TrueMajority and Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities | Ben Cohen | Talks at Google

TL;DR

Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry's, discusses the power of businesses to address social issues and shares insights on how to change budget priorities in the US to focus on education, healthcare, energy independence, job training, and deficit reduction.

Transcript

good afternoon welcome to authors at Google my name is Larry brilliant and I work with google.org I suppose we should really not call this authors at Google we should probably call it icons at Google as we begin to think about all the wonderful people we've had here I don't think we've had anybody as warm and wonderful as the person that you're goi... Read More

Key Insights

• ✊ Businesses have the power to address social issues by integrating social concerns into their everyday activities.
• 👨‍💼 Philanthropy alone is not enough; businesses must incorporate social values into their decision-making processes.
• 🪡 Traditional measures of success, like profit, need to be redefined to include social impact.
• 🌍 The US budget should be recalibrated to prioritize education, world hunger, healthcare, energy independence, job training, and deficit reduction.
• 👨‍💼 The community should have ownership and a voice in businesses to ensure collective prosperity.
• ✊ Businesses need to recognize their power and responsibility to improve the common welfare of society.
• 👨‍💼 The role of business in society has evolved, and it should prioritize the well-being of people over profit.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did Ben and Jerry's transform from a small ice cream business to a socially responsible company?

Ben and Jerry's started with a focus on making high-quality ice cream but realized the business could be a tool for social change. They integrated social concerns into their decision-making processes and redefined their bottom line.

Q: How did Ben and Jerry's involve the community in ownership of the business?

Ben and Jerry's conducted the first-ever in-state public stock offering, allowing Vermonters to buy shares and become owners of the company. This approach aimed to ensure that as the business prospered, the community would also prosper.

Q: What led Ben and Jerry's to redefine the bottom line and measure success based on social impact?

Ben and Jerry's wanted to use their business as a force for progressive social change. They realized that measuring success solely based on profit was not aligned with their values and decided to include social impact as part of their bottom line.

Q: How does Ben Cohen propose shifting US budget priorities to address social needs?

Ben Cohen suggests reallocating a portion of the Pentagon budget towards education, world hunger, healthcare, energy independence, job training, and deficit reduction. By changing budget allocation, the US can better address these critical social issues.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Ben Cohen shares his journey from starting an ice cream business with Jerry Garcia to using Ben & Jerry's as a force for social change.

• He explains the importance of integrating social concerns into day-to-day business activities and redefining the bottom line.

• Ben highlights the need to shift US budget priorities towards education, healthcare, energy independence, job training, and deficit reduction.