Spike with Creativity and the Results Will Make You Tipsy

Melissa Tavss grew up in the ice cream business. Her family had been making gelato for years, first in Italy and later in the U.S. It was possible to eke out a living selling traditional ice cream in the old country, but the modern competitive landscape was giving Melissa some major heartburn.

How could she stand out from the pack and create a unique and memorable product? Ben & Jerry’s already had funky flavors, and Haagen-Dazs already captured the demand for decadence. To make her mark, Meliss...