GoKawiilKey Takeaways Neil Hershman, 31, is the CEO of frozen yogurt franchise 16 Handles.
Hershman started as a customer, became a franchisee and in 2022 acquired the entire brand.
Hershman says 16 Handles differentiates itself from competitors by experimenting with bold flavors, like French fry yogurt.
Neil Hershman sat in front of his computer at a structured credit asset management firm in New York. Another weekend at the office, another day staring at spreadsheets. He loved the work and the people, but the lifestyle was brutal. There was no physical connection to anything, no human touch point. Just screens and numbers.
After his shifts, Hershman would escape to 16 Handles, a frozen yogurt shop in the East Village. He would go to the shop after the gym or instead of dinner. It became his refuge.
About two years into his finance career, at age 23, he resigned. He had no concrete plan, but he knew he wanted something different, something with that human connection he craved.
Today, at 31, Hershman is the CEO of 16 Handles. He started as a customer, became a franchisee in 2019, and in 2022, acquired the entire brand from founder Solomon Choi. Under his leadership, the company has grown its annual recurring revenue to over $20 million. It has also expanded from under 30 stores to over 80 locations open and in development.
Fortune Business Insights valued the global frozen yogurt market at $1.93 billion in 2025 and projects that it will grow to $2.56 billion by 2034. 16 Handles has locations in Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina and Texas.
The following interview has been lightly edited for clarity and concision.
Neil Hershman. Credit: 16 Handles
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