does Four All Ice Cream approach sustainability, particularly in terms of ingredients, packaging, and overall operations? Are there any recent strides you’ve made in this area that you’d like to highlight?
Sustainability is a biggie for us! We’re always looking for ways to reduce our environmental footprint. For ingredients, we prioritize local and organic whenever possible, minimizing transportation emissions and supporting eco-friendly farming practices. Our packaging is recyclable, reusable or returnable and in our Scoop Shops we’re exploring even greener options like compostable materials. In our operations, we’re all about energy efficiency and waste reduction. Currently we’re in the process of building a new production facility where we plan to implement a composting program for kitchen scraps and are also looking to upgrade our equipment to be more energy-efficient.
