Meet Karen Driscoll, Racial Equity & Inclusion Director at Ben & Jerry’s

Cox: Karen Driscoll I’m excited to be speaking with you today. Let’s get straight into your new role as the Racial Equity & Inclusion Director for Ben & Jerry’s. It’s such a hot topic and new position post-pandemic.
Driscoll: In this position and with this title I have the amazing opportunity to make sure BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ individuals are represented in our flavors, at our scoop shops, and in our company globally. I am making sure people in this company feel seen in the entirety of their identity. It goes beyond just race and gender.

Cox: I love that you used the word intersectionality. We’ve touched on that topic with conversations in dedicated issues like LGBTQ and Afro-Latin. What does that mean for Ben & Jerry’s?
Driscoll: That’s a great question. When you look at the history of Ben & Jerry’s you see a company that is active with advocacy work. This work is part of its three-part mission. One of those is centered around our social mission and that’s to use the power of business to make the world a better place. So, it wouldn’t be authentic if the company didn’t reflect the diversity of its customer base served. Our racial equity work in this case is meant to help close the gap between our social mission and the stances our customers take around the world.

Cox: You are veteran in this whole DEI space. What was it about this role and Ben & Jerry’s as a company overall that let you know this would be the right fit for you?
Driscoll: I actually didn’t go seeking this role but I was definitely happy when it was presented to me. For me, I have always been a fan of the brand even before being on staff. Ben & Jerry’s could easily be an ice cream company that just sells the best ice cream in the world, but it does more than that. It was in 2020 when the company stood out to me. During the height of everything going on with the death of George Floyd the company took a firm stance and vocalized its support while others were scrambling to get their words together. So, when I received the opportunity for this role it was an easy yes. I just felt like this was going to be a place where I could show up fully as me and not have to cover parts of myself.

Cox: I know right when you got on you said “the company has to bring some joy with their advocacy work.” Why was that one of the first important things for you to change in this role?
Driscoll: We all know and love Ben and Jerry’s for its social mission, but when I came in I wanted to broaden the lens. I wanted to ensure we didn’t see people of color only through the lens of justice or oppression. I wanted to create space to showcase our entire humanity and that includes moments of joy. And eating ice cream is a joyful experience. So, as a brand, I wanted to make sure we were being equally present during the moments of joy and justice for our fans. This means we have to be even more present in the communities where we work and play. It’s about building more and deeper relationships with these communities.

Cox: As a Black woman in this role making sure a company has practices in place to stop any form of marginalization from happening, do you feel that this is a role needing to be filled by a BIPOC individual?
Driscoll: I do think it’s important because when you have people in this role who come from those marginalized communities, they bring that perspective with them. They are looking within to see what was missing for them and how they can be the catalyst of change necessary to make others feel a sense of belonging. I think anyone in this role still needs to have a council of advisors that’s diverse. For example, I have my own particular set of experiences being a Black woman from the West Coast. This means that I also look at the world with a particular lens. You need to have a balance with a variety of individuals to bring advice and suggestions because regardless of being BIPOC we all still have an individual perspective we bring to positions and companies.

Cox: The concept of having a diverse advisory council being part of this role is very interesting.
Driscoll: Yes, you want to have individuals who are as diverse as you to help you mitigate those blind spots in terms of your own lived experience when you are strategizing and making decisions.

Cox: I love that you really talk about lived experience.
Driscoll: This is a global company with a global reach. I’m keenly aware of my experience as an American. So, I make sure we are looking at various perspectives including different cultural histories, when furthering our impact. We have to understand the cultural norms for all the places the company touches. Again, that’s why this council of advisors with different experiences is critically important.

Cox: I want to concise of our time because I know you are busy woman. I want give you your flowers for all you are doing in this role with a global company. Before we end what does a normal day look like for Karen Driscoll?
Driscoll: Thank you and that’s a great question. I do try to clock out at 5 p.m. if I can (laughs). Work-life balance is important for me and that’s something supported by Ben & Jerry’s. On a day-to-day basis, my work can vary and change quickly. Every week consists of meetings with my own team to make sure we are on top of everything and with the leadership team as I’m part of that as well. Recently, the majority of my work with my team has been focused on creating and implementing our multi-year planning. We have three goals: (1) diversifying our staff, (2) increasing the number of Black-owned scoop shops in the US, and (3) increasing the number of Black-owned suppliers who provide ingredients of our products.

Cox: Thank you so much for your time. Also, I heard your one-year anniversary is coming up with Ben & Jerry’s, what is one thing you have discovered about working for such an amazing company?
Driscoll: I was surprised to learn how much people really love Ben & Jerry’s. Like, I know everyone loves the company, but I learned how deep that love runs. I knew that as a fan myself but coming on as staff is different. And to see how much even the staff loves and truly believes in the work and mission of the company is awe-inspiring!