We’re looking forward to introducing you to Jenifer Shwartz. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Jenifer, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
One of my proudest accomplishments is my family , something most people don’t see behind the scenes. Being a mother to six children while running a fast-growing business can feel like an impossible balancing act at times. But my family is my greatest source of strength and motivation. Each of my children brings something uniquely special into my life, and they remind me daily why I push forward, no matter how challenging the journey gets.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m the founder of Freezcake, a CPG startup born out of an unexpected health crisis during the Covid pandemic. Freezcake is the first national brand of freeze-dried cheesecake, a nostalgic dessert reimagined as a shelf-stable, on-the-go snack. What makes us unique is the combination of culinary craftsmanship and convenience. With my background as a pastry chef, we make everything from scratch using simple, high-quality ingredients. We also keep things exciting with seasonal and limited-edition flavor drops, from classics like New York and Strawberry to bold options like Pumpkin and our newest launch, Dubai Chocolate.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
I think one of the deepest things that breaks bonds between people is trauma. We all face pain and challenges, it’s part of being human but when we’re in the middle of our own personal storm, it can feel like no one else could possibly understand. That loneliness becomes a wall. We start to retreat, thinking it’s safer not to share, not to burden others, or maybe we’re just too raw to risk being misunderstood. And while it may not seem like it in the moment, that instinct to pull away is often driven by ego; this idea that our pain is uniquely ours, or that others won’t get it. But what actually heals, what rebuilds bonds, is vulnerability. It’s choosing to speak even when it’s hard, to show up even when we feel broken. Connection doesn’t require perfect words; it just requires honesty. The solution lies in creating safe, judgment-free spaces where people can be seen and heard without needing to be ‘fixed.’ Real healing happens in community, not in isolation
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
The defining wound of my life is also what became my greatest turning point. Without it, I wouldn’t be on the path I’m on today but I was headed there through pain, not choice. When COVID hit, like many others, it tore my life apart overnight. I lost all my revenue streams, found myself unexpectedly pregnant due to a stress-triggered hormone surge that made my birth control fail (yes, seriously), and was suddenly home with three kids, trying to hold it all together.
When my husband contracted COVID, all I could think about was getting him well, I didn’t even stop to consider what might happen to me. But then it hit me. What started as a small cough became pneumonia, and soon I was in the ICU, fighting for my life. Through that chaos, I was still thinking about the business, about the cheesecakes we had left. I told my husband to freeze-dry them, not knowing when or if I’d make it back.
What I didn’t realize then was that in that moment of darkness, a new future was being born. That decision became the spark that turned my bakery into Freezcake.
Healing didn’t come quickly. I had to fight to heal my body first, which was the hardest part-recovering from a near-death experience while caring for a newborn and a family. But the real healing came when I let go of the bakery I had built and poured my heart into this new vision. Freezcake became more than a business-it became the embodiment of resilience, reinvention, and survival.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
One of the biggest lies in the CPG space, especially in food is that the only path to success is rapid scaling through venture capital, co-manufacturing, and cutting ingredient costs. I was told early on: get a VC to back you, find the cheapest co-man, use more sugar, swap out real ingredients like cream cheese for fillers, and compromise on quality to boost margins. That model might work for some, but it never felt right to me.
Instead of chasing fast growth at the expense of our values, we chose a different route. We kept manufacturing in-house so we could control quality and stay true to our ingredients. And while we absolutely need capital to grow, we’ve been deliberate about when and how we raise money. We’re holding off on bringing in investors until we reach meaningful revenue benchmarks, so we can prove our concept and build leverage without giving away large portions of our company too early.
It’s slower, harder, and more intentional but it’s honest. And it allows us to create something we’re proud of.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace when I’m at home, preparing and sharing a meal with my children. As a mom of six, life is constantly moving especially while running a business. But in those moments around the table, everything slows down. I’m not thinking about deadlines or decisions, just being fully present with the people I love most. It’s simple, grounding, and the truest kind of peace I know.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.freezcake.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freezcakenation/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/93870297/admin/dashboard/
Image Credits
Olga SFLPhoto
