WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, January 26, Howard University President Wayne A. I. Frederick connected with Ben & Jerry’s CEO, Matthew McCarthy during a virtual fireside chat. During this one-hour conversation, McCarthy spoke on inclusion, the duplicity of mentorship, and the new Ben & Jerry’s fellowship.

McCarthy expresses that togetherness is what helped Ben & Jerry’s thrive during a closing in 2020, due to COVID-19. While not all employees were working remotely, the company took into the consideration the safety of their employers. When asked about the inclusivity in the Ben & Jerry’s brand, McCarthy humbly expressed that he feels like the company has not done enough.

“The reality is there is more we need to do,” said McCarthy. “I don’t want to sugar coat that part. In this past year, we have created a new position for a Racial Equity Inclusion Director, which is a staff-level position reporting directly to me. This position was created specifically out of the effort of pushing Ben & Jerry’s as an anti-racist organization. I think we are very inclusive place but not anywhere near where we could be on all areas of inclusion.”

Throughout the event, McCarthy emphasized the importance of Ben & Jerry’s 3 key values, human rights & dignity, social & economic justice, environmental protection, restoration, & regeneration.

“Mentorship works both ways,” said McCarthy. “The higher you go, the less you know. With new information coming onboard, it doesn’t mean my information is not valuable, it just means that the experienced folks need to have humility to realize new answers and new perspectives.”

These reason and more have crafted the Ben & Jerry’s fellowship beginning in Fall 2022. The purpose of this fellowship is to diversify talent and build a pipeline of African American leaders, who are passionate, driven, and motivated by Ben & Jerry’s values and mission.

Three first year MBA Howard students will be accepted into the fellowship program on a yearly basis. With this fellowship, Howard students will have the opportunity to connect with a mentor within the Ben & Jerry’s corporation, develop leadership skills, and experience high impact professional experiences.

“Since I have been president, I have been focused on workforce development and bringing students more opportunities,” said President Frederick. “I am a big admirer of Ben & Jerry’s. I think it is a well-ran company so I am excited about the fellowship and excited for the students who will get to participate.”

Watch the fireside chat here using the access code cFZY0a0$.

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About Howard University

Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 14 schools and colleges. Students pursue more than 140 programs of study leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced one Schwarzman Scholar, three Marshall Scholars, four Rhodes Scholars, 12 Truman Scholars, 25 Pickering Fellows and more than 165 Fulbright recipients. Howard also produces more on-campus African American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, visit www.howard.edu.

About Ben & Jerry’s

As an aspiring social justice company, Ben & Jerry’s believes in a greater calling than simply making a profit for selling its goods. The company produces a wide variety of super-premium ice cream, yogurt and sorbet using high-quality ingredients. Ben & Jerry’s incorporates its vision of Linked Prosperity into its business practices in a number of ways including a focus on values-led sourcing. In 2015 the company completed its transition to using entirely non-GMO (genetically modified organisms) ingredients by source as well as to fully source Fairtrade-certified ingredients wherever possible, which benefits farmers in developing countries. Ben & Jerry’s products are distributed in 35 countries in supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, franchise Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shops, restaurants and other venues. Ben & Jerry’s, a Vermont corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of Unilever, operates its business on a three-part Mission Statement emphasizing product quality, economic reward and a commitment to the community. Ben & Jerry’s became a certified B Corp in 2012. The Ben & Jerry’s Foundation granted $3.4MM in 2020 to support grassroots organizing for social and environmental justice around the country. The foundation’s philanthropy is guided by Ben & Jerry’s employees who serve on committees that review applications.

Media Contact: Aaliyah Butler; aaliyah.butler@howard.edu