Founders of Ben and Jerry's
Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield created Ben and Jerry's. They met in a seventh-grade gym class in Merrick, New York, and later shared a passion for food and entrepreneurship.
How Ben and Jerry's Started
In 1978, Cohen and Greenfield took a five-dollar correspondence course in ice cream making from Penn State University. They opened their first scoop shop in a renovated gas station in Burlington, Vermont, in 1980.
Why Ben and Jerry's Became Famous
The brand grew quickly because of creative flavor names, chunky mix-ins, and a focus on social causes. In 2000, Ben and Jerry's was acquired by Unilever, but the founders' story remains central to the company's identity.
