Businesses can lead with their values and make money, too. You

Jerry Greenfield, the co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, spoke with a voice that blends the spirit of enterprise with the conscience of humanity: “Businesses can lead with their values and make money, too. You don’t have to simply be purely profit-driven. You can integrate social and environmental concerns into a business, be a caring business, be a generous business and still do very well financially.” In these words, he challenges the old creed of commerce, the belief that wealth must be built upon the sacrifice of compassion, and proclaims instead that prosperity and goodness may walk hand in hand.

When he says values, Greenfield reminds us that business is not merely the exchange of goods and currency but the extension of human will and human character. The marketplace, like the temple, reflects what a people holds sacred. If greed rules the marketplace, it becomes a place of exploitation. But if compassion and justice are woven into the foundations of business, then the marketplace becomes a place of service and of dignity. Thus, he calls all businesses to be more than engines of wealth—they are to be stewards of community.

To be not merely profit-driven but also mindful of social and environmental concerns is to revive the ancient understanding of stewardship. Long before global markets, the farmer who cared for his soil, the craftsman who cared for his neighbors, knew that prosperity depended upon harmony with both land and people. Greenfield teaches us that this ancient wisdom has not faded—it must be reborn in modern enterprise. To extract without care, to profit without giving, is to build a house upon sand. To combine generosity with profit is to build upon rock, strong enough to endure.

History provides us with luminous examples. Consider the Quaker businesses of eighteenth-century England—families like the Cadburys, who not only produced chocolate but also built housing, schools, and parks for their workers. They refused to exploit, choosing instead to treat laborers as kin. Their business prospered, not in spite of their compassion, but because of it. The loyalty they inspired and the trust they earned became the foundation of enduring success. In Greenfield’s own story, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream became not only a product but a movement, proof that kindness and profit can flourish together.

The call to be a caring business and a generous business is not sentimental—it is heroic. For in a world driven by relentless consumption, to care is an act of rebellion, and to give is a form of courage. Generosity in business does not mean weakness; it means strength of vision, the willingness to look beyond the next quarter’s profits to the lasting health of the earth and the well-being of the people. The wise leader understands that a company’s true wealth lies not only in its ledgers but in the communities it sustains and the trust it earns.

The emotional force of Greenfield’s words lies in his assurance that goodness and prosperity are not enemies. Too often, people believe that kindness costs too much, that environmental care undermines growth, that generosity must always mean financial loss. But he proclaims a different truth: that the business which honors values, uplifts workers, and safeguards the earth does not merely survive—it thrives. For such a business gains loyalty, trust, and love, treasures no currency can easily purchase.

The lesson for us is clear: whether you are a leader of a corporation, a small shopkeeper, or even a worker in your own field, infuse your labor with values. Do not seek profit alone, but also the betterment of those around you. Support companies that are caring businesses. Demand that your leaders act with generosity and vision. And in your own life, remember that true success is not measured in coin but in the good you have done.

Thus, Jerry Greenfield’s words stand as a beacon for the future of commerce: wealth and compassion need not be divided. Let us build businesses that heal rather than harm, that give rather than take, that honor the earth while feeding the people. Such businesses will not only endure—they will flourish, leaving behind a legacy of both prosperity and righteousness, worthy of being remembered by the generations yet to come.