Who Are the Founders of Ben & Jerry’s
Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield founded Ben & Jerry’s Homemade ice cream in Burlington, Vermont, in 1978. They met in a seventh-grade gym class and later took a $5 correspondence course in ice cream making from Penn State University before opening their first scoop shop in a renovated gas station on South Church Street in 1979. The business grew into a regional chain known for chunky, creative flavors and social activism, and today it operates as a subsidiary of global consumer goods company Unilever, which acquired the brand in 2000. According to the company’s own history and business profiles, the founders’ partnership combined Cohen’s hands-on production style and Greenfield’s operations focus, and their early experiments with ice cream led to a loyal customer base and a distinctive brand identity Forbes.
The original scoop shop in Burlington is often cited as the birthplace of the brand, and the founders’ story is frequently referenced in business case studies as an example of a small local startup scaling into a nationally recognized franchise. Ben & Jerry’s is now part of Unilever’s Ice Cream division, which manages multiple frozen dessert brands across North America and other markets, and the company continues to publish social and environmental reports that trace its roots back to the founders’ values-led approach Unilever.
Founders’ Background and Early Business Strategy
Education and Early Careers
Ben Cohen dropped out of college after one year and worked odd jobs before focusing on ice cream, while Jerry Greenfield completed pre-med coursework at Oberlin College and later earned a degree from the University of Vermont. Their decision to open an ice cream parlor was partly driven by limited startup capital and the availability of a low-cost storefront, and they used a $5 mail-order correspondence course from Penn State to learn the fundamentals of ice cream production Ben & Jerry’s.
First Scoop Shop and Early Flavors
The first scoop shop opened in 1979 in a renovated gas station in Burlington, Vermont, and the founders initially offered a small menu of flavors that emphasized large chunks and mix-ins. Early flavors such as Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Cherry Garcia helped differentiate the brand, and word-of-mouth demand quickly outgrew the original location, leading to additional scoop shops in Vermont and the broader New England region.
Founders’ Values and Social Mission
Social and Environmental Activism
From the start, the founders built the brand around social activism, supporting causes such as climate justice, racial equity, and LGBTQ+ rights, and Ben & Jerry’s has continued to publish flavor names and campaigns tied to those issues. The company’s social mission statements and annual reports highlight the founders’ influence on a culture that links product innovation with public advocacy, and Unilever’s ownership has preserved many of these practices within the broader corporate framework.
Ownership Transition and Current Status
Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield sold Ben & Jerry’s to Unilever in 2000, and the founders have since stepped back from day-to-day operations while remaining associated with the brand’s legacy. The company is now managed as part of Unilever’s global ice cream portfolio, and its financial performance is reported within Unilever’s consolidated results, with the brand continuing to operate scoop shops and retail distribution in the United States and select international markets