# Manish Vora

> Manish Vora is the co-founder and co-CEO of Museum of Ice Cream, the candy-colored immersive attraction that turned a 2016 self-funded pop-up in New York's Meatpacking District into a global chain of 'experiums' with locations across the US and Singapore. A former Citigroup investment banker turned art-and-experience entrepreneur, he previously co-founded the contemporary art platform GREY AREA and ran the experience-tech venue Lightbox before partnering with Maryellis Bunn. He now co-leads Figure8, the experience-first development company that is the parent of Museum of Ice Cream and raised a $40M Series A in 2019 at a $200M valuation.

- **Role:** Co-Founder & Co-CEO at Museum of Ice Cream / Figure8
- **Organizations:** Museum of Ice Cream, Figure8, GREY AREA, Lightbox, Citigroup
- **From:** Wayland, Massachusetts, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** B.A., Economics, Yale University
- **Known for:** Co-founded and scaled Museum of Ice Cream from a single self-funded pop-up to roughly 10 locations across the US and Asia, Welcomed over 2.5 million visitors within the first five years, Closed a $40M Series A at a $200M valuation via parent company Figure8 (2019)

## Career timeline

- **2002** — Joined Citigroup Investment Banking as an analyst
- **2004** — Became Director of Research at Monness, Crespi, Hardt
- **2008** — Moved into the art and experience world; co-founded contemporary art platform GREY AREA
- **2010s** — Served as CEO of Lightbox, an experience-tech venue in NYC; culture correspondent for NBC New York
- **2016** — Co-founded Museum of Ice Cream with Maryellis Bunn; launched first self-funded pop-up in NYC's Meatpacking District
- **2019** — Launched parent company Figure8 and closed a $40M Series A at a $200M valuation; opened permanent SoHo flagship
- **2021** — Opened Singapore location, first international expansion
- **2022** — Opened Chicago location
- **2024** — Opened Miami and Boston locations; called Boston a homecoming project
- **2026** — Expanding with Las Vegas (Area15), Los Angeles ground-up build, and Orlando

## Achievements

- Co-founded and scaled Museum of Ice Cream from a single self-funded pop-up to roughly 10 locations across the US and Asia
- Welcomed over 2.5 million visitors within the first five years
- Closed a $40M Series A at a $200M valuation via parent company Figure8 (2019)
- Built brand partnerships with American Express, Target, Mars, Unilever, Sephora, Helmut Lang, Stella McCartney and the Guggenheim Museum
- Named to Ad Age's 50 Most Creative and recognized by Fast Company's Most Innovative
- Founding board member of UNICEF Next Generation and Arts Advisor for Times Square

## Latest updates

- **2024-12** — Opened the Boston location at 121 Seaport Blvd, a two-story experience he called the company's most advanced.
- **2026** — Pipeline includes Las Vegas (Area15), a ground-up Los Angeles build, and Orlando.

## Links

- Website: https://museumoficecream.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nishvora/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/manishvora18
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manishmas/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/museumoficecream/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/manish-vora
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-11