Ice cream innovators and businessmen Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield visited ULM as part of the Lyceum series. They also presented a master class open to all students about the creation of their business and running it with values.
Amy Franklin, a junior business major, was impressed by the passion for their business and community involvement.
“The class is what interested me in tonight’s event.” Franklin said. “Through their story I learned that they didn’t just want to maximize profits, they also wanted to help solve social issues by having power over their business.”
While never expecting to be businessmen, both Cohen and Greenfield use their influence and company profit to better the world.
Cohen’s most recent project concerns free trade. StampStampede is an organization hoping to get money out of politics.
Cohen hopes to use stamps on dollar bills and redistribute them with StampStampede’s message printed on them.
“Every bill has a life of about two years. Everyone uses money, and if we all participate, that’s a lot more effective and in your face than a petition,” Cohen said.
At the Lyceum Series event, Greenfield told the story of how Ben and Jerry’s ice cream came to be.
According to Greenfield, the company had to a lot to overcome in the beginning. After Cohen’s troubled college experiences, he worked many odd jobs.
Greenfield graduated from college and applied to 20 medical schools. But he was rejected from 20 medical schools.
“Ben and I were failing at everything we were trying so we thought why not get together, try something that’s fun, be our own bosses, and we always liked to eat so we figured we’d pick something to do with food and we picked ice cream,” Greenfield said.
Michael Robski, a senior marketing major, was inspired by the message.
“It’s good to know that I don’t have to have a perfect GPA and can still own a business someday,” Robski said.
Robski hoped that students and audience members would take the words to heart just like he did.
“I hope that students aren’t afraid to start their own businesses, that there is no need to fall into the preformed career mindset. You’re more than welcome to try anything you want, even if it fails,” Robski said.
Robski is also a member of CAB and had the chance to meet Cohen and Greenfield during the patron party. He believes that they are both wonderful men.
“There was a live piano player present and the two of them came right in and started dancing,” Robski said.
Caprice Wright, senior psychology major and head of the Lyceum Series committee, was pleased with the help given by patrons for the event.
“There is a lot of behind the scenes work for events like this,” said Wright. “A lot of people don’t know what it takes, but the patron party was a big success.”
Wright said that both Cohen and Greenfield were open and talkative with the party guests, and spoke at length with many.
Wright hopes that students and audience members take something from Cohen and Greenfield’s words and continue to support the Lyceum series.
