Ben Cohen says passion is paramount when choosing a career.
On the sidelines of the SXSW London festival in early June, the Ben & Jerry’s co-founder spoke to Business Insider about his advice for young people concerned about affordability and AI.
“I was going to say, ‘Learn how to become an Uber driver,’ but Waymo is taking care of that for you,” Cohen quipped.
On a serious note, he said people should pursue careers “because they love the work, not to make money.”
Aspiring entrepreneurs, he continued, should “find small gaps, gaps in the market and fill them.”
Employees should “find a company with values that resonate with them, so their work has meaning, not just a paycheck,” he added.
Cohen emphasized the deep sense of purpose and fulfillment that comes from doing what you love.
“You’re following your passion and doing exactly what you want to do, and it’s worth a lot of money,” he said.
“I was a starving artist,” Cohen continued. “The only reason I became an ice cream man is because no one would buy the pottery I made.”
do good while doing good
When it comes to money, Cohen says he’s learned that “you don’t need a lot” to be happy.
To him, raising billions of money feels “crazy in a way” and only “playing football” and aiming to “score” as many points as possible makes sense.
Cohen said the large wealth gap between the rich and the poor means that owning that much money is not justified. There is also no “economic system that pushes large sums of money to the highest levels,” he said.
He said he and co-founder Jerry Greenfield didn’t start the ice cream company to become fabulously wealthy.
“We were trying to make a living,” Cohen said. “We didn’t intend to kill anyone.”
Cohen believes business is “the most powerful force in society,” and said that companies with a social mission that grow in size and visibility “have the potential to do a lot of really good things.”
Ben & Jerry’s is known for allocating a portion of its profits to supporting refugees, LGBTQ+ rights, climate justice, and other progressive causes.
The business was sold to Unilever in 2000 and spun off last year as part of Magnum Ice Cream Company. Mr. Cohen has been urging Magnum in recent months to sell Ben & Jerry’s because he believes it is not living up to the brand’s social values.
Mr. Magnum did not respond to requests for comment.
Business Insider asked Cohen if he would buy Ben & Jerry’s back if someone gave him the money he needed. He responded that his goal was not to own a business. He wants the company to “maintain its social mission” and be “owned by investors who align with that.”
“But if someone gave me a few billion dollars, sure, yeah, why wouldn’t I buy it? I would buy it,” he continued, adding that he would “like to spread the wealth” by attracting more owners at attractive valuations.