Ben & Jerry's founders oppose Unilever's ice cream IPO plan
Ben & Jerry's founders, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, are urging Unilever not to include their iconic ice cream brand in an upcoming stock market listing with Magnum and Cornetto.
They feel Unilever has drifted from Ben & Jerry's original mission since buying it in 2000, especially when it comes to social justice.
Founders say values are 'central' to brand
In an open letter, Cohen and Greenfield stressed that "We believe that the founding values are central to what Ben & Jerry's is, and cannot simply be discarded out of convenience or under political pressure."
They believe the company should keep standing up for progressive causes, as it has always done.
Cohen and Greenfield want brand to stay true to roots
The founders say Unilever has tried to silence Ben & Jerry's on issues like supporting refugees.
Even though they no longer run the company day-to-day, Cohen and Greenfield want the brand to stay true to its activist roots—and have urged potential investors to help protect that legacy.