Q&A with Rishi Mishra '28 by Dr. James Edge, Upper School History and English teacher and Social Entrepreneurship Coordinator

Q: Rishi, where did this idea to start Frostbite’s Frozen Ice come from?

A: Well, I originally thought of it over the summer when I was playing tennis. Then, since it was really hot, I thought to myself, wouldn't it be a cool idea if I started this snow cone stand, and that's when the thought developed.

Q: What has been the overall effect of your efforts at Frostbite’s Frozen Ice on PD and the surrounding community?

A: The overall effect has kind of spread throughout the PD community. My customers get joy from the taste of the snow cones, and word of mouth spreads the idea. For Fall Fest, I had about 90 customers, and we sold out of all our materials in less than an hour.

Q: Have you considered donating a portion of your proceeds to an organization that promotes social good?

A: I’ve thought about donating to KIRAN, an organization I discovered while doing Bollywood dance, but most recently I’ve donated half of my earnings to the Freedom School at PD. 

Q: Where do you see your efforts going in the future?

A: I’d like to keep making snow cones, and if I get enough money and see that the demand is really still high, I would try to make a legitimate pursuit out of it, a legitimate business.

Q: How has your role changed as you've developed Frostbite’s Frozen Ice?

A: Well, I'm kind of like the only one running my snow cone stand, but I’ve recently been able to hire some of my friends and pay for them to help me.

Q: What's your favorite part about having this idea and seeing it all the way through?

A: It's fun to see all the little kids enjoy my stuff. I really like to see the looks on their faces and how they want more snow cones.

Q: Have you been surprised by anything or have there been some aspects that you were not expecting?

A: I was absolutely not expecting to get that many customers on my first day of sales.

Q: Have you had other opportunities to sell your snow cones since Fall Fest?

A: Well, I didn't do it for the Holiday Market because I thought the weather would be too cool, which would drive demand for snow cones down. 

Q: Is there a shift in your thinking with your business, any changes in how you sell your snow cones, or how you prepare for sales?

A: Well, I need a little more experience to see if I get around the same amount of customers. I might change the price a little bit.

Q: What's been the most challenging aspect of running Frostbites Frozen Ice?

A: The most challenging aspect of it is probably juggling all my activities as well as my business. I have to multitask often, and it doesn't help that I have flag football matches and tennis on Saturdays and Sundays. I do have to prioritize my school first because my grades need to be good. From there, I have to make some choices.

Q: If you could give other PD students interested in starting their own business a piece of advice, what would you say to them?

A: I'd probably say they should be creative, have a creative product, and whatever they want to create should probably be unique. Then, you might get quite a few people to try your product. Be unique, be creative, and maybe test it out, so you can refine your idea a little bit more.