Lou, as most affectionately refer to him, was raised in both the Bronx and Newburgh, New York. There’s three things you’ll recognize about Lou when you interact with him; his love for his children, his passion for his business and his willingness to help others.

As a young man, Lou moved to North Carolina in August of ’98 to pursue his education. He graduated from Shaw University, the oldest Historically Black College/University (HBCU) in the southern United States. He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Business Management in ’02. Education was not Lou’s only purpose at Shaw. During his time there, in the fall of ’99, he became a member of the Delta Gamma chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated and is proud to represent his organization and Alma Mater through his many achievements.

Lou is the father to three sons. Here is a little fact: Two of his sons nicknames are how he created the name for the business, “CocoCrissi”. CocoCrissi Tropical Icees was established in the spring of 2009 in Raleigh, NC. Prior to contributing his every effort to this particular empire, Lou was successful in software sales. In a Q&A with Lou, he mentioned “I was making good money; I had a good position, but I was unfulfilled.” Having that mindset, he went home and prayed to God, asking God to specifically show him what business he should start. That very next day he woke up, sat at the foot of the bed, and the first word he utter was, “icees”. He knew that his purpose was to create a business where his primary focus would be to sell New York Style Italian ice, that he grew up loving in the Bronx. 

CocoCrissi is now the largest mobile Italian Ice Vendor on the east coast! 

Lou has tremendously impacted the youth in his surroundings communities. He uses his deliberate teachings to assist in their transition from young adults into the full swing of what it means to be an adult. Moreover, Lou believes his calling in Christ is to mold young men and women through various aspects of the CocoCrissi Experience. Over the years, he has had the opportunity to plant seeds of leadership, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, to name a few, in young men and women that have been employed through the company.