Together, IPI Innovation Advisors Francois Joubert, Shivendu Nadkarni and Mike Amour guide Creme Concepts to new heights—enhancing the ice cream empire’s operational efficiency and regional brand presence.
It all started with a craving, a sweet tooth and a big dream. Natasha Chiam has always been an avid baker, delighting in the creation of sweet treats—ice cream sandwiches, in particular. Her love for baking took a delightful turn into entrepreneurship with the founding of Creme Concepts Pte. Ltd. and its flagship brand, The Ice Cream & Cookie Co., which has evolved from a humble stall at a local farmer’s market into one of Singapore’s premium ice cream brands.
Under Natasha’s leadership, Creme Concepts has distinguished itself with an array of innovative, vegan and Southeast-Asian flavoured ice creams—from Onde-onde and Chendol to boba tea—that cater not only to traditional sweet-tooths but also to health-conscious consumers. In addition to its retail brand, the company also helps clients take their own frozen treats from ideation to market launch, ensuring that they can focus on brand building while leaving the production complexities to Natasha’s dedicated team.
As Creme Concepts set its sights on expanding regionally and improving internal processes, Natasha engaged three of IPI’s Innovation Advisors (IA) across two projects. The team of advisors included Francois Joubert, with his extensive background in manufacturing operations and supply-chain management; Shivendu Nadkarni, a guru in commercial strategy and business growth; and Mike Amour, a specialist in branding and marketing.
“Our main challenges were about scaling production capacity, elevating our brand’s reach, as well as upskilling our team,” Natasha shared. “I have always run the business through a hands-on, experience-based approach, and am now keen to understand how industry veterans go about solving these challenges.”
Like pieces of a puzzle, each IA played a crucial role in gearing up Creme Concepts’ next phase of growth. For instance, IA Francois helped the company rethink and redesign its factory layout, equipment selection and operational workflows to optimise production flow and boost output efficiency. Leveraging his knack for aligning commercial and operational goals, IA Shivendu assisted in creating a robust framework that balanced supply, demand and financial planning, ensuring that the company’s internal processes are well-oiled. Meanwhile, under IA Mike’s guidance, Creme Concepts underwent a branding refresh that fortified its market presence and unified its brand identity, making it resonate across customer touch points.
“Crème Concepts’ journey towards regional expansion required a comprehensive and strategic approach. We recognised the need to address multiple facets of their business, from production to strategic growth initiatives. Hence, we recommended three advisors, each with specialised expertise, to guide Crème Concepts in achieving their ambitious goals,” said Faith Teng, Principal Manager of Innovation Advisory. “Our collective efforts aim to bolster their operational efficiency, enhance their market presence, and equip their team with the skills necessary for sustained success.”
Creme Concepts partnership with the IA trio proved transformative. Previously on the brink of expansion and having just settled into a new factory facility at the start of the project, the company is now ready to send its first international shipments to Malaysia and Hong Kong. It is also building on its ‘better-for-you’ proposition back at home—in July 2024 it will relaunch all its existing ice creams with 30–40 per cent less sugar, using raw, healthier alternatives derived from coconuts.
Reflecting on her journey, Natasha said, “One commonality between all IAs is that they do not tell you how to run your business or dictate what the final decision should be. Instead, they share their insights, challenge your thinking and teach you how to approach challenges and decision-making. It’s a wonderful, collaborative process and my team and I have learnt so much from each of them.”
“The IAs’ motivation to share their knowledge with entrepreneurs and smaller businesses makes the [Innovation Advisors] very special,” Natasha added.
Looking ahead, Natasha’s vision for Creme Concepts is crystal clear: to dominate the Southeast- and North-Asian markets and become synonymous with Singaporean ice cream—renowned not just for its unique flavours but for its approach to business and innovation.
As Creme Concepts grew from a local market stall into a recognised premium ice cream brand, the company faced new challenges associated with scaling its business.
Its innovative product line, featuring vegan and Southeast Asian-inspired flavours, has built a strong local presence. However, expanding this success required a more structured approach to scaling production, optimising operations, and strengthening the brand’s positioning for regional markets. Founder Natasha Chiam had built the business through a hands-on, experience-based approach, but as the company grew, she sought guidance from industry veterans on how to navigate the complexities of scaling operations and preparing for expansion.
The company’s recent move into a new factory facility further highlighted the need to refine production layout, equipment planning, and operational workflows to support higher output and efficiency.
These challenges were compounded by the company’s recent move into a new factory facility, which presented both opportunities and operational hurdles. The need to balance supply, demand, production layout, equipment planning, operational workflows, and financial planning became increasingly critical as Creme Concepts prepared for its next phase of growth. At the same time, Creme Concepts needed to strengthen its commercial strategy and brand identity while equipping its team with the skills required for the next phase of growth.
Meanwhile, Mike Amour led a branding refresh that unified Creme Concepts’ brand identity and strengthened its market presence, ensuring consistency across all customer touch points. Through this collaborative process, IPI enabled Creme Concepts to enhance its operational capabilities, solidify its brand, and equip its team with the skills necessary for sustained growth and expansion.
IPI Singapore engaged three Innovation Advisors, Francois Joubert, Shivendu Nadkarni and Mike Amour, to support Creme Concepts across two strategic projects focused on scaling operations and preparing the company for regional expansion. The advisors brought specialised expertise in manufacturing operations, commercial strategy, and branding, forming a comprehensive support team tailored to the company’s multifaceted needs.
Francois Joubert worked closely with the team to redesign the factory layout, equipment selection and operational workflows to optimise production flow and boost output efficiency.
Shivendu Nadkarni guided the company in aligning its commercial and operational strategies, helping establish a robust framework to balance supply and demand, strengthen internal processes and financial planning as the business scaled.
Mike Amour supported a branding refresh that fortified Creme Concepts’ market presence and unified its brand identity across customer touchpoints.
Through this coordinated advisory approach, IPI Singapore helped Creme Concepts strengthen its operational capabilities, refine its strategic direction and equip its team with the expertise needed to support sustainable growth and regional expansion.
"Creme Concepts’ journey towards regional expansion required a comprehensive and strategic approach. We recognised the need to address multiple facets of their business, from production to strategic growth initiatives. Hence, we recommended three advisors, each with specialised expertise, to guide Crème Concepts in achieving their ambitious goals. Our collective efforts aim to bolster their operational efficiency, enhance their market presence, and equip their team with the skills necessary for sustained success."
"One commonality between all IAs is that they do not tell you how to run your business or dictate what the final decision should be. Instead, they share their insights, challenge your thinking and teach you how to approach challenges and decision-making. It’s a wonderful, collaborative process, and my team and I have learnt so much from each of them. The IAs’ motivation to share their knowledge with entrepreneurs and smaller businesses makes the Innovation Advisors very special."
Creme Concepts Pte. Ltd., founded by Natasha Chiam, began as a humble stall at a local farmer’s market and has grown into one of Singapore’s premium ice cream brands. Known for its innovative, vegan, and Southeast-Asian flavoured ice creams, the company caters to both traditional and health-conscious consumers. Beyond its retail brand, Creme Concepts also assists clients in bringing their own frozen treats from ideation to market launch, leveraging a dedicated team to handle production complexities.
As the company prepared for regional expansion and scaled production, Creme Concepts engaged IPI Singapore’s Innovation Advisors to strengthen its operational capabilities, refine its commercial strategy and enhance its brand positioning.