Alumni Spotlight: Paul Reiss | Ice Cream, Innovation, and a Big Idea

When 2019 graduate Paul Reiss looks back on high school, one of the things he remembers most is having the freedom to learn at his own pace and build a schedule that worked for him. That flexibility also gave him something even more valuable: room to explore his interests and begin figuring out where they might lead. 

“I think that participating in JIA [U-Tech Prep Online's parent program] and having the space and opportunity to follow my interests are huge reasons I am here today,” Paul shared during a recent conversation with Executive Director, Krista Osterberg. 

After graduation, he attended Aquinas College, where he studied accounting while participating in both soccer and esports. His coursework strengthened his problem-solving skills, but Paul eventually decided to leave college and pursue an entrepreneurial idea with longtime friend Michael Meadows.

That idea became Protein Pints, a high-protein ice cream company that began in 2022 with experiments in Paul’s parents’ Hudsonville kitchen. Early recipes were tested with college athletes before Paul and Michael connected with local ice cream entrepreneur Chris McKellar and began refining the product and entering pitch competitions. What started small has since become a national brand. 

After an initial retail test in Michigan, Protein Pints expanded to approximately 8,000 stores, including major retailers such as Target, Kroger, and Albertsons. Paul now serves as the company’s Co-Founder and CEO, and he and Meadows were named the Forbes 30 Under 30 Food & Drink Class of 2026 for their work building the company.

For Paul, however, the journey has been about more than building a successful company. It has reinforced lessons about persistence, mindset, and being willing to tackle things that may not come easily. Looking back, he encourages students not to dismiss classes or experiences simply because they do not immediately capture their interest.

Instead, he suggests viewing them as opportunities to “train your mind to do hard things,” a skill he believes creates opportunities throughout life. 

And for students still trying to determine what comes next, his advice is characteristically straightforward: “Figure out what you really want to do with your life, and then get to work and do it.”