Via & Jeff

Embark on a hilarious journey through decades of trial, error and a passion for justice with Via Carpenter and Jeff Furman. This dynamic duo bonded first over their like minded approach to sales, then their shocking amount of similarities in social good and love of rock and roll. 

Jeff is the B.O.D Emeritus and President of the Ben and Jerry’s Foundation, as well as the founder of Rejoice the Vote, a mentor to the Dorothy Cotton Institute, Alliance of Families For Justice, and the Economic Hardship Reporting Project. 

Jeff Furman served almost 40 years on the corporate board of Ben & Jerry’s, retiring at the age of 75 after an eight-year tenure as chairman. Often referred to as the “&”, Jeff played a pivotal role in the company’s social justice initiatives. He is the co-founder and President of the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, established in 1985 with Jerry. Jerry remains active as a mentor through the Dorothy Cotton Institute, Alliance of Families For Justice, and is a ten-year member of The Oakland Institute.

Via Carpenter is the founder and Owner of Via’s Cookies, a business that follows similar principles to Ben and Jerrys, selling delicious baked goods and giving a percentage of their profits to struggling BIPoC and LGBTQIA+ students. She is on the board for the City Federation of Women’s Organizations, a House fellow at Cornell University, and mentors youth in the Ithaca Community. 

Via and Jeff hail from wildly different backgrounds, yet tread common ground- spreading a message of justice, equality, and how to succeed in business as your authentic self while putting smiles on the faces of those around you. Stick a cookie in your ice cream and sit back while Via and Jeff inspire you to bridge the gap between the ages, clocking in at 24 and 81 years old and amazing you with how similar a worldview can be, even between people who appear different in almost every way.