Ben Cohen, of Ben & Jerry’s renown, is asking me for money, and he’s not selling ice cream. I give him a dollar bill, he stamps it in red ink — NOT TO BE USED FOR BRIBING POLITICIANS — and returns it to me. It’s part of his new crusade to get corporate money out of politics.
“Corporations are not people, and money is not free speech,” Cohen declares.
The 61-year-old ice-cream mogul sold Ben & Jerry’s to Unilever in 2000. The T-shirt says: “Stamp Money Out of Politics.” These days, as “Head Stamper” at StampStampede, Cohen is working for an amendment to the US Constitution to get money out of politics.
It sounds improbable but no more improbable than this: that a gathering of about 70 people, including Ben and his partner Jerry Greenfield, at the rustic Gold Lake Mountain Resort not far from Boulder, Colorado, Colorado back in 1987 could spawn a movement that has changed the way millions of Americans think about and do business.
The Gold Lake get-together led to the creation of the Social Venture Network (SVN), a group of businesspeople, investors and philanthropists, many of them shaped by the political and cultural movements of the 1960s, who believe that business can change the world for the better. About 700 SVN members, friends and family gathered last week in New York for a 25th anniversary dinner and celebration -- a time to assess how far their movement to remake business has come, and how far it needs to go.
The dinner was a star-studded affair, at least for those of us who pay attention to businesses that aim to build a more just and sustainable economy. On hand along with Ben and Jerry were Eileen Fisher of the eponymous clothing company, Gary Hirshberg of Stonyfield Farm, Drew and Myra Goodman of Earthbound Organic, George Siemon of dairy co-op Organic Valley, Jeffrey Hollender, formerly of Seventh Generation, Chip Conley, founder of Joie de Vivre Hotels, Roger Brown and Linda Mason of Bright Horizons, Amy Domini of Domini Social Investments, all of whom were named to the SVN “Hall of Fame.”
Spotted in the crowd of 700 or so were Gifford Pinchot III, president of of Bainbridge Graduate Institute, my friends Seth Goldman of Honest Tea and author Mark Albion (More Than Money: Questions Every MBA Needs to Answer), Danny Kennedy of Sungevity–the closest thing to a power elite of the sustainable business movement.
Photo of entrance to Ben & Jerry’s factory by Spirit of America via Shutterstock.
Next page: What the SVN did for corporate social responsibility
And, "Here Comes The But..."
And, "Here Comes The But..." The Social Venture Network sounds like a noble cause and with the participation of various corporate business leaders you may stand a chance to actually accomplish some meaningful objectives. BUT!!!, don't go patting your altruistic-self on the back just yet. Where's any objective to expel Union political dollars? ...what about other groups, foundations, lobbies which contribute so heavily to political campaigns; and usually only to "one-side" of the aisle? What about bogus "storefront window" groups that serve no other purpose than to financially support campaigns and wield self-directed favor at the expense of jobs, growth of "gimme, gimme...I got mine, you can't have yours," or "just trust me, we'll take care of you."
Great P.R. for a company to participate in this group...BUT,let's get serious.
Thanks Marc! I appreciate
Thanks Marc! I appreciate your positive article about the Social Venture Network and how it has made such a difference in the world. It shows what can happen when a small group of committed people can get together for the common good and help transform how we do business while making money.