Hey there! Thanks for visiting and wanting to learn more about our founders! 

​

Doug and Karen Harper, owners of Harper's Ice Cream Co. are a husband-and-wife team making ice cream dreams come true! We haven't always been in the ice cream business. Doug spent 35 years working in health care as a Physical Therapy Assistant. His love for sports and degree in exercise physiology fueled his passion to help strengthen and heal those in need of physical rehabilitation. 

​

Karen continues to work full-time as a registered nurse in healthcare. She is passionate about improving working conditions for nurses and all healthcare workers and patient outcomes through high-quality care and education. 

​

So, how did two healthcare workers end up in the ice cream industry? I'm so glad you asked. In 2019, Doug and Karen visited Maui to welcome their first granddaughter. During this trip, Doug sampled all the island's handmade street vendor treats. He loved the handcrafted frozen desserts served by local small business owners. Mostly he loved the experience created by these small businesses and felt drawn to recreate that experience back on the mainland. 

​

Upon returning, his curiosity quickly turned into a passion for creating and sharing his handmade ice cream with friends and family. He studied as much as he could about ice cream making and used his own personal kitchen as an ice cream test lab. Most of the flavors were a hit with friends and family, with Lemon Lavender being an all-time favorite and some flavors not making the cut the first time around. Here's looking at you, Maple Bacon! 

​

After a few years, Doug couldn't help but feel drawn to leaving healthcare and starting a new adventure in the ice cream industry. He dreamed of creating handmade ice cream with quality ingredients to share with his community. He dreamed of creating a space for people to gather and create lasting positive memories with friends, family, and loved ones.

 

With a leap of faith and a resignation letter, Harper's Ice Cream Co. was born. Karen can't help but support this dream, and when time allows, you can find her in the shop, running social media, helping at events, and more. 

​

Maybe it was the magic of the Aloha in the air or maybe ice cream really does have the power to change lives. Stop by today and see for yourself. Aloha!