Have you ever heard about Ben & jenrry's ice-cream before? If not , you have to try it! Trust me, I tasted it in Trumbull mall twice week ago. It's extremely great! Expecially the Oreo one. However, I didn't realize that it is Jeff Furman's company. You may ask me what kind of realationship we have. Well, not that close; but.. he graduated from Cheshire ACademy in 1961(Buchanan); and I am a junior in CA.
Guess what? On May 30th, 2015, Cheshire Academy will welcome back Jeff Furman to give the 221st Commencement speech at his alma mater. How excited it is! He is a success man. He created the plan for NJeff Furman was famously responsible for help writing the first business plan for Ben & Jerry’s ice cream store. The store was successfully opened in 1978 in Burlington, Vermont. Moreover, he is the first member of the company board (Buchanan). Jeff Furman has been on Ben & Jerry’s company board of directors for over 35 years starting in 1980.
Jeff Furman has supported the company with numerous links to non profit organizations that fit the company’s beliefs. Furman played a significant function while creating the company’s social mission. He started partnering up with Partner Shops which are scoop shops that ran as non profits organizations. Jeff Furman has also worked with non profit organization that includes Social Ventures and The EDGE Funders Alliance, which is based on Ithaca for school equity and poverty (Edmondson). In 1991, Jeff along with Ben and Jerry set an example by becoming the first publicly traded American company to offer health benefits to same sex partners for their employees(Edmondson).
They took social steps forward in terms of environmental impact as well as many charitable organizations that far exceeded the average US corporations. Jeff was part of a company that had outrageous ideas that proved to work at the end. This is what made Jeff an integral part of the board and overall development of the company. His work has proven that connecting your business with equality will ensure a loyal customer fan base and employees.
Jeff Furman is a pioneer who gave way to entrepreneurs who followed him. “Jeff’s dedication to corporate social responsibility is part of why I asked him to speak at commencement, I have always valued the notion that doing well and doing good are not mutually exclusive” said John D. Nozell, who is the Cheshire Academy’s head of school. (Cheshireacademy come page)
This is the first time Jeff Furman has returned to his roots at Cheshire Academy in over 50 years. Jeff was a part of the Cheshire Varsity team that won the Connecticut State Championships during his senior year. Jeff listed his future before graduating to be a chemical engineer. He jokingly responded by saying he didn’t really know what a chemical engineer was. I think it's kind of funny. I remember when I was young, I want to become an accounting. Just because the boy sit next me said her mom is an account officer. I mean, at that time, I even never heard about that vocabulary before.
What's more, Jeff explained how he didn’t learn from a traditional standpoint by reading from books but rather spending his time learning based on work experience. Jeff explained “I get my education from doing things, being immersed in them and trying to figure them out.” Jeff’s work led to a larger social mission that helped large corporations develop a better relationship with their customers and employees (Buchanan). His passion for socially responsible business practices makes him a great candidate for the Cheshire Academy to welcome back. Jeff will be able to return to his humble beginnings to give the upcoming youth a few inspirational tips so that they can also make a difference in the world.
Work Cited
Buchanan, Jesse. "Ben & Jerry's Official to Give Commencement for Cheshire Academy." MyRecordJournal.com. My Record Journal, 27 Apr. 2015. Web. 08 May 2015.
"News Detail | Cheshire Academy." News Detail | Cheshire Academy. Cheshire Academy, n.d. Web. 08 May 2015.
"Meet the Staff and Trustees." Ben & Jerry's Foundation. Ben & Jerry's Foundation, n.d. Web. 08 May 2015.
Edmondson, Brad. "Ice Cream Social: The Struggle for the Soul of Ben & Jerry's | Green Money Journal." Green Money Journal. Green Money Journal, n.d. Web. 08 May 2015.
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