Five-alarm to market: Vegan ice cream maker proves her treats can take the heat of competition

Fresh off a 24-hour shift at the fire station, Zoe Mays — founder of Scream Queens — rode a wave of adrenaline to victory at last week’s Food Biz Con pitch competition.

Zoe Mays, Scream Queens, right, accepts first place in the Food Biz Con pitch competition at K-State Olathe; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

Mays — a poet-turned-firefighter/paramedic-turned-entrepreneur — took home $5,000 for her vegan ice cream pop-up business, which she founded in 2024 after her girlfriend wanted better options for people with dietary restrictions (and a sweet tooth).

“I’m a little tired,” she said after her win Friday at the K-State Olathe Innovation Center. “But I got really lucky, and I got to sleep for most of the night (before the pitch) — which does not always happen — so that was like a little stroke of fortune.”

“It was kind of nice (on Thursday) to just be busy and not be sitting and thinking about the public speaking aspect,” she added. “But got up at 6 o’clock this morning at work, and it was a quick turnaround to getting here and pitching.”

The food-focused competition — presented by Square One Small Business Services by the Mid-Continent Public Library — capped this year’s Food Business Conference, which offered free workshops, panel discussions, and networking opportunities for “foodpreneurs” and included keynote speakers Chef Jasper Mirabile, Jr., owner of Jasper’s Restaurant, and Jackie Nguyen, founder of Cafe Cà Phê.

“It’s super validating,” Mays noted of her pitch success. “It was an honor just to be here. And honestly, the coolest part was just connecting with the other small business owners who were pitching. I hadn’t met any of them before, and we’re already talking about future collaborations and trading tips and tricks. So honestly, that was a blast.”

ICYMI: Paramedic by day (and night), this Scream Queen fights fire with vegan ice cream

Small business contenders and organizers from the Food Biz Con pitch competition; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

Six Kansas City-based small business owners competed for a share of the $9,000 prize money.

“I’ve worked with thousands of startup businesses throughout my career,” said Xander Winkel, Culinary Center director for the Mid-Continent Public Library, “And it’s important to have a good product, absolutely, but it’s not necessarily the single individual thing that makes a business. It’s important to have a good business plan, but that also isn’t, in and of itself, the most important aspect when I see successful businesses.”

“It’s the folks who have the passion, that really believe in their mission, and they hold onto that in the good days, in the bad days, the days you get cash, the days you don’t get cash,” he continued. “You all demonstrated that so well.”

Mays — who has created more than a dozen plant-based dairy flavors — plans to use her prize money to gear up for her first season at the Overland Park Farmer’s Market, she noted.

“I’m really excited to buy equipment,” she continued. “I’m hiring employees for the first time. I’m going to stock some product. The nice thing about ice cream is that I can make it in advance. So I’m going to really try to get a lot of that work done ahead of the farmers market before I start making money. So it’s gonna make a huge difference.”

Rachel Miller — founder of Fika Coffee KC, a mobile coffee cart built on the belief that coffee brings people together — took home the $3,000 second-place prize. 

“It feels really good to win and just affirm all the hard work that I’ve been putting in,” she said.

Miller — who will also be serving up coffee at this year’s Overland Park Farmer’s Market — plans to use her prize money toward buying a second espresso cart.

Jaresha Rhone — founder of Cake-A-Boo, a custom cake and cupcake bakery near Westport with a mobile dessert bar cart and food trailer — earned $1,000 for third place.

“I’m super excited about it,” she noted. “This is going to help me move to the next step with my part-time employees and help me grow.”

Judges for the competition included Edgar Galicia, executive director of the Central Area Betterment Association; Oswaldo Romero, business lender at Arvest Bank and an ambassador for the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City; Lesli Barraza, founder of RevUp Media and Latina Glow Circle; and Milca Aguirre, donor engagement manager for Big Brother Big Sisters Kansas City. Ana Duin — owner of OPUS Media Group — emceed the event.

Other businesses who participated in the pitch competition included:

Michelle Carroll, Lovely Day Coffee; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

Lovely Day Coffee, Michelle Carroll — Kansas City-based pop-up cold brew and matcha bar serving brews sourced from women- and family-led farms with the goal of bringing more joy into everyday rituals.

“We thought, what if the drink felt like the best part of the day?” Carroll said. “Starbucks and Dunkin? They scaled convenience. We want to focus on fostering connection in an industry that forgot how, so we have drinks that are designed around moods. We use specialty beans from women- and family-owned farms, premium matcha, and quality syrups with ingredients you can pronounce. We want you to feel lovely inside and out with each sip.”

Raul Holguin, Papis Tacos KC; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

Papis Tacos KC, Raul Holguin — KCK-based food truck, blending culture, passion, and community into every meal.

“This is a family-owned business from Mexico to Kansas City, built on hard work, vision, and a deep passion for authentic Mexican cuisine,” Holguin explained. “We proudly serve high-quality traditional food made with care, culture, and fresh ingredients.”

Becky Gripp, The Tamale Kitchen; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

The Tamale Kitchen, Becky Gripp — Northeast-based business selling tamales with the mission of providing employment opportunities to Hispanic women and to bridge a cultural divide.

“Our model is really very simple,” Gripp noted. “We are a business with a social purpose. We value impact over profit.”