The administration and staff of Greenwich High School has announced that co-founder and CEO of Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, Ben Van Leeuwen, will be the 2025 Commencement Speaker. Mr. Van Leeuwen is a proud GHS alum, Class of 2002. GHS Commencement is scheduled for 5:00 PM on Tuesday, June 17 at Cardinal Stadium.
“The Greenwich High School graduation ceremony is an epic celebration for not only families of our graduates and our amazing staff, but those alumni that paved the way.” Greenwich HS Principal Mr. Ralph Mayo said. “Ben Van Leeuwen’s success story is rooted in his time as a Cardinal and all of us here on Hillside Road are tremendous admirers of everything he has accomplished.”
Mr. Van Leeuwen is co-founder and CEO of Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, which began as a yellow scoop truck on the streets of New York City in 2008 with a mission to make good ice cream from good ingredients that makes you feel good. He never imagined that his high school summer job would inspire the business he would soon build alongside brother Pete Van Leeuwen, and Laura O’Neill. On his way out of an interview at a financial services company, Mr. Van Leeuwen had a chance encounter with a Mister Softee ice cream truck that sparked an idea – to create the world’s best ice cream using only the purest, highest quality ingredients, effectively reimagining the ice cream truck experience for the modern consumer. Van Leeuwen began from these humble roots, and has since grown to a true ice cream empire.
“I am honored to be the commencement keynote speaker for Greenwich High School – a place that played a meaningful role in shaping my journey,” Mr. Van Leeuwen said. “I look forward to sharing my story in a way that inspires and empowers. Drawing on my experiences that began right here, I hope to encourage everyone to discover their passion and pursue a path that leads to real happiness.”
Following his four years at Greenwich HS, Mr. Van Leeuwen earned a bachelor’s degree in Management and Business from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY.
