From Dolphins to Desserts: How Gelato Love Turned Science into Sweetness in Carlsbad

In this episode of “Carlsbad: People, Purpose and Impact,” host Bret Schanzenbach sits down with Paola Richard, CEO and founder of Gelato Love in Carlsbad Village.Paola shares her global upbringing in Rome with roots across Europe, her early career as a seven-time Italian national synchronized swimming champion training in California, and her transition into marine biology and science journalism, where she wrote and produced content on conservation for outlets like National Geographic Italy and national television.Seeking a new life adventure, Paola moved back to California, fell in love with Carlsbad, and—thanks to a suggestion from her brother and cousin—made a bold pivot from journalism to entrepreneurship, launching a gelato shop originally called Gaia. With strong support from the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce, she opened her first store in the Carlsbad Village Faire and eventually rebranded to Gelato Love for clearer, more emotional branding.Paola explains how she uses her science background to reinvent gelato: experimenting with allulose, a rare sugar that mimics sugar’s taste and texture but doesn’t spike blood sugar, allowing Gelato Love to create no-sugar-added, low-glycemic, clean-label gelato with no artificial stabilizers. They now produce about 5,000 pounds of artisan gelato a day, make custom recipes for clients like Camp Pendleton, and offer 36 flavors in-store out of more than 300 recipes she has developed.She describes navigating COVID-19 by building an online ordering and local delivery system that literally kept the business alive and brought “little celebrations” to families stuck at home—like the special delivery Bret ordered for his staff. Paola also shares details about her Italian market-style shop, which now includes imported foods, panettone, bags, and accessories from Italy alongside gelato cakes and classic desserts like tiramisu.Finally, Paola celebrates a huge milestone: being selected by historic Italian company Fabbri to create three specialty flavors (dark chocolate oat milk, lemon cream ginger, and strawberry cheesecake) now available nationwide on Amazon, shipped frozen with dry ice. For Paola, every pint is a “gift of love” from Carlsbad to the rest of the country, and she dreams of further distribution while keeping quality, craft, and “guilt-free celebration” at the center of Gelato Love. Did this episode have a special impact on you? Share how it impacted youCarlsbad Podcast Social Links:LinkedInInstagramFacebookXYouTubeSponsor: This show is sponsored and produced by DifMix Productions. To learn more about starting your own podcast, visit www.DifMix.com/podcasting