COULD YOU BE THE NEXT BEN & JERRY’S?

Ice cream pioneer launches competition to find socially responsible entrepreneurs

Ben & Jerry’s is calling on socially responsible entrepreneurs to demonstrate how they can create a business embracing the ice cream pioneer’s philosophy of giving back to the community.

Called Join Our Core, the competition encourages entrants to put their business ideas forward for the chance to scoop a €10,000 cash prize, mentoring from Ashoka, a global organisation that invests in social entrepreneurs, and the opportunity to see their name on tubs of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.

“When we set-up the company in 1978, Ben and I always believed giving back to the community was as important as making great tasting ice cream,” says Jerry Greenfield.

“That’s why I am really excited about this competition, to find business models with those same values that still lead us today.”
Entrants have until April 15 to submit their applications, with 25 semi-finalists being invited to present their ideas to the competition’s judging panel in London in May.

The 15 finalists chosen by the panel will be taken to Africa this summer for the last stage of the programme with development gurus VSO, where they will share social business ideas, live with vanilla farmers and help local development projects in their community.
The five overall winners will scoop a €10,000 cash prize and be featured on a Ben & Jerry’s tub.
There will also be a ‘People’s Choice Award’, where the Join Our Core community will pick five winners who will each receive €1,000 in cash.

The first 100 people to submit their applications before 15 March will scoop the equivalent of a year’s supply of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.

For more information visit www.joinourcore.com.