Dream Cream Ice Cream co-founder Alecia Shipman’s vision is to “serve others while serving ice cream.” Dream Cream Ice Cream, an ice cream shop set to open in downtown Pittsburgh on Liberty Avenue this spring, aims helps individuals and organizations raise money to achieve their dreams.Her idea stemmed from an “addiction to ice cream.””I was thinking of different opportunities to make my mark on my community, and I had an idea that I wanted an ice cream shop,” said Shipman, who grew up in the Hill District but now lives in the North Hills. “It didn’t really sit well with me to have an ice cream shop and its sole purpose was to make money for myself,” Shipman, 27, said on Wednesday in a phone interview. “I have spent a lot of time in the nonprofit sector so it was kind of an uncomfortable feeling to keep all the money for myself.”She did not discard the idea altogether, however.”This idea kind of festered for a while and you have this idea and you wait for the right opportunity, so that’s when the Project Pop Up opportunity came in,” Shipman said.Project Pop-Up is a program run, in part, by Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership that allows small businesses to “pop up,” rent free, in an effort to boost the Downtown economy and overall appeal.”The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership is very enthusiastic to have them as a program participant because we think their for-profit and [nonprofit] concept is a fantastic one,” said Bethany Tucke, of Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership and director of Project Pop-Up. “We believe Downtown residents, workers and visitors will welcome an ice cream parlor.”According to the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership website, a variety of entrepreneurs, artists and nonprofit organizations sent in applications hoping to receive grants to occupy empty stores Downtown.”We were blessed and happy to win,” said Thomas Jamison, another co-founder who also grew up in the Hill District. “Without that, the price of real estate alone would have prevented us from calling Downtown a home.”The chance to participate as a dreamer in the Dream Cream Ice Cream store is open to all individuals and organizations that have a “wholesome” cause or need. The dreamer is then given a chance to raise funds to go toward his or her dream.”We’re not in the business of helping someone to get their Mercedes Benz,” Jamison, 27, said. “You can be a registered nonprofit that’s tax exempt, a soccer mom who’s looking for an opportunity to buy new uniforms for her kids or her team or a student who needs book money or to pay down [student] loans.”Shipman mentioned a hierarchy of need and that all the Dream Cream Ice Cream applicants’ dreams should improve their quality of life for themselves and hopefully for their community. “The goal is that people can reach their dreams and their fundraising goal is realistic and the dream is a need,” she said. “As long as it falls within those categories – shelter, food, education and work – then people can apply.”This is not a typical fundraising opportunity.”In exchange for the donation we ask them to barter their time in our shop for a few reasons,” Shipman explained. “One, so they can market their flavor while in the shop and two, to help us reduce cost because we’re giving a lot of money away.”Dream Cream will use Perry’s Ice Cream, which has a local distributor here in Pittsburgh.  There will be 70 flavors for Dreamers and customers alike to choose from. “Each Dreamer picks a flavor that they feel represents their dream or that they think will sell well,” Shipman said. However, there is a catch.  Fans of the traditionally popular flavors like chocolate, vanilla and strawberry will need to choose a flavor that’s a little more off center, because the more traditional three “will probably win.”  She suggested other flavors such as cookie dough or butter pecan. Dreamers can expect to pocket 25 percent of the proceeds sold from their specific flavor for the month they are chosen.”Someone might be able to make, on average, $500 and as high as $1,000,” Shipman said.Many Downtown businesses close around 5 p.m. or 6 p.m., including a lot of restaurants that students cannot afford anyway.Jamison noted Dream Cream Ice Cream as an alternative to the lack of after hours Downtown opportunitites while helping to fund a fellow Pittsburgher’s dream.There is also a chance for students to get in on the act.”Not only are we looking for dreamers, but we welcome Point Park [University] students,” Jamison said. “We really would love to have as many [students] to apply as possible.”Twelve Dreamers are accepted each month.  His advice to those students who do not get accepted right away is to keep trying. Jamison is hoping to negotiate a partnership with local schools so that students have an opportunity to get a discount on ice cream using their student I.D. cards. Dream Cream Ice Cream will be open seven days a week, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.