Returning bigger and chunkier than ever before, Ben & Jerry’s Join Our Core competition, in partnership with Ashoka, is set to go global! Join Our Core will be digging out the globe’s top socially conscious entrepreneurs; offering eleven winners across Europe & Asia a €10,000 cash prize, business mentoring from Ashoka, and a trip to the weird and wonderful HQ of Ben & Jerry’s in Vermont USA. To top it all off winners will also receive a Ben & Jerry’s Sundae flavour named after them!
Inspired by Ben & Jerry’s belief that business should give back to the community and have values at their heart, Join Our Core 2014 launches on 1 September 2014 and sees the competition expanded from nine to eleven countries globally. This year the competition is once again open in UK, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Austria, Switzerland & the Netherlands and for the first time three more countries have been added to the line-up: France, Japan and Singapore!
The eleven winners (one in each country) will be selected by expert panels of social business minds, and will culminate in a trip to Ben & Jerry’s HQ in Vermont in May 2015, where winners can share their experiences with the brightest sparks in business for good. Singapore’s panel of judges include Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, Watanan Petersik, member of the Ashoka Fellowship Support Network in Asia (ASN), Grace Sai, CEO and Co-Founder of The Hub Singapore and Terence Quek, CEO of Emergenetics International - Asia Pacific,
Commenting on the bigger, global Join Our Core 2014, Jerry said: “Having been personally involved with Join Our Core, what’s really important to me is that Ben & Jerry’s continues to grow its impact on society,” said Ben & Jerry’s Cofounder, Jerry Greenfield. “We’re proud to partner with Ashoka, who’ve been instrumental to make this program truly impactful and supportive of these entrepreneurs.
Ilaria Ida, Global Social Mission Manager, said: “We’re excited to be going global for Join Our Core in 2014, and helping unearth some of the world’s brightest sparks in the Asia region for the first time. There’s real power to be found in a growing core of socially & environmentally conscious businesses, and I can’t wait to meet the finalists this year.”
Rob Wilson from Ashoka, said: “The most powerful force in the world is a big idea in the hands of a great entrepreneur. Join Our Core celebrates and supports young people who are creating a new type of business for a changing world.”
‘Sundae School’
Alongside the wider Join Our Core initiative, Ben & Jerry’s also held the first ‘Sundae School’ at the Dempsey Scoop Shop. The series of three free intimate and interactive forums is created to enable the next generation of ethical businesses to meet, rub shoulders and learn from social innovation heroes – while enjoying a scoop or two of Ben & Jerry’s delicious ice cream!
Two other ‘Sundae Schools’ are lined up on 4October 2014 at Ben & Jerry’s annual ice cream festival, ChunkFest and on 24 November 2014, featuring Jerry Greenfield of Ben & Jerry’s. Interested members are encouraged to follow Ben & Jerry’s facebook page for more information announced closer to date. (Refer to Annex 1 for details)
Early bird catches the worm!
To qualify, entrants need to be living in Singapore, be aged between 18 and 34 and have their businesses registered with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA). For further information about the Join Our Core 2014 competition, full terms and conditions, the prizes on offer and last year’s winners, please visit www.joinourcore.com.
Competition Timeline
1 September: Join Our Core goes Live!
19 September: Early bird deadline – First 100 entries submitted by 19 September, 1700 GMT will each receive a dozen pints of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream
15 October: Final deadline for Join Our Core submissions
31 October: Five Singapore finalists will be announced on www.joinourcore.com
24-25 November: Singapore finalists meet and pitch to judges
25 November: Announcing Singapore’s Join Our Core Winner
2015 May: Study trip to Vermont, home of Ben & Jerry’s!
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