Design Idol, Esteemed Expert | Yvon Chouinard

Yvon Chouinard is an American businessman, rock climber, surfer, kayaker, falconer, fly fisherman, and environmentalist. As founder of the outdoor clothing company, Patagonia, Chouinard is highly respected for his contributions to both climbing and sustainability in the outdoor apparel industry. He has been featured in radio, television, and many magazines ranging from outdoor magazines to Fortune. He has been a Sierra Club member since his youth and it was his love for falconry that led him to rock climbing. Chouinard often made his own climbing tools to save money and this practice set him on his path of designing climbing and outdoor equipment. Although he earned a MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business, Chouinard has become known for promoting "management by absence" with his book, Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman, and is a strong supporter of the slow company movement. Chouinard's ongoing interest in sustainable business has revolutionized theh outdoor industry multiple times, from 'clean climbing' in the 1970s to organic cotton initiatives in the 1990s.

Future-ish added Chouinard to our PISA List in 2011.