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鈥檚 Ice Cream by her sister, who could not have dairy, and Kate made it her goal to make ice cream so everyone could enjoy it.
鈥淢y mission is to provide everyone with the classic ice cream shop experience regardless of dietary restriction or allergy,鈥� Williams said.
Kate Williams, owner of Kate's Ice Cream
Mardi Gras King Cake ice cream
鈥� Photos courtesy of Kate's Ice Cream
Based in Portland, Oregon, Kate鈥檚 Ice Cream honors south Louisiana by having specialty Louisiana flavors, such as Mardi Gras king cake, and incorporating other New Orleans traditions.
鈥淢y Lafayette roots are part of my creative DNA,鈥� said Williams. 鈥淥ur 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鈥檚 always so much fun to have a little taste of home. There鈥檚 a warmth and hospitality in the South that I channel into our brand.鈥�
Kate鈥檚 Ice Cream has expanded from one shop in Portland to multiple locations, with plans to expand nationally.
Since expansion, Kate鈥檚 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鈥檚 Waffle Cones, which serves gluten free waffle cone mix to other ice cream shops around the country.
Williams said her biggest accomplishment isn鈥檛 the awards, but her thriving business.
鈥淚鈥檓 incredibly proud to be an LSU alum. The resilience, creativity, and southern spirit I carry into my business were forged during those years.鈥�
鈥� Kate Williams
鈥淢y biggest accomplishment is, honestly, still being here,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淚 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鈥檇 be winning national awards and having lines out the door, she would鈥檝e cried!鈥�
Williams credits her success to her strong team, her self growth as a leader, and to LSU.
鈥淚鈥檓 incredibly proud to be an LSU alum. The resilience, creativity, and southern spirit I carry into my business were forged during those years,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淏ringing 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!鈥�
Looking into the future, Kate鈥檚 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鈥檚 Ice Cream location open by the end of 2026.
鈥淭est your idea, listen to your customers, and don鈥檛 be afraid to fail鈥攆ailure is how you learn,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淚 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鈥檛 stop. Build your endurance. Channel that Tiger energy!鈥�
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