Jerry Greenfield, best known as the co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Holdings, Inc., has been married to Elizabeth Skarie for many years, and together they have a son named Tyrone.
He first met Elizabeth while they were both in college, at a time when Jerry was struggling to gain acceptance into medical school. Those setbacks kept him from his early dream of becoming a doctor, but they also set the stage for a different path. Greenfield later teamed up with his childhood friend Ben Cohen, and the two went on to create Ben & Jerry’s, which grew into a multimillion-dollar ice cream company.
Here’s a closer look at Greenfield’s life away from business, focusing on his wife Elizabeth and their family.
Jerry Greenfield and Elizabeth Skarie’s Married Life
Jerry tied the knot with his spouse, Elizabeth Skarie, in 1987, and a year later, they welcomed their son, Tyrone.
Family has remained an important part of his life, with Greenfield often enjoying time with loved ones and keeping active through basketball and volleyball.
Their connection started long before marriage. In 1974, Jerry moved to North Carolina with Elizabeth, who would later become his wife. While there, the businessman continued working as a lab technician and later returned to New York to begin the ice cream business with Ben Cohen.
However, years later in the 1980s, Jerry took a hiatus from the ice cream business for a period to support his wife, Elizabeth, while pursuing her doctorate in psychology in Arizona.
The Couple Has Also Got involved in Charity Work
Jerry Greenfield and Elizabeth Skarie have also given back through philanthropy. They established the Jerry Greenfield & Elizabeth K. Skarie Foundation, a private, non-operating foundation based in Williston, Vermont.
The foundation supports a range of projects, with much of its funding directed to Vermont and Ohio. While it does not outline strict areas of focus in its public filings, the work reflects the family’s interest in community causes. Serving as directors are Jerry, Elizabeth, and their son Tyrone, making it a true family effort.
Their Son, Tyrone Greenfield
Tyrone Greenfield is the son of Jerry Greenfield and Elizabeth Skarie and grew up in Vermont. Over the years, the star kid has been active in social justice causes and once served as communications director for the Free Network Foundation.
His professional life has included several roles. Most recently, in December 2023, Tyrone became Chief of Staff at Trace Machina, per his LinkedIn profile. Before that, Greenfield also spent time working as a consultant between 2014 and 2019, and earlier served as Chief Operating Officer at the Free Network Foundation from 2011 to 2014 in Kansas City, Missouri.
He also gained experience as a reporter for The Scarlet and Black in 2010–2011 and as a communications intern with the Institute for Sustainable Communities in 2009.
As for his education, Tyrone earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Grinnell College in 2011 and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He later earned his law degree from the University of Denver, completing his J.D. in 2022.
