Organised jointly by The Singapore Centre for Social Enterprise (raiSE) and American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Singapore, Ben & Jerry’s was invited to speak at the panel event on 20 April discussing how businesses can deliver great products, make a profit and improve the world.
Together with raiSE’s Executive Director, Alfie Othman, and founder of Singaporean start-up, Playmoolah, Audrey Tan, the event explored the social enterprise scene in Singapore, and invited the audience to think further about how they can play a part in supporting the vibrant social enterprise sector in Singapore and the region either as individuals or enterprises.
Ben & Jerry’s shared our history with the audience, including our three-part, equally important mission – economic, product and social – that aims to create linked prosperity for everyone connected to our business. With that context, we went on to share more about our support for social enterprises, to ensure more businesses are able to contribute back to their communities in sustainably viable ways, and grow this sector for more meaningful business relationships.
Believing that all businesses have a responsibility to give back to the communities they operate in, Ben & Jerry’s also shared more about our work with local partners, and shared platforms for the audience to be involved:
- Valued-Led Sourcing – Ben & Jerry’s currently gets all our cookies and brownies from SCORE Bakery, a rehabilitative programme for inmates which provides them with marketable skills that will allow them to reintegrate and contribute back to the workforce. We also get our mint essence from Edible Garden City, a social enterprise which champions the "Grow Your Own Food" movement in land-scarce and import-dependent Singapore.
- Partnership with Ideasinc – To truly provide support to the social enterprise sector in Singapore, Ben & Jerry’s is working with Ideasinc, a local non-profit programme which strives to promote and develop local start-ups for better economic and social development in Singapore, to identify the most socially-innovative start-ups and provide them with seed funding and marketing support.
- Benefit Nights – Using ice cream and fun to talk about issues, Ben & Jerry’s provides a platform to various local organisations to engage the public and further our partners’ causes using our scoop shops and social channels
At the end of the session, the audience was treated to Ben & Jerry’s Cotton Candy ice cream and had a meaningful time engaging the speakers.