L U C E O

Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, at his Jackson, Wyoming home. Chouinard, an avid climber and outdoorsman, describes himself as a natural innovator and a reluctant businessman. Patagonia's "slow business" model is unique in that it encourages responsible growth and has a built in 'tithe' system that returns 1% of its net sales to environmental causes. The company also pays employees to work full-time on environmental issues.