Located on the near northside of Indianapolis, a local ice cream shop serves up sweet treats and opportunities. 

Offering dozens of flavors, along with milkshakes and other desserts, Liftoff Creamery was the idea of veteran commercial pilot Ryan Lynch. Lynch, a captain with 16 years of experience, says he opened the shop to combine his two passions: aviation and desserts.  

Lynch says he worked with the Indianapolis Office of Minority and Women Business Development (OMWBD) to gain certification as a minority-owned business, which opened up opportunities to get help with financing and resources to help run the day-to-day operations of his business. 

As a way to give back to the community, Lynch also founded the National Aviation Youth Resources non-profit that allows students to learn about different careers in the aviation industry. Students in the program also get to work at Liftoff Creamery, gaining valuable experience in customer service, professionalism, and leadership.