Jennifer Garner Celebrates Major IPO Milestone with Son at NYSE
Actress Jennifer Garner shared a significant professional moment with her family on Friday, bringing her 13-year-old son Samuel to the New York Stock Exchange. The star rang the opening bell to celebrate the Initial Public Offering (IPO) of her organic baby food company, Once Upon a Farm, which was valued at nearly $845 million during its market debut.
A Family Affair at the World's Largest Stock Exchange
The 53-year-old actress, known for roles in 13 Going On 30 and Dallas Buyers Club, was photographed holding hands with her teenage son at the crowded and highly energetic trading floor. Samuel accompanied his mother for what she described as the "thrill and chills" of the IPO ceremony, marking a special mother-son bonding experience at one of finance's most iconic venues.
Garner appeared radiant in a sophisticated dark blue dress featuring three large brass buttons down the front and elegant elbow-length sleeves, complemented by classy beige pumps. Her son mirrored the formal occasion in a navy suit paired with a green button-down shirt and white trainers, sporting a hairstyle reminiscent of his father's.
Building an Organic Food Empire
The IPO represents a major achievement for Garner's company, Once Upon a Farm, which she co-founded to provide organic packaged foods for children. The brand offers a range of products including snack packs, oat bars, and frozen meals designed with nutritional quality in mind. The nearly $845 million valuation underscores the growing market demand for healthier children's food options and the successful execution of Garner's business vision.
Garner's Reflections on Parenting and Co-Parenting
In a January interview with Marie Claire UK, the mother-of-three opened up about her evolving approach to parenting her children, who also include 20-year-old Violet and 17-year-old Finn. Garner shares all three children with ex-husband Ben Affleck.
"They're just so cool!" she exclaimed about her teenagers. "Parenting now has shifted. It's more about parenting with a button on my mouth... you have to let them grow up and make their choices. You don't get to control it."
The actress expressed particular pride in her children's development, stating: "I'm so proud of how they walk through the world, and proud of them for trying hard."
Successful Co-Parenting with Ben Affleck
Garner also reflected on her surprisingly positive co-parenting relationship with Affleck, from whom she separated in 2015 after ten years of marriage and finalized divorce in 2018.
"And then, yeah, that I'm able to co-parent at this point in time with peace and equanimity and a partnership that I didn't know I would ever get back to," she marveled during the interview.
The actress offered encouragement to other women navigating similar situations: "I think it's important for women to know, when they think, 'Oh, I'll never see that, I'll never have that feeling, I'll never be friends with this person again' [that] time is the opportunity. Time is the opportunity to heal. Time is the opportunity to forgive, to move on and to find a new way to be friends."
Affleck echoed this sentiment during a March appearance on the Today show, praising his ex-wife's parenting: "I'm really lucky that I have a really good co-parent and partner in Jennifer Garner, the kids' mom, who's wonderful and great and we work together well."
Gratitude for Career and Relationships
Garner expressed profound appreciation for both her professional and personal life during the interview, noting: "So much about my life surprises me. That I'm still working, that I'm still alive, that my kids are healthy, that my work relationships – which are more like familial friendships – are still the same as they were 25 or 30 years ago, but richer and deeper and stronger. It's all a gift. I just feel so grateful to my job for giving me these people."
The actress, who is currently dating burger chain CEO John Miller, appeared genuinely joyful throughout the NYSE event, beaming with pride as she celebrated both her business achievement and family moment simultaneously.
