Laura O’Neill

Laura O’Neill

Co-Founder of Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream

Age: 29

Place of Birth: Melbourne, Australia

Where you live: Brooklyn, New York

First Job: Supermarket Checkout

What it taught me: Dealing with money, responsibility, customer service, what people eat!

Status: Married

Family: Husband Ben Van Leeuwen

Three things people would be surprised to know about me:

1. I host a weekly dance jam in the dark called ‘No Lights, No Lycra’

2. I’m the greatest sleeper in the world

3. I’ve taken comedy improv classes

Best advice you could give someone starting out: Never compromise your product. People will always try to get you to do things the ‘easy’ or ‘normal’ way, but you have to keep your integrity.

Laura O’Neill was born in Melbourne, Australia in 1981, the youngest of three. After high school she took a year off and went to live in Rome. Upon returning Laura studied event management and spent three years as an Event Producer.

During a holiday to London in 2006, Laura met Ben Van Leeuwen and moved to NYC the following year.

In the spring of 2008, the pair along with Ben’s brother Pete Van Leeuwen, launched Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream (VLAIC).

They now have six trucks, one store and two more on the way.

They make their ice cream in upstate New York using only fresh milk and cream, cane sugar, egg yolks and the best flavor ingredients they can find around the world.

VLAIC was named one of INC magazine’s ‘Dream Companies’ of 2010.