Ice Cream Social: The Struggle for the Soul of Ben & Jerry's [Paperback]

The Riveting True Story of One Of the World’s Most Iconic Mission-Driven Companies

Ben & Jerry’s has always been committed to an insanely ambitious three-part mission: making the world’s best ice cream, supporting progressive causes, and sharing the company’s success with all stakeholders: employees, suppliers, distributors, customers, cows, everybody. But it hasn’t 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 & Jerry’s 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. It’s a funny, sad, surprising, and ultimately hopeful story.Foreword by Annie Leonard
Prologue
Main Characters
Chapter One: “We’re Completely Insane, And We Need Your Help!”
Chapter Two: A New Kind Of Startup
Chapter Three: Progressive Sweatshop
Chapter Four: Staffing The Social Mission
Chapter Five: Money Starts Talking
Chapter Six: Yo, I’m Not Your CEO
Chapter Seven: The Gulf Was So Wide
Chapter Eight: Leading With Progressive Values
Chapter Nine: Unacceptable Choices
Chapter Ten: The Sale Agreements
Chapter Eleven: A Thousand Cuts
Chapter Twelve: Counterattack
Chapter Thirteen: Pursuing Linked Prosperity