About This Episode

Can you build a successful and fun brand around serious social justice topics? Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream discuss feeding hungry kids, police reform and how businesses can make a difference on social issues. “Passing legislation that is going to reduce child poverty in the US by 40% is huge – it’s pretty much the best news I’ve heard in quite a long time,” says Greenfield about the American Rescue Plan, the latest COVID relief package that includes critical provisions that will help fight the hunger crisis. Ben & Jerry’s is also focused on police reform through the Campaign to End Qualified Immunity. “What we need to seize about this moment is the issue of racial justice… The reality is if we are not able to pivot from protest to policy right now, all those protests were for nothing,” Cohen believes. Find Ben & Jerry’s on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.        

Resources and Mentions:

Ben Cohen

Ben Cohen

Co-founder // Ben & Jerry's

Ben Cohen is co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, Inc. He is the recipient, along with Ben & Jerry's co-founder Jerry Greenfield of the Corporate Giving award from the Council on Economic Priorities, the US Small Business of the Year Award and several honorary doctorates. Along with Jerry, Cohen authored the book, Ben & Jerry’s Double Dip: How to Run a Values-Led Business and Make Money, Too. Ben has served on the boards of the Social Venture Network, Hampshire College, Oxfam, Greenpeace, Business for Social Responsibility, Heifer International and was the National Co-Chair of Bernie Sanders 2020 Presidential Campaign.

Jerry Greenfield

Jerry Greenfield

Co-founder // Ben & Jerry's

Jerry Greenfield is co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, Inc. Jerry, along with Ben & Jerry's co-founder Ben Cohen, is the recipent of The James Beard Humanitarians of the Year and the Peace Museum’s Community Peacemakers of the Year Awards. Jerry is involved in promoting the social and environmental initiatives that Ben & Jerry’s undertakes and serves as Vice President of the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation.

Campaign to End Qualified Immunity

https://campaigntoendqualifiedimmunity.org/

Campaign to End Qualified Immunity is a coalition of business leaders, creative artists, athletes, advocates and lawyers dedicated to ending qualified immunity.

Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream

https://www.benjerry.com/

Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream is founded on and dedicated to a sustainable corporate concept of linked prosperity. Our mission consists of 3 interrelated parts: economic, social and product.

Ben & Jerry’s Foundation

https://benandjerrysfoundation.org/

Ben & Jerry's Foundation support grassroots groups throughout the U.S. and its territories that are led by the people most impacted by the legacies of white supremacy culture as they organize for racial equity, and social and environmental justice.