A Sweet Partnership to Support Project Success Students
On a recent Monday, a group of Project Success staff members walked together from the organization’s headquarters to Sebastian Joe’s on Franklin Avenue.
Waiting for them were WCCO Radio host Henry Lake, Sebastian Joe’s Co-owner and Founder Michael Pellizzer, Managing Partner Nic Groth, and a brand-new ice cream flavor created to benefit Project Success.
After enjoying the first scoops together, the group carried containers of ice cream back to headquarters, where students participating in Project Success’s Drone Certificate Program were waiting for a surprise treat.
It was a joyful celebration. But the story behind the partnership began decades ago.
A Connection That Goes Back Generations
Before Henry Lake became one of Minnesota’s most recognizable radio personalities, he and his sister Sarah connected to Project Success at North High School.
Before Project Success became a nationally recognized organization helping students connect to their purpose, it was a growing idea taking shape inside Minneapolis classrooms.
“I had Sarah Lake in my workshops throughout high school, and I knew Henry as well,” recalls Project Success Founder and Executive Director Adrienne Diercks.
Years later, after Project Success expanded to Franklin Middle School, Diercks discovered another connection to the Lake family. The school’s principal was Dr. Joyce Lewis-Lake, Henry and Sarah’s mother.
At the time, Project Success was still growing, and Diercks was building the partnerships and programs that would eventually reach thousands of students. Dr. Lewis-Lake became an important collaborator and mentor during those formative years.
“She was an incredible leader,” says Diercks. “She believed deeply in young people, had very high expectations for students and adults, and taught me a tremendous amount about leadership.”
Together, they created opportunities that many students had never imagined possible. During one Project Success residency connected to the Broadway musical Ragtime, students welcomed cast members Audra McDonald and Brian Stokes Mitchell to Franklin Middle School for a special performance and conversation. Hundreds of students gathered in the gymnasium for an experience that brought the professional artists directly into their school.
Looking back, Diercks sees those moments as examples of what made Dr. Lewis-Lake such an effective leader. She believed students deserved access to extraordinary opportunities, and she expected adults to work together to make them happen.
The years passed, but the relationships remained. Sarah and Henry built their own careers and lives, while Project Success continued to grow alongside the students and families it served. Yet the connection to the Lake family — and the values they shared — remained.
When Adrienne and Henry reconnected years later through mutual friends and community events, there was already a foundation of trust built through decades of shared history.
An Idea Born from Community
The path to this partnership began nearly five years ago.
During the pandemic, Henry partnered with entrepreneur Tina Rexing of T-Rex Cookie Company to create a special cookie benefiting Bolder Options, a mentoring organization serving young people.
The experience sparked a new idea.
“As much as I love cookies, my favorite dessert is ice cream,” Henry says. “And my favorite place in the world to get ice cream is Sebastian Joe’s.”
Through Rexing, Lake was introduced to Michael and Tim Pellizzer. Together, they launched a charitable flavor program designed to support organizations making a difference in the community.
The first collaborations benefited University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital. Later, proceeds supported the TB1 Fund, which serves families affected by pediatric cancer. This summer, Project Success became the fourth recipient in the collaboration’s history.
When it came time to select the next organization, Henry knew exactly who he wanted to call.
“There are certain people and programs you believe in,” he says. “I’ve known Adrienne for a long time. My mother believed in her vision for Project Success. My sister has been a fan. I’ve been a fan of Adrienne’s for years.”
Lake says the decision came down to trust.
“When you know how genuine people are and you know they’re doing the work, you want to get behind them and support them.”
A Neighborhood Institution
For more than four decades, Sebastian Joe’s has been more than an ice cream shop.
Since opening in 1984, the company has become a Minneapolis institution while maintaining a simple philosophy: give back to the communities that support you.
“We’ve always believed in giving back,” says Michael Pellizzer. “We’ve been blessed with the success of Sebastian Joe’s, and it’s important to support the people and neighborhoods that support us.”
That commitment has taken many forms over the years, from donations and community fundraisers to partnerships that help local organizations expand their reach and impact.
For Michael, Project Success felt like a natural fit.
After attending the organization’s Dreams to Action Breakfast, he saw firsthand how the organization helps students discover new possibilities for their futures.
“The mission is really something special,” Michael says. “I brought a friend with me, and before breakfast was over he was already asking how he could volunteer.”
Henry believes that same community-first mindset is what has made Sebastian Joe’s such a beloved Twin Cities institution.
“I’m so glad I approached Sebastian Joe’s years ago about this because I know what they mean to the community,” he says.
That commitment continues today.
When children in the Kingfield neighborhood advocated for an ice cream shop closer to home, Sebastian Joe’s listened.
“Kids were really at the heart of that store,” says Nic Groth, Managing Partner of Sebastian Joe’s. “We wanted to create a place where people could come together and make something their own.”
For both Project Success and Sebastian Joe’s, the work ultimately comes back to the same idea: investing in people and strengthening community.
Creating the Flavor
The flavor itself took months of experimentation.
Henry worked closely with the Sebastian Joe’s team to create something that reflected his personal tastes while also capturing the spirit of Project Success.
After several rounds of testing, they landed on a blend of creamy vanilla ice cream swirled with strawberry and lemon sorbets.
Lake loves bright citrus flavors. The Sebastian Joe’s team loved the balance of sweet and tart. And perhaps most importantly, the vibrant red color felt like a natural fit for Project Success.
“We really wanted Project Success red to be part of the product itself,” says Nic.
The result is a flavor that is bright, refreshing, and unlike anything else in the freezer case.
The flavor will be available throughout the summer, making it the longest-running charitable collaboration in the program’s history.
More Than Ice Cream
For Adrienne, however, the most meaningful part of the partnership has very little to do with what’s inside the pint.
Instead, it’s what the collaboration represents.
For more than 32 years, Project Success has built its work on relationships — between students and the PS team, schools and community partners, families and educators, dreamers and doers.
Those relationships have always been the organization’s greatest strength.
“It’s one reason I love my work every day — those connections,” says Adrienne. “Those connections that are based on relationships, longevity, and shared values.”
And that’s why this partnership matters.
“This partnership may look like ice cream on the surface,” she says. “But it’s really about community. It’s about relationships. It’s about people who share values and believe in young people coming together to create opportunities.”
As students in the Drone Pro Certificate Program enjoyed ice cream on launch day, that truth felt especially visible.
A relationship that began in Minneapolis classrooms, continued through mentorship, and was strengthened through years of shared commitment to young people had come full circle.
A former student. A mentor. A local business. A community leader. An organization dedicated to helping students discover their purpose.
All coming together to support the next generation.
Sometimes the sweetest partnerships are the ones built over a lifetime.
