Ice Cream Social - 2/24

The University Club Foundation Presents
Ice Cream Social: The Struggle for the Soul of Ben & Jerry’s
With Author Brad Edmondson

Ben & Jerry’s has always been committed to an insanely ambitious three-part mission: making the world’s best ice cream, supporting progressive causes, and sharing the company’s success with all stakeholders: employees, suppliers, distributors, customers, cows, everybody. But it hasn’t been easy.

Brad Edmondson will discuss his book, Ice Cream Social: The Struggle for the Soul of Ben & Jerry’s (Berrett-Koehler, 1/1/14), at the National Register-listed University Club of Albany, 141 Washington Avenue at Dove Street, on Monday, February 24. The evening will begin with a meet-the-author reception at 6:00 p.m., followed by a discussion of the book at 7:00 p.m. After the presentation, the author will sell and sign books, and local Scoop Shop owners will provide samples of Ben & Jerry’s famous ice cream.

A portion of the proceeds from books sold at the event will benefit The Albany Promise, a regional, cross-sector partnership where community, business, and civic leaders in Albany are coming together to support a shared cradle to career educational vision and engaging in collective impact.

According to Madeleine M. Kunin, former governor of Vermont, “Ice Cream Social is a factory tour of the ups and downs and arounds of Ben & Jerry’s. We get an insider’s description of the good times and bad to achieve their mission to make the world’s best ice cream, pursue social change, and treat both employees and shareholders fairly.  Much of the time, they succeeded.”

Journalist Brad Edmondson tells the story of Ben & Jerry’s with an eye for details, dramatic moments, and memorable characters. He interviewed dozens of key figures, particularly Jeff Furman, who helped Ben and Jerry write their first business plan in 1978 and became chairman of the board in 2010. It’s a funny, sad, surprising, and ultimately hopeful story.

Edmondson will be joined in the discussion by Patrick Pipino, who has owned a number of Ben & Jerry’s franchises over some 18 years. He is currently the Owner/President of Ben & Jerry’s Saratoga.

Ice Cream Social is free and open to the public, but seating is limited and reservations are required. Please call the Club at 518-463-1151 to reserve your seat or RSVP via email. This event is presented by the University Club of Albany Foundation, Inc., formed to recognize and maintain the unique historic and architectural significance of the University Club building and property, its historic neighborhood and the city of Albany, where it has been located since its inception in 1901. Support for educational programming presented by the University Club Foundation is provided by AT&T.