In a world increasingly mediated by screens, genuine connection has become rare. Museum of Ice Cream (MOIC) is rewriting that story by transforming joy into a shared, tangible experience. What began as a creative experiment in New York has evolved into a global movement spanning the United States and Asia, where millions have rediscovered the simple pleasure of togetherness, one scoop at a time.
At the heart of this movement is Pirakash T, Head of Revenue and Growth at MOIC, who leads the brand’s international expansion and innovation strategy across markets including Singapore and the wider Asia region. In conversation with Business Connect, he shares how MOIC is not just building spaces but a culture of joy, and why its next frontier may well be India.
The genesis story
Born in the summer of 2016 from the vivid imagination of Co-Founder and Creative Director Maryellis Bunn, and CEO Manish Vora, MOIC began as a daring creative experiment, an experiential installation inspired by her childhood dream of diving into a pool of sprinkles. What started as a playful idea quickly transformed into a cultural movement built on the universal joy of ice cream.
Guided by a team of devoted creators, designers, and producers, MOIC was envisioned as a place where fun, intention, and inclusivity converge. Ice cream became not just a treat, but a storytelling device, a symbol of nostalgia, connection, and pure wonder that could unlock the imagination of every visitor who walked through its doors.
Today, with thriving locations in Chicago, New York City, Miami, Boston, and Singapore, MOIC continues to push the boundaries of what experiential spaces can be. The brand has nurtured a distinct philosophy saying anything is possible when creativity leads. Every installation is crafted to spark imagination, stimulate the senses, and create magical moments of connection, whether through a multisensorial journey, an unexpected flavor, or a space designed for people to leave their anxieties and social norms behind.
This approach has cultivated a global community that engages deeply across real world experiences and digital spaces, reinforcing MOIC’s mission to build environments that are not only visually stunning but emotionally resonant.
At the heart of MOIC’s ecosystem lies a dynamic, multidisciplinary organization that extends far beyond its physical installations. Its in-house ice cream line features more than seven signature flavours that include local Singaporean flavours like Pandan and crowd favourites like Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.
Meanwhile, the on-site gift shop ensures that guests can bring a slice of the experience home, while MOIC’s guides act as the true storytellers of the brand, turning every interaction into a joyful, human moment that guests carry beyond the museum walls.
Together, these pillars form a business built on creativity, operational excellence, and a profound commitment to creating joy. As MOIC continues to scale its vision, it remains steadfast in its purpose: to inspire imagination, create spaces for human connection, and prove that the world becomes a little more magical when we choose to dream boldly.
The Purpose Behind the Journey
“Happiness is a necessity for living a fulfilled life and should never be treated as a luxury,” Pirakash reflects. “For all our modern conveniences, we’ve lost one of our simplest instincts: the ability to play.”
For Museum of Ice Cream, joy is not a theme, it is a philosophy. The brand operates on the belief that wonder, play, and shared delight are essential human needs, not indulgences. Every MOIC experience is designed as a gentle disruption of daily routine, inviting people to reconnect with curiosity, imagination, and one another.
“Ice cream is our universal language,” Pirakash explains. “It bridges age, culture, and emotion to bring people closer, one scoop at a time.”
That emotional universality is what gives the concept global relevance. Across cultures, sweetness marks celebration, comfort, and togetherness. In India especially, where food is deeply intertwined with festivals, family, and memory, the emotional vocabulary of MOIC feels instinctively familiar. “The way India expresses joy through shared experiences aligns beautifully with our mission,” he says. “There’s a natural cultural resonance there.”
Rather than positioning itself as a traditional attraction, MOIC sees its role as something deeper: creating environments where people feel safe to be playful, expressive, and present. In an era dominated by speed and screens, that pause for connection becomes the real offering.
Blending Strategy with Soul
As Head of Revenue and Growth, Pirakash leads MOIC’s business expansion, partnerships, and global brand development. His approach blends creativity with commercial discipline, creating systems around what he calls “measurable magic.”
In an industry often focused on efficiency, Pirakash champions emotion as a legitimate business metric. From its inception to now, MOIC has evolved from an “Instagram phenomenon” into a sustainable global enterprise that balances commercial success with cultural purpose.
“Ice cream transcends borders,” he says. “You share it in celebration, you reach for it in solitude. It’s an emotion that belongs to everyone. Our business is built around that simple, timeless truth.”
Reimagining the Experience Economy
MOIC’s evolution mirrors the rise of the experience economy itself, displaying a shift from passive consumption to active participation. What distinguishes the brand is its understanding that memorable experiences are built not just on spectacle, but on emotion by design.’
“The guiding principle of the Museum of Ice Cream lies in understanding that people don’t just seek entertainment; they seek engagement,” Pirakash explains. “Every color, sound, texture, and interaction is intentional. We’re designing feelings, not just spaces.”
This philosophy has helped MOIC move beyond novelty to become a sustainable experiential model. Each location balances global brand identity with local cultural storytelling, ensuring that visitors feel both transported and personally connected. Whether through multisensory installations, nostalgic references, or unexpected moments of play, the experience is engineered to spark interaction and shared memory.
In doing so, MOIC has demonstrated that emotion can be structured, scaled, and integrated into business strategy without losing authenticity. It’s a model where creativity and commercial thinking coexist, proving that joy, when thoughtfully designed, has both cultural and economic value. From the sprinkle pools of the United States to culturally rooted elements in Singapore, MOIC’s spaces celebrate diversity while preserving a universal emotional core: the human desire to feel connected, surprised, and delighted.
Singapore: The Bridge Between East and West
Under Pirakash’s leadership, Singapore has emerged as a commercially successful and strategically significant market. For him, MOIC Singapore holds special significance. “As my home, Singapore represented both a personal milestone and a strategic leap,” he says. “We wanted it to reflect the city’s soul — diverse, vibrant, and rooted in community.”
MOIC Singapore collaborates with local ice cream artisans and creative partners, giving small-batch producers a global stage. The result is a model of inclusive entrepreneurship, where commerce celebrates culture rather than consuming it.
This approach has resonated strongly with travelers from India, many of whom include MOIC Singapore in their itineraries. “The connection between Singapore and India is powerful,” Pirakash shares. “We see incredible interest from Indian families and young travelers looking for experiences that are joyful, interactive, and Instagrammable. That gives us great confidence as we look toward potential collaborations and opportunities in India.”
The Science of Universal Joy
What differentiates MOIC from other experiential ventures is its understanding of the science behind happiness. Each space is designed using insights from behavioral psychology and sensory design, from how colors evoke memory to how smell and sound can trigger nostalgia.
“Wherever you go, people respond to joy in the same way,” Pirakash reflects. “The cultural expressions differ, but the emotional architecture is universal.”
This understanding has allowed MOIC to craft experiences that feel both globally resonant and locally intimate, a balance that would translate seamlessly to India’s vibrant cultural landscape.
Sustainability with a Conscience
For MOIC, indulgence has never meant excess. The brand’s commitment to sustainability ensures its sweetness has substance, from ethical sourcing and compostable materials to partnerships with local suppliers and inclusive hiring practices.
But sustainability, Pirakash says, goes beyond environmental responsibility. “It’s emotional too. When our teams feel happy, that energy transfers to our guests. Sustainable businesses are built not just on resources, but on relationships.”
Resilience and Reinvention
When the pandemic threatened to silence shared experiences, MOIC found new ways to keep joy alive. Through digital experiences, smallgroup activations, and hybrid events, the brand maintained its community of fans around the world.
“Adversity forced us to innovate,” Pirakash recalls. “We learned that joy is adaptable. Even in silence, people seek light.”
Today, MOIC’s comeback stands as proof that human connection is not just desirable, it’s essential.
Leadership Rooted in Empathy
To his colleagues, Pirakash’s leadership is defined by empathy and quiet conviction. “Leadership,” he says, “is about creating safe spaces for creativity and growth.”
Across the company, every employee, affectionately known as #TeamMOIC, becomes both storyteller and custodian of joy. Whether serving scoops in Boston or guiding guests in Singapore, each team member embodies MOIC’s deeper mission: to make happiness tangible.
The Next Scoop of Innovation
As MOIC steps into its next chapter, the brand’s ambitions are bold. New locations in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and beyond are on the horizon, alongside collaborations with artists, chefs, and technologists to push the boundaries of immersive experience.
“The next evolution of joy,” Pirakash hints, “will blur the lines between the physical and the digital. We’re exploring how technology can deepen emotional connection, not replace it.”
Drawing from insights gained in Singapore and other Asian markets, Pirakash firmly believes that India is central to this larger vision. With its youthful demographic, vibrant creative spirit, and an expanding appetite for experiential brands, the country stands out as a dynamic frontier for MOIC’s mission to spread joy across the world.
A Business Lesson in Humanity
AAt its core, Museum of Ice Cream is about more than desserts or décor. It’s about decoding the psychology of happiness. It proves that empathy can scale, that play can be profitable, and that joy can be a serious business strategy.
“In a world chasing efficiency,” Pirakash concludes, “we’re chasing meaning.”
And perhaps that is MOIC’s sweetest contribution: a reminder that happiness, like ice cream, melts quickly unless it’s shared.
