Client Spotlight: Roll-N-Sweetz

Brain freeze? Not for this 17-year–old entrepreneur

 

Making a dream come true

A dream turned into a delectable reality for 17-year-old a’Ron Burns when his Roll-N-Sweetz rolled ice cream store caught the attention of local food lovers’ groups, social media, and local and nationwide news outlets. It’s no wonder, it’s a great story full of hope and inspiration fueled by a mother’s belief in her son, a young man with the drive to figure out how to make it work, and, of course, ice cream.

Source: Omaha World-Herald. 2022.

Finding the funding

As any business owner knows, having a dream and ambition doesn’t equate to the doors automatically opening. There’s that thing called money that helps to make it happen. That’s where a’Ron and his mother showed their business-savvy and reached out to a community resource, the Carver Legacy Center. American National Bank’s Ernest White and Jill McClure worked with the Carver team to utilize the Carver Legacy deposit funds set-aside to provide them with a business loan. Along with other funding from the Nebraska Enterprise Fund, the doors to Roll-N-Sweetz are now wide open, and the community is eating it up.

Source: Omaha World-Herald. 2022.

The mission works

Providing loans to Black-owned businesses to help create Black wealth and opportunities in the North Omaha community is part of the Carver Legacy Center’s mission. The story of Roll-N-Sweetz is a testament to a community and partnership that will see that mission through.
 

See the links below for Roll-N-Sweetz press coverage.

17-year-old opens rolled ice cream shop in North Omaha (wowt.com)
Welcome to the Weekend – July 8, 2022 (ketv.com)
Meet the 17-Year-Old Black Teen Who Just Opened a Rolled Ice Cream Shop (yahoo.com)
What a ‘roll’ model! – Civic Nebraska
Meet a’Ron Burns Who Opened Brick-And-Mortar Ice Cream Shop At Age 17 – Espact
Meet the 17-Year-Old Black Teen Who Just Opened a Rolled Ice Cream Shop (blackbusiness.com)
Omaha World Herald or see the front page of the story
YouTube Video (Omaha World Herald)

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