The Ben & Jerry's Story:

The first part of the story is legendary. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield turned their ice cream shop into a national brand, and they did it without sacrificing their values. They believed that business owners should share their success with all of their stakeholders — employees, suppliers, distributors, customers, cows, everybody. They conquered the world of ice cream, gained amazingly loyal customers, and had a lot of fun.

The second part is sad. The job of running Ben & Jerry’s outgrew the board’s abilities. After a long, bitter struggle, the board was forced to sell out to a big multinational corporation in 2000. The end, right?

Not so fast. Ben and Jerry no longer run the business, but the soul of Ben & Jerry’s is still going strong. The company is blazing trails for a new generation of socially conscious entrepreneurs and leading an international movement that sees business as a positive force for social change.

The Book:

Award-winning journalist Brad Edmondson tells the whole Ben & Jerry's story in Ice Cream Social: The Struggle for the Soul of Ben & Jerry’s (Berrett Koehler, 2014).

Working independently but with full access to the company and its records, Brad has written the first complete story of an inspiring rise, tragic mistakes, a devastating fall, determined recovery, and ongoing renewal. Ice Cream Social also describes Ben and Jerry's vision for "linked prosperity" and the complex working relationships that allow the company to pursue that mission on a much larger stage as part of Unilever.

Copies of Ice Cream Social can be purchased in advance via Eventbrite above, for pickup at the event.

The Event:

Net Impact hosts Brad for a discussion and book signing of Ice Cream Social on Wednesday, April 22 (Earth Day!). Registration is free for paid members of DC and GW Net Impact, and $5 for non-members/guests. Sorry, we cannot offer refunds, but registration may be transferred to a friend. (Click here to become a paid member of Net Impact and learn about the benefits.)

The venue is George Washington University's Marvin Center, Room 307. Closest Metro station is Foggy Bottom. Click here for campus parking information.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Brad's talk will begin at 6:15 and last approximately 1 hour.

The Ice Cream:

The first 75 pre-registered people to arrive will receive free Ben & Jerry's ice cream at the beginning of the event!

(For all questions about the event, contact events@dcnetimpact.org.)