Ep 93 Purpose in Action: Hilary McAllister on Climate Justice at Ben & Jerry's

About this episode

Hilary McAllister discusses her journey into activism and how Ben & Jerry's approaches climate justice.

Episode Overview What does it look like when a global brand doesn’t just talk about values — but organises around them? In this episode of For Love & Money, I’m joined by Hilary McAllister, Activism Manager at Ben & Jerry’s Australia. Hilary’s path into activism has been anything but linear. Beginning her career in events, she followed a growing concern for climate and environmental justice into grassroots campaigning, co-founding the not-for-profit For Wild Places before stepping into one of the most unusual roles in Australian business — leading activism from inside a global brand. In our conversation, Hilary shares what drew her into purpose-led work, why serendipity and shared values matter more than rigid career plans, and how Ben & Jerry’s approaches climate justice as an always-on commitment rather than a one-off campaign. We explore how activism operates inside the business, what it takes to earn the right to speak on social issues, and why progress is rarely linear — especially when you’re working for long-term systemic change. Hilary also takes us behind the scenes of a major Australian climate campaign, unpacks Ben & Jerry’s mission-lock structure, and…

People in this episode

Host: Carolyn Butler- Madden

Guest: Hilary McAllister

Topics covered

• climate justice
• activism
• business values
• purpose-led work
• systemic change

Keywords

• climate justice
• activism
• Ben & Jerry's
• purpose-led work
• systemic change
• grassroots campaigning
• environmental justice

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Ben & Jerry's, For Wild Places

Places: Australia

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