LSU Alumna Brings Louisiana Traditions to Portland through her Thriving Ice Cream Business
May 23, 2025
Rooted in south Louisiana and driven by family, LSU alumna Kate Williams created an award winning plant-based and gluten-free ice cream business with hopes of becoming nationally recognized.
Williams was inspired to start Kate’s Ice Cream by her sister, who could not have dairy, and Kate made it her goal to bring ice cream for everyone.
“My mission is to provide everyone with the classic ice cream shop experience regardless of dietary restriction or allergy,” Williams said.
Kate Williams, owner of Kate's Ice Cream
Mardi Gras King Cake ice cream
– Photos courtesy of Kate's Ice Cream
Based in Portland, Oregon, Kate’s Ice Cream honors south Louisiana by having specialty Louisiana flavors, such as Mardi Gras king cake, and incorporating other New Orleans traditions.
“My Lafayette roots are part of my creative DNA,” said Williams. “Our first shop is located on the route of the annual Mardi Gras parade in Portland. We play jazz music in the store and our employees wear beads, so it’s always so much fun to have a little taste of home. There’s a warmth and hospitality in the South that I channel into our brand.”
Kate’s Ice Cream has expanded from one shop in Portland to multiple locations, with plans to expand nationally.
Since expansion, Kate’s Ice Cream has won awards including Best Vegan Ice Cream Shop in the Country by VegNews in 2024. It's also allowed Williams to open her second brand, Kate’s Waffle Cones, which serves gluten free waffle cone mix to other ice cream shops around the country.
But Williams said her biggest accomplishment is not the awards, nor the success of her second business—it is that her first ice cream business has not only succeeded, but continues to thrive.
“I’m incredibly proud to be an LSU alum. The resilience, creativity, and southern spirit I carry into my business were forged during those years.”
— Kate Williams
“My biggest accomplishment is, honestly, still being here,” Williams said. “I had two failed ice cream businesses before this one. So, if you told that previous version of me, who felt like a total failure, that we’d be winning national awards and having lines out the door, she would’ve cried!”
Williams credits her success to her strong team, her self growth as a leader, and to LSU.
“I’m incredibly proud to be an LSU alum. The resilience, creativity, and southern spirit I carry into my business were forged during those years,” Williams said. “Bringing on a strong leadership within the team was key, and once I put great people in place to lead, everything started thriving. I attribute endurance to this and I definitely picked up some of that from my time on the LSU Rowing team!”
Looking into the future, Kate’s Ice Cream is opening a pop-up shop over the summer, as well as planning to open a commissary kitchen next year, which will give her business the production capacity to open more locations.
Williams plans to have a third Kate’s Ice Cream location open by the end of 2026.
“Test your idea, listen to your customers, and don’t be afraid to fail—failure is how you learn,” Williams said. “I failed twice before building the brand I have now. If you really believe in yourself and that your product has what it takes, then don’t stop. Build your endurance. Channel that Tiger energy!”
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