Ben & Jerry’s has been a progressive and political company since it was formed in 1978. Its primary goal is to sell delicious ice cream, but bubbling away under that was a decades-long commitment to social, economic, and environmental justice, spearheaded by founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield.
This ethos survived for years, even after a corporate buyout by Unilever. As part of that deal, Ben & Jerry’s maintained an independent board to ensure its social mission isn’t interfered with by meddling executives.
