Table Colombia Challenge

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The problem we seek to solve is to be able to offer all people with diseases such as diabetes or constipation, as well as vegans, products that adapt to each lifestyle and that can be included in their daily diet. On the other hand, we seek to offer a gelato much healthier than the industrial one.

To solve the problem we identified, we decided to develop three business lines: the traditional line where you can find an ice cream much healthier and more natural than the industrial ones; the functional line that is for people suffering from constipation or diabetes; finally, the vegan line that is for all those people who, by their own decision, decided not to consume or use anything that comes from animals.

In Colombia, the current consumption of ice cream is 3 liters per person per year, while in New Zealand, where ice cream is consumed the most, this figure reaches 29 liters per person per year. This means that the potential growth of this industry in our country is significant since it is in its development and growth stage. On the other hand, the fitness industry is growing and more people are interested in adopting a much healthier lifestyle. It is also important to note that in Colombia every 8 out of 10 women suffer from constipation allowing us to grow in this market segment. Finally and although only 1% of the population is vegan, this is a trending topic and that is why many people without having this lifestyle are interested in tasting vegan foods.

Traditional gelato:My competitive advantage over my competitors in the traditional line is innovation and product customization. Our clients can assemble the version of each presentation by choosing their favorite flavors. These products arrive where the customer needs it, the day and time that is most appropriate for them.

1. Michelle
2. Orso
3. Selva nevada

Healthy and functional: My competitive advantage over my competitors in the healthy line is that our products are made from natural ingredients and not from powdered supplements. Example, we do not use protein powder but chickpeas. Another advantage is that our gelato does not contain so many ice crystals thanks to the production process

1. Freezen
2. Power pops

Vegan gelato: My competitive advantage over my competitors in the vegan line is the variety in flavors. We focus on developing the same flavors of the traditional line and turning them into vegan flavors so that consumers have more options besides those of fruits

1. Drizzme
2. Mumma

To validate our business idea we have participated in healthy fairs, but also in gastronomic fairs with our traditional ice cream. We have had an ice cream parlour where we learned to identify consumer preferences, and finally we have made several focus groups to get real feedback.

Our current business model is the sale of products through social networks. However, our short-term objective is to have a point of sale, increase brand recognition to start selling franchises nationwide. We seek to make alliances with Colombian farmers and entrepreneurs in order to use their products as our raw materials. The most important management indicators at this time are: liters of gelato produced, number of new customers, reduce production time, number of complaints, number of fairs or events in which we participate.

Currently, the work team is made up by the founder and a person in charge of delivering the product. In equity issues 100% of the shares are from Daniela Giron, founder of Minka. I studied business administration focus on hospitality and tourism, but my passion for gelato took me to Bologna - Italy to study and to have the necessary knowledge to develop my own creations. I am 30 years old and currently I live from my passion and I hope to continue doing it.

What we want to achieve with minka is to have several points of sale throughout Colombia and even internationally. We want to have a trained work team but for which we can also be a support, we want this team to work horizontally, to be creative and participative. Finally, we want to export some of the products that are part of our raw material and that are made by ourselves. We want these products to have the country brand.

Sales history: 6.700 US

Sales projection (3years): 53.000 US per year

Impact on our employees: we want our employees and their families to have a roof to live in and to have access to an education where they are able to identify and develop their skills. This is a future goal.
Impact in our community: The impact in our consumers would be that after consuming our products they can feel they are eating a good gelato that is somehow contributing to their health. We also want to generate an impact on the environment and that is why we currently do not use anything plastic in our packaging and when people buy some of our products they receive some seeds that they can sow in the same packaging of our products.
Impact on suppliers: we want to work with Colombian campaigns and entrepreneurs to use their products as our raw materials.