Author: Brad Edmondson File Type: pdf Ben & Jerrys has always been committed to an insanely ambitious three-part mission making the worlds best ice cream, supporting progressive causes, and sharing the companys success with all stakeholders employees, suppliers, distributors, customers, cows, everybody. But it hasnt been easy. This is the first book to tell the full, inside story of the inspiring rise, tragic mistakes, devastating fall, determined recovery, and ongoing renewal of one of the most iconic mission-driven companies in the world. No previous book has focused so intently on the challenges presented by staying true to that mission. No other book has explained how the company came to be sold to corporate giant Unilever or how that relationship evolved to allow Ben & Jerrys to pursue its mission on a much larger stage. Journalist Brad Edmondson tells the story with an eye for details, dramatic moments, and memorable characters. He interviewed dozens of key figures, particularly Jeff Furman, who helped Ben and Jerry write their first business plan in 1978 and became chairman of the board in 2010. Its a funny, sad, surprising, and ultimately hopeful story. **From Booklist When you think of Ben & Jerrys, you probably think of two laid-back hippies who just wanted to produce ice cream for the people. And though the origin mythology of this no-holds-barred superpremium chunky ice cream pretty much holds true to the legend, the fact is that the brand was sold to Unilever in 2000 and is now part of a multinational corporation, much to the consternation of social entrepreneurs everywhere. This is the story of how the Ben & Jerrys team fought to retain the counterculture values and social missions that the founders successfully instilled into the company paying employees a living wage, treating their cows responsibly, and pouring a good portion of profits into causes such as child poverty, world peace, human rights, and the environment it is also a story of how those values have been compromised. Edmondson traces the journey from the first ice-cream store, in a renovated gas station in South Burlington, Vermont, in 1978, through several expansion cycles and the success that ultimately led to the controversial sale. --David Siegfried Review In 2011, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center gave Ben & Jerrys one of its highest honors. This book explains why. Martin Luther King III, human rights activist As this fine telling of the Ben & Jerrys story indicates, its harder than it looks to integrate consumer capitalism and political integrity. There are lessons here hard ones and of course some sweet ones. Bill McKibben, author of Oil and Honey The Education of an Unlikely Activist A fascinating look behind the scenes of a company as beloved as the ice cream it makes. Barbara Ehrenreich, New York Times bestselling author and Founding Editor, Economic Hardship Reporting Project The pioneering experience of Ben & Jerrys shows that corporate social responsibility can, thankfully, be contagious. Brad Edmondson takes us behind the scenes to tell this riveting and timely story. United States Senator Patrick Leahy This book reveals the true ingredients that go into every pint of Ben & Jerrys GMO-free cream, fair-trade cane sugar, and a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. Eric Utne, founder, Utne Reader What once was radical is becoming mainstream. By earning B Corp certification, Ben & Jerrys has proven that you can sell without selling out and scale with integrity. Much of the global movement to redefine success in business stands on its shoulders, and much of what we know about better practices and better governance can be traced to lessons the company learned the hard way. Finally, this important story has been well and completely told. Jay Coen Gilbert, cofounder, B Lab Brad Edmondson vividly conveys the passion, conflicts, and raw humanity behind an iconic brand. He gives us an uncensored look at how smart, caring people poured their hearts and souls into making Ben & Jerrys the standard-bearer for caring capitalism. The story leaves the reader in awe of all they achieved, and it also imparts invaluable lessons by talking frankly about their failures. It puts on full display the contradictions and painful choices that eventually confront all successful mission-driven businesses. Its a journey into uncharted territory. Rink Dickinson, cofounder and copresident, and Rob Everts, copresident, Equal Exchange The founders of Ben & Jerrys put up a long and determined fight to keep their dream of a socially responsible company intact. Cutthroat capitalism doesnt make it easy for entrepreneurs who want living wages for their employees, environmentally sustainable ingredients, and socially beneficial business practices. Brad Edmondson gives us a fascinating look behind the scenes of a company as beloved as the ice cream it makes. Barbara Ehrenreich, New York Times bestselling author and Founding Editor, Economic Hardship Reporting Project Ice Cream Social is a factory tour of the ups and downs and arounds of Ben & Jerrys. We get an insiders description of the struggle of two guys who strived through good times and bad to achieve their mission to make the worlds best ice cream, pursue social change, and treat both employees and shareholders fairly. Much of the time, they succeeded. Madeleine M. Kunin, former governor of Vermont St. Albans Cooperative has been a proud partner of Ben & Jerrys since the beginning. Through all of its organizational changes, it has remained committed to its core values, family dairy farms, and the cooperative. I am proud to be part of this story. Ralph McNall, dairy farmer, St. Albans Cooperative Creamery When Calvert first heard about Ben & Jerrys, we wondered whether our mission of social investing could even include a company that sold ice cream treats. This book shows how the founders convinced us. For decades, they have been a stellar example of walking the talk. Wayne Silby, Founding Chair, Calvert Funds, and cofounder, Social Venture Network A fascinating business morality tale . . . Edmondson offers an entertaining and enlightening account of the highs and lows that can be encountered in the quest to give capitalism a soul. Lynn A. Stout, Distinguished Professor of Corporate & Business Law, Cornell University Law School