Meet the founders of Ben & Jerry's, who started their company in a converted gas station and built it up into an ice cream empire that brought in almost $682 million in sales in the US in 2019

Joey HaddenJun 14, 2020, 19:53 IST

Samantha Lee/Business Insider

Ben & Jerry's, an ice cream company, released a statement on June 3 expressing outrage over the killing of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police, stating "we must dismantle white supremacy."
The company has frequently used its platform to support issues like racial equality, climate change, and voting rights.
The cofounders, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, started the company out of a renovated gas station in Vermont in the 1970s.
Separate from the company, Cohen and Greenfield have a history of supporting social causes.

Ben & Jerry's is widely known for its beloved ice cream and for its catchy, pop-culture-riffing flavor names, from "Netflix & Chill'd" to "Americone Dream."

The Vermont-founded company also has a history of social activism. On June 3, the company released a statement titled "we must dismantle white supremacy." The lengthy post touched on the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and called on elected leaders for legislative changes.

Laura Peterson, Public "Elations" Manager of Ben & Jerry's in North America, told Business Insider that the statement was an effort led by company employees and while the cofounders, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, were not involved in writing it, they did like it.

This isn't the first time the company has used its platform to speak out on issues.

Here is a look at how the ice cream empire came to be and the men behind it.

Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, the cofounders of Ben & Jerry's, met in middle school in Long Island, New York.

A street in Long Island, New York. Business Insider/Jessica Tyler

Cohen and Greenfield wanted to open a bagel shop, but the equipment was too expensive. Instead, they opened an ice cream shop in Burlington, Vermont, in 1978.

Greenfield and Cohen at their ice cream stand in Burlington, Vermont. Photo by Ted Dully/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

By 1980, they were selling pints in grocery stores.

A yellow sale tag. Irene Jiang / Business Insider

Ben & Jerry's was the top-selling ice cream brand of 2019, per Statista.

Patrick McMullan/Getty Images

While expanding its business, the company was also getting steadily involved with social issues and charitable causes.

Ben & Jerry's made Baked Alaska for a protest in Washington, DC, against drilling for oil in the Alaskan Arctic National Wildlife Refuge on April 22, 2005. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

In 1994, Cohen stepped down from his role as CEO. Six years later, the Dutch multinational conglomerate Unilever bought Ben & Jerry's.

Unilever headquarters in Rotterdam. Reuters

Through decades of working together, the duo has managed to maintain a close friendship. Cohen and Greenfield shared a glimpse into their relationship in a 2015 Reddit Ask Me Anything.

Cohen and Greenfield during a press conference in 2005. Scott Gries/Getty Images

Through decades of working together, the duo has managed to maintain a close friendship. Cohen and Greenfield shared a glimpse into their relationship in a 2015 Reddit Ask Me Anything.

Cohen and Greenfield also personally have a history of supporting social justice movements.

Greenfield and Cohen join about 20 people sitting in front of the White House as part a rally demonstrating climate change awareness in 2019. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The company is currently helmed by CEO Matthew McCarthy. In a previous conversation with Business Insider's Richard Feloni, McCarthy said that the company's decision to take a stance on social justice issues has helped build and boost its brand.

Matthew McCarthy is the CEO of Ben & Jerry's. Crystal Cox/Business Insider

The company is currently helmed by CEO Matthew McCarthy. In a previous conversation with Business Insider's Richard Feloni, McCarthy said that the company's decision to take a stance on social justice issues has helped build and boost its brand.

Over the decades, the company has released ice cream flavors like "Save Our Swirled" and "Justice Remix'd" that lean into social issues they value.

Cohen and Greenfield announce a new flavor, Justice Remix'd, during a press conference in 2019 Win McNamee/Getty Images

Most recently, Ben & Jerry's released a statement called "Silence is NOT an option" in response to the killing of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police department.

A person walks past Ben & Jerry's on May 11, 2020, in New York City. Rob Kim/Getty Images

Most recently, Ben & Jerry's released a statement called "Silence is NOT an option" in response to the killing of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police department.

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Meet the founders of Ben & Jerry's, who started their company in a converted gas station and built it up into an ice cream empire that brought in almost $682 million in sales in the US in 2019

Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, the cofounders of Ben & Jerry's, met in middle school in Long Island, New York.

Cohen and Greenfield wanted to open a bagel shop, but the equipment was too expensive. Instead, they opened an ice cream shop in Burlington, Vermont, in 1978.

By 1980, they were selling pints in grocery stores.

Ben & Jerry's was the top-selling ice cream brand of 2019, per Statista.

While expanding its business, the company was also getting steadily involved with social issues and charitable causes.

In 1994, Cohen stepped down from his role as CEO. Six years later, the Dutch multinational conglomerate Unilever bought Ben & Jerry's.

Through decades of working together, the duo has managed to maintain a close friendship. Cohen and Greenfield shared a glimpse into their relationship in a 2015 Reddit Ask Me Anything.

Cohen and Greenfield also personally have a history of supporting social justice movements.

The company is currently helmed by CEO Matthew McCarthy. In a previous conversation with Business Insider's Richard Feloni, McCarthy said that the company's decision to take a stance on social justice issues has helped build and boost its brand.

Over the decades, the company has released ice cream flavors like "Save Our Swirled" and "Justice Remix'd" that lean into social issues they value.

Most recently, Ben & Jerry's released a statement called "Silence is NOT an option" in response to the killing of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police department.