Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry’s is telling me a story about smoking pot. We’re on Zoom, and he says: “The idea came about when I was on a camping trip with a friend of mine, sitting around a fire, smoking a joint. And we were saying, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to have pot like the old days?’” The idea Cohen is referring to is his latest venture, the eponymously named Ben’s Best Blnz , or B3. The just-launched company is a bright, bold cannabis brand that offers low-THC pre-rolls and full-spectrum vapes. Much like his endeavors in ice cream, Cohen set out to use B3’s platform as a conduit for what he refers to as “social benefit.” B3 is registered as a nonprofit, with 100% of its profits split between three entities: 10% will go to the Last Prisoner Project , an organization dedicated to freeing individuals impacted by cannabis criminalization; another 10% will be donated to the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance , whose mission is to “secure sustainable power, ensure … [Read more...] about Ben of Ben & Jerry trades ice cream for cannabis
Indigo 999 offer routes 2019
The Monarch Collective unveils $100 million fund to bring equity to women’s sports
Companies founded by women received less than 2% of venture capital funding in 2022— a decline from the year before. However, when women-led startups are funded, research has shown that they generate more in cumulative returns, compared to those led by men. A new VC fund aims to take this lesson to women’s sports. On Monday, venture capitalists Kara Nortman and Jasmine Robinson announced the close of a $100 million fund, the Monarch Collective, with a mission to “accelerate equity in global sport.” Nortman is a former partner at the Los Angeles-based venture capital firm Upfront Ventures. Robinson was a partner at Causeway, a fund focused on sports, media, and entertainment. The Monarch Collective, founded in January, will focus on investing in women’s teams and leagues, along with adjacent industries, such as media and gaming. The duo say they are initially considering investments in women’s soccer teams in the U.S., and in women’s teams and leagues in sports such … [Read more...] about The Monarch Collective unveils $100 million fund to bring equity to women’s sports
‘Friends’, ‘Grace and Frankie’ creator outfoxes sexism
This 2016 photo provided by Netflix shows writer/producer Marta Kauffman, from left, Jane Fonda, as Grace Hanson, and Lily Tomlin, as Frankie Bergstein, in a scene from “Grace and Frankie”. Image: Netflix/Melissa Mosley via AP Ask Marta Kauffman if there will be a “Friends” reunion someday, and the answer is a crisp “nope.” Kauffman, who created the enduringly popular sitcom with David Crane and was an executive producer from start to finish, is focused on what’s now and next, not what’s past. She’s moved on from the 1994-2004 network-airbrushed adventures of young New York pals to the unvarnished pains and pleasures of older women — and, subordinately, men — in “Grace and Frankie”. The Netflix comedy is in the hunt to add 2019 Emmy Award nominations to those earned in its first four seasons by stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, who also have received Screen Actors Guild, Golden Globe and other nods of recognition. “Friends” can boast of nabbing a best comedy series Emmy in … [Read more...] about ‘Friends’, ‘Grace and Frankie’ creator outfoxes sexism