Consumer Goods

Ben & Jerry's was founded in 1978 with a 'linked prosperity' mission—7.5% of pre-tax profits to community causes, living wages, social activism. In 2000, despite founder resistance, the company was sold to Unilever for $326M. A unique arrangement preserved an 'independent board' to protect the social mission. This worked partially—activism continued, including Palestine/BDS statements. But in 2022, Unilever sued its own subsidiary to force Israel sales, exposing the limits of board independence when parent company disagrees. Ben & Jerry's shows that even with structural protection, conventional ownership can constrain mission when parent interests conflict.

• CAUTIONARY CASE
• Founded with linked prosperity mission
• Sold to Unilever (2000)

Dr. Bronner's is a family-owned soap company that has operated since 1948 with an increasingly radical social mission. The company caps executive pay at 5:1 ratio (CEO earns max 5× lowest paid worker), operates 100% fair trade and organic supply chains, and donates approximately $35M annually to causes including drug policy reform, regenerative agriculture, and animal welfare. The company is governed by a 'Constructive Capitalism' philosophy that explicitly rejects shareholder primacy. Annual revenue exceeds $150M. Dr. Bronner's proves that a privately-held company can maintain radical values across generations when ownership stays within mission-aligned family.

• 5:1 executive pay cap
• 100% fair trade certified
• $35M annual charitable giving

Eileen Fisher is a women's clothing company that has pioneered sustainable and circular fashion. Founded in 1984, the company transitioned to 40% employee ownership through an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan). The 'Renew' program takes back used Eileen Fisher garments, which are resold, remade into new designs, or recycled. Over 1.5 million garments have been collected. The company uses organic and recycled materials, pays living wages, and has committed to becoming fully circular. Revenue exceeds $300M annually. Eileen Fisher demonstrates that fashion can be regenerative when ownership (employee), design (circular), and values (sustainability) align.

• 40% employee ownership (ESOP)
• Renew take-back program
• 1.5M+ garments collected

Interface is a modular carpet tile company that pioneered corporate sustainability under founder Ray Anderson. In 1994, Anderson had an 'epiphany' reading Paul Hawken's 'Ecology of Commerce' and committed to 'Mission Zero'—eliminating any negative environmental impact by 2020. The company achieved this goal. Interface developed carbon-negative products, recycled fishing nets into carpet fiber (Net-Works program), and proved that radical sustainability could improve profitability. Revenue exceeds $1B. Now working toward 'Climate Take Back'—becoming restorative. Interface proves that industrial manufacturing can be regenerative when mission is embedded in strategy.

• Mission Zero achieved (2020)
• Carbon-negative products
• Net-Works fishing net recycling

N'GO Shoes is a French B Corp creating ethical sneakers that preserve Vietnamese ethnic minority craftsmanship. Founded in 2017, the company partners with 40+ artisans from ethnic minorities in northern Vietnam, ensuring fair wages and preserving traditional weaving techniques at risk of disappearing. 2% of revenue funds education—7 schools built for 400+ students. The supply chain is fully transparent and regenerative: artisans maintain their craft and community, consumers get ethically-made products, and children gain educational access. This demonstrates PSC principles in consumer goods: decoupling from exploitative fast fashion, alignment between profit and cultural preservation, and multi-cycle benefit (artisans → education → next generation).

• B Corp certified
• 40+ ethnic minority artisans employed
• Traditional weaving techniques preserved

Newman's Own was founded by Paul Newman in 1982 with a radical premise: give away 100% of profits to charity, forever. The company started with salad dressing and grew to a $400M+ annual revenue food business spanning pasta sauce, popcorn, cookies, and more. After Paul Newman's death in 2008, ownership transferred to Newman's Own Foundation, ensuring the philanthropic mission continues permanently. Over $600 million has been donated to thousands of charities. This proves that 'shameless exploitation in pursuit of the common good' (Newman's tagline) can work at scale—a company can be commercially competitive while structurally locked to philanthropic purpose.

• 100% profits to charity since founding
• $600M+ donated over 43 years
• Foundation-owned permanently

In 2022, founder Yvon Chouinard transferred 100% of Patagonia's ownership to the Holdfast Collective (a 501(c)(4) nonprofit) and the Patagonia Purpose Trust. The company's ~$100M annual profits now fund climate action permanently. This wasn't a sale—it was a 'Mission Lock' that makes extraction legally impossible. Patagonia proves that commercial success and regenerative purpose can coexist when ownership structure prevents future drift. The company pioneered '1% for the Planet' (giving 1% of sales to environmental causes since 1985) and has operated profitably for 50+ years while rejecting growth-at-all-costs logic.

• 100% ownership to climate trusts
• $100M+ annual profits to climate
• 52 years of operation

The Body Shop was founded by Anita Roddick in 1976 as a pioneer of ethical beauty—against animal testing, fair trade ingredients, environmental activism. It grew to 3,000+ stores globally. In 2006, Roddick controversially sold to L'Oréal for £652M, arguing she could 'change from within.' She died in 2007. L'Oréal sold to Natura in 2017. Natura sold to Aurelius in 2023. Aurelius put it into administration in 2024. Each sale diluted the mission further. Staff lost jobs, suppliers lost contracts, and the ethical brand became a cautionary tale about what happens when purpose-driven companies enter conventional ownership without structural protection.

• CAUTIONARY CASE
• Founded as ethical beauty pioneer
• Against animal testing from start

TOMS Shoes pioneered the 'one-for-one' model—buy a pair, donate a pair. Founded in 2006, it grew rapidly on social mission appeal. But the model faced mounting criticism: donated shoes undermined local shoemakers in developing countries, creating dependency rather than development. In 2014, Bain Capital bought 50%. In 2019, creditors took over, restructuring the company and diluting the mission. The model shifted from shoe donations to cash grants. TOMS illustrates that good intentions aren't enough—poorly designed giving can cause harm, and conventional financing structures can erode mission when financial pressure hits.

• CAUTIONARY CASE
• Pioneered one-for-one model
• Criticized for undermining local markets