
When Values Meet Reality: The Ben & Jerry’s Story I Wrote About in 2017 Continues to Unfold
Today’s news that Jerry Greenfield is stepping away from Ben & Jerry’s, citing Unilever’s silencing of their social mission, validates concerns I raised in my 2017 book ‘Values Count’. When values-driven companies are acquired by larger corporations, the promise to maintain social mission rarely survives the reality of corporate structures designed for different purposes. This isn’t just about ice cream – it’s about fundamental questions facing every entrepreneur who wants to build a business that stands for something.