MMMMMMMMMMMM, Cherry Garcia®, Phish Food®, Half Baked…I’m seeing a trend here…and it’s not stoner music. It’s a creative approach to making business fun and it’s not at the expense of ‘wicked cool’ financial returns.

Who would have thought two ‘hippie’ Long Island grade school friends could take a ‘cow to cone’ business plan and help change the world with ice cream?! Ben & Jerry’s not only makes great, uniquely flavoured ice cream products, but they also manage to leverage their brand to make a positive, or should I say delicious, impact on the world around them. And their success? 2008 is their 30th Anniversary (check out their Birthday Scrapbook) - not a bad milestone.

By taking a triple bottom line approach, in which people, planet and profits are considered equally, the Ben & Jerry’s brand has managed to become one of the top scoops in the Ice Cream world. Inspiring their staff to use their resources to ‘work towards eliminating the underlying causes of environmental and social problems,’ the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation impacts ‘communities’ everywhere while motivating staff. Sourcing ingredients from like minded values-driven businesses, developing organic products and developing packaging made with unbleached paper continues their big picture approach.

The Ben & Jerry’s website is not only fun to navigate, but full of inspiring ways to make a difference in business. And if you’re as hungry for ice cream, I mean great business stories, as I am check out the first book of the Social Ventures Network series, Values-Driven Business: How to Change the World, Make Money, and Have Fun featuring the Ben & Jerry’s story. And if you want some great Ben & Jerry’s ice cream recipes taste this book!