A Talk with Jerry Greenfield of Ben and Jerry’s

I just got off the phone with a fellow green Greenfield. The one and only Jerry Greenfield, as in Jerry from Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream.

We are not related, but we were both excited to be speaking to a fellow Greenfield. When I told him about some of the impacts that have been made by my eco-journey across the United States and he said, “I am so proud to be a Greenfield. I am bursting with pride and joy. This is fantastic.”

Since I watched the biography “Ben and Jerry” a little over one year ago, I have been inspired by the work of this leader in the business world. He is a social and environmental activist and is not scared to go out on a limb, bring up touchy environmental and social topics, and shoot for the moon. He truly is one of he pioneers of using business as a tool to give back to the earth and the people on it.

“When you are led by values, it doesn’t cost your business, it helps your business.” – Jerry Greenfield

“Now, when we face a problem like global warming, and you understand that the biggest impacts on global warming come from business and industry, I think business needs to take a leading role.” – Jerry Greenfield

“Businesses can lead with their values and make money, too. You don’t have to simply be purely profit-driven. You can integrate social and environmental concerns into a business, be a caring business, be a generous business and still do very well financially.” – Jerry Greenfield

If you own a business, use it as a tool to do good in the world. If you work at a business, talk to the upper management or the owners about starting to use the business for good. One simple thing you can do today is join the 1% for the Planet movement and start giving to non-profits who are doing great things for the world.
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Ben and Jerry’s Foundation