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Sunny Vanderbeck ♦ Randy Eisenman ♦ Eric Gilchrest
Rugger Burke ♦ John Grafer ♦ Danyelle Faulkner
The members of our investment team have long and successful track records as private equity investors, founders and CEOs of private and public companies, investment bankers, and corporate lawyers. We leverage our diverse skills, experiences and networks to identify, evaluate, and scale sustainably-run businesses. Our managing partners have known each other since the 1990s, and most members on our team have worked together for many years. From our history together, we have developed a robust partnership with shared values and a commitment to become the "buyer of choice" for sustainable businesses.
Sunny Vanderbeck has a track record of high achievement in all of his endeavors, including as an entrepreneur, CEO, investor, board member, and military leader. Prior to co-founding Satori Capital, Mr. Vanderbeck co-founded and served as Chief Executive Officer of Data Return, a leading provider of managed services and utility computing. As CEO for eleven years, Mr. Vanderbeck led the company through all phases of growth and transformation. The company sustained 40% quarter-over-quarter growth and reached $50 million in revenue after only three years.
With such rapid growth, an impressive customer base, and an innovative and capital-efficient business model, the company attracted strategic investments from Compaq, Level 3, and Microsoft. After a successful IPO, the company achieved a market capitalization in excess of $3 billion, and Mr. Vanderbeck was one of the youngest CEOs ever to lead a NASDAQ company. In recognition of Data Return's industry leadership, Microsoft named Data Return Global Hosting Partner of the Year, while Mr. Vanderbeck received numerous individual honors including being named "Top 25 Technology Executives" and Entrepreneur of the Year finalist by Ernst and Young.
Prior to co-founding Data Return, Mr. Vanderbeck served as a Team Lead at Microsoft, focused on supporting Microsoft's largest clients and partners. Through his experience at Microsoft, Mr. Vanderbeck was able to identify a compelling market opportunity that he founded Data Return to address.
Prior to joining Microsoft, Mr. Vanderbeck served as a Section Leader of the 2nd Ranger Battalion (U.S. Special Operations Command). Through this experience, Mr. Vanderbeck learned how to succeed under challenging circumstances while leading others to new levels of performance.
Leveraging his expertise in strategy, operations, and capital allocation, Mr. Vanderbeck is actively engaged with several private businesses as an investor, advisor, and board member. Additionally, Mr. Vanderbeck is a member of Young Presidents' Organization (YPO) where he serves as the North American Co-Chair of the organization's Corporate Social Responsibility Network. In this role, his charter is to develop awareness and support for more sustainable business models among YPO companies.
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Randy Eisenman operates at the intersection of his passions of investing, entrepreneurship, and sustainability. Prior to co-founding Satori Capital, Mr. Eisenman spent ten years at Q Investments, a multi-billion dollar private investment firm founded by two former investment advisors to the Bass Family. Mr. Eisenman launched the firm's private equity business and served as a Partner for seven years. At the age of 25, he was the youngest to be named Partner in the history of the firm.
While at Q Investments, Mr. Eisenman founded Handango to capitalize on the emerging mobile content market. Stepping into an operating role as president and chief executive officer, Mr. Eisenman drove the company's strategy and built a world-class team, positioning Handango as the global leader in the smartphone content market. Handango won numerous awards including being named to the Inc. 500; being named one of the "Best Companies to Work for in America"; and being named to the Top 101 Classic Web Sites by PC Magazine. Mr. Eisenman was named as Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of The Year for 2004. In 2007, Mr. Eisenman hired a CEO for Handango and now serves as a board member, guiding the company in a variety of areas including corporate strategy, strategic partnerships, and acquisitions.
Prior to joining Q Investments, Mr. Eisenman worked as a financial analyst for Goldman Sachs & Co. in the Principal Investments Area, which manages the firm's private equity funds and investments. During his tenure at Goldman Sachs, Mr. Eisenman focused on venture capital, growth equity, and leveraged buyouts in a variety of industries. In earlier positions, he worked as a financial analyst at Bear Stearns with a focus on mergers and acquisitions, and at HBK Investments, one of the world's largest hedge funds.
Today, Mr. Eisenman is involved in a variety of organizations that leverage his skills and passions. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Stagen, a management consulting firm specializing in building sustainable mid-market companies. He is a member of Investor's Circle, a community of for-profit social entrepreneurs and investors. Mr. Eisenman is a member of the Board of Directors of FLOW, and he's also a member of Social Venture Network, two nonprofits committed to building a just and sustainable world through business.
Mr. Eisenman is actively involved in Young Presidents' Organization (YPO) where he serves as the North America Co-Chairman of the organization's Corporate Social Responsibility Network. Additionally, Mr. Eisenman serves on the TCU Entrepreneurial Program Advisory Board. He also serves on the Finance and Sustainability Committees of the Fort Worth Country Day School Board of Trustees.
Mr. Eisenman holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Texas where he graduated with high honors from the Business Honors Program. Mr. Eisenman lives in Fort Worth, Texas, with his wife, Jennifer, their son, Aidan, and their daughter, Avery.
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Eric Gilchrest has spent his entire career in the lower end of the middle market as a private equity investor, chief executive officer, investment banker, and board
member. He has over 18 years experience working as a principal with companies he acquired in leverage buyouts with a partner. He is a hands-on leader, actively
working with portfolio companies in both operational roles and at the board. Mr. Gilchrest has stepped in to be the chief executive officer where he has led
companies through turnarounds, periods of strong growth, and through successful liquidity events. Early in his career, he served as the Director of Corporate
Development of Warwick Group, a middle-market investment banking firm and an auditor with Arthur Andersen & Co.
A non-practicing C.P.A., Mr. Gilchrest has a B.B.A. and M.B.A. (Beta Gamma Sigma) from
Baylor University. He is married with two children and enjoys spending time outdoors with his family.
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Rugger Burke is a lawyer by training with an extensive background in business organization, corporate transactions, and finance. He currently holds licenses in
several states, including Texas and New York, and has been repeatedly named a "SuperLawyer" by Texas Monthly.
In his 15 years of practice in the area of business and corporate law, he has worked with a diverse range of publicly-owned and privately-held clients in almost every
business sector, from agriculture to heavy industrial to financial services. Additionally, he has provided legal and business counseling to more than 100 startup
companies, guiding many from inception through sale. Further, Mr. Burke has served both as a Master in Chancery as well as a receiver, having been appointed by the
courts to take possession of and operate various businesses in a number of proceedings. He has also served as a trained mediator and arbitrator, and is licensed by
FINRA (formerly the NASD) to serve as a public arbitrator in disputes relating to the securities industry.
Mr. Burke attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where he earned both a B.S. in mathematics as well as a J.D. In addition to
several published legal opinions, Mr. Burke has most recently co-authored a survey of Texas law published in the 2008 SMU Law Review. In addition to his work for
Satori Capital, Mr. Burke serves as the Chairman of the Board of the SPCA of Texas, Inc.
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John Grafer is Principal and Chief Financial Officer of Satori Capital. Prior to joining Satori, Mr. Grafer was Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Giuliani Partners LLC, a consulting firm founded by former New York City Mayor, Rudolph W. Giuliani. During his six years at Giuliani Partners, Mr. Grafer was responsible for all financial aspects of the firm and its affiliates as well as for making recommendations to the Chairman regarding operations, corporate strategy, human resources, and legal and other issues. Mr. Grafer also assisted with the valuation, acquisition, management, and sale of portfolio companies and, from 2003-2004, was a full-time deal team member as part of a $300 million principal investment alliance with Bear Stearns Merchant Banking (now Irving Place Capital).
Prior to joining Giuliani Partners in 2003, Mr. Grafer was a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions Group at Credit Suisse First Boston, where he executed exclusive sale transactions in the middle market and provided buy-side mergers and acquisition advice to multinational organizations. From 1991-1999, Mr. Grafer was a member of the Proprietary Trading Group at J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., a founding member and CFO of a startup wide-area networking company, and a senior auditor at Ernst & Young, where he assisted with attestation services and performed mergers and acquisition audit services in connection with clients' acquisitions.
Throughout his career, Mr. Grafer has periodically assisted Pathway Investments, LLC, an angel family investment company, with early stage investments in sustainable companies, including Honest Tea, an organic beverage company that emphasizes sustainability in all aspects of its business. The Coca Cola Company recently acquired 40% of Honest Tea's equity through a strategic investment. Mr. Grafer is also a judge for the McCloskey Business Plan competition at the Gigot Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at the University of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business.
Mr. Grafer is a C.P.A. and received an M.B.A. in finance from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a B.B.A. in accounting from the University of Notre Dame.
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Danyelle J. Faulkner is an Analyst at Satori Capital. Ms. Faulkner assists the investment team with deal sourcing, due diligence, monitoring investments and other transaction-related issues. Prior to joining Satori, Ms. Faulkner worked in the human resources department at AXA Advisors LLC, where she was responsible for managing the hiring process for financial consultants.
Ms. Faulkner is a Summa Cum Laude honors graduate from The Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University. She received her B.B.A. in financial consulting and focused additional study concentrations on entrepreneurship and advertising.
Ms. Faulker received a full academic scholarship to SMU and achieved high honors during her studies there. She was recognized as the Outstanding Financial Consulting Major, Outstanding Entrepreneurship Student, and one of "SMU's most intellectually gifted undergraduates" with her nomination and induction into the Robert Stewart Hyer Society. She also received the highest national recognition a student in business can achieve as a member of Beta Gamma Sigma and was continuously ranked in the top 5% of SMU students on the Honor Roll With High Distinctions.
Ms. Faulkner was a member of the National Honor Societies Phi Theta Kappa and Omega of Texas, was a participant in the Cox B.B.A. Honors Program, and was nominated to join the International Scholar Laureate Program Delegation on Business.
Ms. Faulkner is an outdoor enthusiast and licensed skydiver who utilized her love of the sport to create the local fundraiser Jump For A Cause, which supports breast cancer and diabetes research and awareness.
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Jonathan Greenblatt ♦
Phipps Moriarty ♦
Cheryl Rosner ♦
Christiana Wyly
Satori Operating Partners are former senior executives of leading sustainable companies. Their proven operating skills, deep industry expertise and vast network provide tremendous value to our portfolio companies and firm. These exceptionally talented individuals are intimately involved in sourcing potential opportunities, assisting with due diligence, and advising portfolio companies on strategy and operations.
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Jonathan Greenblatt - Operating Partner, Consumer Products
Jonathan Greenblatt is an experienced corporate executive and social entrepreneur, a member of the faculty at the Anderson School of Management at UCLA where he designed and leads a class on social entrepreneurship, and an acknowledged thought leader on ethical branding.
Mr. Greenblatt formerly served as CEO of GOOD Worldwide where he oversaw its growth from a small publishing company into a diversified media company and lifestyle brand. Prior to his appointment to GOOD, Mr. Greenblatt co-founded Ethos Brands, the business that launched Ethos Water, the premium bottled water that helps children around the world get clean water. In 2005, Starbucks Coffee Company acquired Ethos Water, making it one of only a handful of non-coffee businesses the company has purchased in its 30-plus year history. Mr. Greenblatt served as vice president of consumer products, scaling Ethos through more than 6,000 Starbucks stores across the US. Mr. Greenblatt also served on the board of directors of the Starbucks Foundation and developed Ethos' global investment strategy that has invested millions of dollars to bring clean water to communities in need around the world.
Before starting Ethos Water, Mr. Greenblatt served as a senior executive at REALTOR.com (now Move.com) where he worked in product and management roles, most recently as vice president and general manager of the consumer products division of the company. A former government official specializing in international economics, Mr. Greenblatt recently served on the Technology and Innovation Team of the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition effort. He also served as an aide in the Clinton White House and US Department of Commerce. Mr. Greenblatt earned an M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a B.A. cum laude from Tufts University. He lives with his wife, Marjan, and their three sons in Los Angeles, Calif.
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Phipps Moriarty - Operating Partner, Financial Services
Phipps Moriarty is a Founder and Managing Principal of First Street Capital Partners LLC. Prior to founding the company, Mr. Moriarty was President of Calamos Financial Services, LLC. At Calamos, Mr. Moriarty served on the company's steering committee, assisting with overall corporate strategy and overseeing all distribution activities as well as marketing, business and product development. Immediately prior to joining Calamos in 2005, Mr. Moriarty was a Managing Director at UBS Investment Bank where he oversaw the Central US coverage of financial institutions and institutional distribution from 2001 to 2005. Prior to UBS, Mr. Moriarty served in a variety of investment banking and sales & trading roles at J.P. Morgan including; M&A, debt capital markets, swaps marketing, equity capital markets, structured product origination and execution for the financial services, financial sponsors, consumer, healthcare, media, telecom and technology industries. He also worked for Kemper Financial and Nuveen Investments in a variety of product development, structuring, and marketing roles.
Mr. Moriarty received his B.A. in History from Yale University and his M.B.A. in finance, management and marketing from the J.L. Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
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Cheryl Rosner - Operating Partner, Retail & Technology
Cheryl Rosner most recently served as President and Chief Executive Officer of TicketsNow, the world's largest independent online marketplace for premium event tickets. Prior to joining TicketsNow, Ms. Rosner was instrumental in leading both Expedia Corporate Travel and Hotels.com to unprecedented success. While serving as president of Expedia Corporate Travel from 2005 to 2006, Ms. Rosner directed the group to consistent profitability including the successful launch of two new international divisions in Canada and Germany. Prior to Expedia, Ms. Rosner worked at Hotels.com from 1999 to 2005 in a number of executive capacities prior to becoming president of the company. Ms. Rosner's key accomplishments at Hotels.com include: the successful IPO in 2000, the launch of the company's consumer website in 2002 (leading it to become the 6th most-visited travel site 60 days after launch), creation and development of the company's brand strategy, and award-winning advertising campaigns. In 2004, Ms. Rosner was named one of the "25 Most Influential People in Travel" by Business Travel News.
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Christiana Wyly - Venture Partner, Consumer Products
As an author, lecturer, producer and investor, Christiana Wyly has dedicated her intellect, her energy, her time and her capital to issues and efforts that will change the world. A true leader and expert, Ms. Wyly's understanding of and commitment to social and environmental causes, and passion for the opportunity for entrepreneurs and businesses to drive a sustainable future, make her a powerful voice for her generation.
An evangelist for social change, she has built her reputation through sheer force of will and her ability to stay ahead of the curve. As a young girl, Ms. Wyly inspired her father's environmental education, which led Sam Wyly to found Green Mountain Energy, one of the largest clean energy companies in the country. It was this experience that showed her how business can be a powerful force and partner for change. A founding investor herself, Ms. Wyly remains actively involved.
Ms. Wyly's current projects are exciting and far-reaching, running the gamut from investment to filmmaking to sustainable development. Ms. Wyly was a lead investor and key strategic contributor at Zaadz, Inc., a social networking website for people devoted to global change; founded Be the Change Productions, a documentary film production company dedicated to producing films which document sustainable communities and lifestyles around the world; and is developing Pecos River Ranch, an eco-spa and resort in New Mexico, with actor and wilderness advocate Val Kilmer.
Ms. Wyly is active with a variety of non-profits. A member of the Founder's Circle of FLOW, an organization which promotes entrepreneurial initiatives that focus on creating sustainable prosperity, Ms. Wyly works with the team at FLOW on a program called Accelerating Women's Entrepreneurship. She also serves on the L.A. Committee for Global Green USA and the advisory board of The New Media Foundation.
Her perspective on conscious capitalism, green investing and ecological, social and technological networks has landed her on the cover of Kiplinger's, and inside the New York Times, What is Enlightenment Magazine, the Dallas Morning News, The Herald Tribune and Treehugger.com, among others.
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Patricia Aburdene ♦
Rusty Butler ♦
Matt Christensen ♦
Joe Colonnetta ♦
Jed Emerson
Jody Grant ♦
John Mackey ♦
Terry Mollner ♦
Paul H. Ray ♦
David B. Wolfe
Satori's Advisory Board represents a cross section of leaders from private equity, commercial banking, academia, publishing, and the broader sustainable business community. These talented advisors support Satori in a variety of ways, including identifying potential portfolio companies, assisting in the evaluation of those companies and helping to unlock value in those companies once Satori has invested in them.
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Patricia Aburdene - Author, "Megatrends" books
Patricia Aburdene is one of the world's leading social forecasters. For 25 years she has been tracking how change impacts business. Through her books, talks and workshops, Ms. Aburdene has helped thousands of organizations and millions of people make the most of social change and transformation.
Co-author of the number one New York Times bestseller Megatrends 2000, Ms. Aburdene's newest book is Megatrends 2010: The Rise of Conscious Capitalism, a blueprint of the social, economic and spiritual trends transforming free enterprise. As the tag line promises, the book describes seven new trends that will transform how you "Live, Work and Invest."
Ms. Aburdene has lectured throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, South America, Australia and the Pacific Rim. Clients include Adecco, the Professional Coach and Mentor Association, the Management Institute of New Zealand and the Consciousness in Business conference in Santa Fe, N. Mex.
Ms. Aburdene's lifelong career in business journalism began at Forbes in 1978. As a Policy Fellow at Radcliffe College, Cambridge, Mass., from 1993 to 1996, she explored emerging leadership models.
Ms. Aburdene holds a B.A. in philosophy from Newton College of the Sacred Heart (now Boston College), an M.S. in library science from Catholic University and three honorary doctorates. In 1990, she was awarded the Medal of Italy for her interpretation of global trends. Ms. Aburdene lives in Telluride, Colo. and Cambridge, Mass.
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Rusty Butler - Former CFO, Bass family investment arm
Rusty Butler brings over three decades of financial management experience. He served as chief financial officer of Handango. Prior to joining Handango, Mr. Butler served as vice president and chief administrative officer of the Fort Worth-based Bass family's primary investment entity where he was responsible for all financial, accounting, and administrative activities. Previously, Butler served as an audit and tax partner at KPMG for 16 years, where he managed IPOs for many of his clients. ^ Top
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Matt Christensen - Executive Director, EUROSIF (European Sustainable Investment Forum)
Matt Christensen has served as Executive Director of Eurosif since 2002. Eurosif is the premier European think-tank and industry association for sustainable investment with more than 80 Member Affiliates that together represent assets totalling over €1 trillion. Recent activities of Eurosif include its EU Market Study, High Net Worth Individual Sustainability Report, and successful submissions to the EU asking for improved transparency on ESG (environmental/social/governance) issues by companies and funds. Mr. Christensen is a Member of the European Commission Coordination Committee to explore the future of sustainability policy in the EU.
In his personal capacity, Mr. Christensen has recently advised the World Bank, French State Pension Reserve Fund and family offices on their sustainable investment strategies. Mr. Christensen is a frequent speaker at international events on sustainable finance matters regularly meets with financial services institutions as well as the EU, UN and OECD to discuss sustainable strategy approaches and public policy initiatives.
Mr. Christensen was formerly a European Director at The Motley Fool, a leading publisher of information on personal finance and investing. Prior to that, he advised FTSE 100 clients as a strategy consultant with Braxton Associates/Deloitte Consulting. He is a Non-Executive Director to several European investment funds and holds masters degrees from the Wharton School (M.B.A.) and University of Pennsylvania (M.A. - international political economy). In addition to English as his native language, Mr. Christensen is comfortable in Spanish and French.
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Joe Colonnetta - Managing Partner, HM Capital
Joe Colonnetta is a partner at HM Capital Partners, a Dallas-based private equity firm with $12 billion invested across the media, energy, consumer and industrial sectors throughout North and South America and Europe. Mr. Colonnetta's responsibilities include managing the firm's investments by serving as the Lead Director or overseeing the senior management of energy and consumer portfolio companies to ensure the successful execution of the business plan, staging for a range of exit opportunities and managing the final exit. He serves as Chairman of the Board of BlackBrush Energy and Texstar Field Services. He also serves on the Board of Regency Energy and Swift & Company.
Prior to joining HM Capital Partners, Mr. Colonnetta founded and was the chief executive officer of Resource Management Partners (RMP), a management partner to institutional and private equity firms in dealing with their portfolio companies. His responsibilities included serving as interim Vice Chairman, CEO, COO or CFO to help redirect and reposition portfolio companies. Prior to RMP, he was the chief financing officer of TRC, Inc., a $1 billion restaurant and food company. A graduate of the University of Houston in finance, Mr. Colonnetta speaks on corporate performance, turnaround management and corporate governance at Harvard Business School, UCLA's Anderson School, American Institute of Bankruptcy, Turnaround Management Association, YEO and CEO forums. He is also an active member of the National Association of Corporate Directors. After living throughout the U.S. and Mexico on multiple assignments, Mr. Colonnetta and his family settled in Dallas in 1996.
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Jed Emerson - Leading author, executive & investor
Jed Emerson is Managing Director for Integrated Performance with Uhuru Capital. Emerson has written extensively about blended value, performance metrics and capital investment strategies seeking multiple returns. He has had faculty appointments at Harvard, Stanford and Oxford Business Schools.
Mr. Emerson's career has spanned work in management, academia, investing, and human services. He has launched nonprofit ventures, led foundation initiatives and engaged in research assessing global innovations in sustainable investing and finance. In early 2001, Mr. Emerson began focusing upon his interest in the Blended Value Proposition (BVP). The BVP states that instead of operating in terms of non-profit and for-profit constructs or a "double bottom-line," there is a single, blended value proposition for both for-profit and nonprofit firms, as well as philanthropy and capital investments, with multiple value components and generated returns. Value consists not simply of economic or extra-economic elements (such as social or environmental factors), but rather as a natural blend of economic, social and environmental elements, which together generate multiple returns. The challenge is both to keep in mind a broad vision of value that is non-divisible while simultaneously managing strategies that draw upon business, science, social organizations and government to create the most effective enabling environment possible within which value maximization may occur. This concept of BVP has been well received by both mainstream and alternative business audiences. Money Magazine and Fast Company have both profiled his work.
As founding director of REDF, Mr. Emerson has been called "an elder in the field" of venture philanthropy and social entrepreneurship - only partially in jest. He spends much of his life on the road, addressing conferences, students and practitioners. He has presented at numerous conferences and events both nationally and internationally — including the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland; the Caisse de Depots in Paris, France; the London Business School and Oxford University, England. Among U.S.-based academic institutions, he has presented his work at Harvard, Yale, UNC, Northwestern and UCLA.
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Jody Grant - Founder & Chairman, Texas Capital Bank; CFO, EDS
Mr. Grant is the outgoing chairman and CEO of Texas Capital Bancshares, a $4.3 billion bank holding company that he founded in 1998. Mr. Grant will assume the role of chairman emeritus and remain a member of the board of directors of Texas Capital.
Except for his role as EVP, CFO, and member of the Board of Directors of EDS Corporation from 1990 to 1998, (where he co-led the company's successful spin-off from its parent General Motors), Mr. Grant has spent the preponderance of his career in commercial banking. He was formerly chairman and CEO of Texas American Bancshares, at the time one of the largest bank holding companies in Texas. While senior vice president and economist of Texas Commerce Bank Houston, he led the effort that formed Texas Commerce Bancshares, which is now part of J.P. Morgan Chase Bank. He was the architect of the bank's expansion strategy and a key member of the team that made the company's first 35 acquisitions. A native of San Antonio, Tex., Grant began his banking career at Citibank in New York City. He is the author of two acclaimed books on the banking industry.
Mr. Grant has an undergraduate degree from Southern Methodist University where he was an All-American swimmer, and he received his doctorate and masters degrees from the University of Texas.
In 2001, Mr. Grant received the American Banker "Community Banker of the Year" award. He is a current member of World Presidents Organization and Chief Executive Organization, and a former international president of Young Presidents Organization. He currently serves on the boards of Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation, MD Anderson, Communities Foundation of Texas, Dallas Citizens Council, KERA and Dallas County Community College Foundation.
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John Mackey - Founder & CEO, Whole Foods Market
John Mackey is co-founder and chief executive officer of Whole Foods Market, Inc., based in Austin, Tex. He is widely credited with helping fuel the rise of organic and natural food in the United States.
Mr. Mackey found his passion for organic foods in an unusual manner. In his early 20s, he joined a vegetarian cooperative even though he wasn't vegetarian. He thought living in a co-op would be a great way to meet women. And he was right. He met his girlfriend and eventual business partner Renee Lawson, and he also experienced what he called a "food awakening." In 1978, that epiphany led him and Lawson to open a natural foods grocery store called Safer Way, a counterculture alternative to conventional grocery chain Safeway. Mr. Mackey didn't have an M.B.A., but he claims to have gotten the perfect education for launching a retail store by studying philosophy. Safer Way struggled during its first two years, and he and Lawson eventually teamed up with two competitors to form Whole Foods Market, Inc.
Mr. Mackey attributes the success of Whole Foods to his application of libertarian philosophies and free-market principles. He says he runs the company "with a conscience." Whole Foods is considered the first major grocery chain to adopt humane treatment standards for animals. Mr. Mackey says he gets "a sense of deep meaning and purpose" by helping others improve their quality of life with natural food.
Prior to launching Safer Way, Mr. Mackey tried his hand at being a college student. He attended two universities, but dropped out six times. Still, he says he notched 130 credit hours in electives, mostly in religion and philosophy.
Today, Mr. Mackey lives on a 720-acre ranch west of Austin with his wife, Deborah. They practice yoga and meditation. Mr. Mackey has two books in the works: "The Whole Story," which talks about the company's birth and his business philosophies, and "The FLOW Papers," a collection of essays about a nonprofit organization he co-founded in 2003.
Mr. Mackey loves to read, debate politics, and engage fans and critics on his blog.
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Terry Mollner - Operating Partner, Financial Services
Terry Mollner is one of the pioneers of socially responsible investing as a new asset class in the professional investment community. He is a founder and member of the board of the Calvert Family of Socially Responsible Investment Funds, the largest such family of funds with over $7 billion under management. Dr. Mollner is also the Founder and President of Trusteeship Institute, Inc., a think tank and consulting firm in economic and social development. In existence since 1973, its current focus is on the development of "common good corporations." These are business corporations where the highest priority is the common good of humanity and nature.
Dr. Mollner was a key driver in the sale of Ben & Jerry's Homemade, Inc. He helped prevent the company from being bought by Nestle and eventually facilitated the company being bought by Unilever, his minority partner in the earlier negotiations. Unilever, a very socially responsible multinational, agreed to keep the board of directors in perpetuity by contract and all the social agreements agreed to in the previous negotiations. He now sits on that board, which has primary responsibility for the social mission and brand integrity of Ben & Jerry's.
Dr. Mollner is the author of several books and numerous articles.
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Paul H. Ray - Leading author, sociologist
Paul H. Ray is a renowned author, consultant and sociologist. Much of his work has focused on Cultural Creatives, a term coined by Dr. Ray to describe people whose values embrace a curiosity and concern for the world, its ecosystem, and its peoples; an awareness of and activism for peace and social justice; and an openness to self-actualization through spirituality, psychotherapy, and holistic practices.
Dr. Ray is a founding partner of Integral Partnerships, LLC, designed to help those organizations whose constituencies or customers are Cultural Creatives to be more successful, by aligning their internal activities and values with the values and needs of their constituencies or customers. Dr. Ray has surveyed and classified well over 100,000 Americans in the past thirteen years, showing how the subcultures of values permeate all aspects of American life. During the time of the research reported in the book, he was Executive Vice President of American LIVES, Inc., a market research and opinion polling firm specializing in surveys and focus groups based on the Lifestyles, Interests, Values, Expectations and Symbols of Americans. The research projects that led to discovery of the Cultural Creatives include studies of the effects of values on consumer choices and preferences of Americans in housing, cars, food, recreation, vacation travel, finances, health, political causes (e.g., environment), media use, and altruism; and he also leads studies of innovation by consumers and business. He still consults with American LIVES on research.
Over the past 30 years, Dr. Ray has headed research on more than 100 major research and consulting projects, and written reports on them all. Major sponsors and clients include Del Webb Corporation; Energy, Mines and Resources, Government of Canada; Environmental Protection Agency; Fetzer Institute; Gaiam, Inc.; General Motors; Hewlett-Packard; Institute of Noetic Sciences; Kaufman and Broad; Nissan North America; NYNEX; Pacific Homes Retirement Communities; Pulte Homebuilding; Rayco; Readers Digest; SRI International; Sundance; The City of Detroit; The City of Newport Beach; The City of Palm Springs; The Fieldstone Company; The National Science Foundation; The Nevele Hotel; The New York Times; The Province of Ontario; The State of Michigan; Urban Land Institute; US Tennis Association.
Earlier in his career, Dr. Ray was chief of policy research on energy conservation, Department of Energy, Mines and Resources of the Government of Canada. He was previously Associate Professor of Urban Planning and a Faculty Associate of the Institute for Social Research, at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Dr. Ray received a B.A. cum laude in anthropology from Yale University, and a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Michigan.
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David B. Wolfe - Author, "Firms Of Endearment"
David B. Wolfe is an internationally recognized expert in consumer behavior, with a focus on the New Customer Majority — adults over 40 who now outnumber younger adults 128 million to 85 million and account for over two-thirds of consumer spending.
Mr. Wolfe has authored more than 100 essays and articles, many of which have appeared in well-known trade and professional publications. He is widely known for turning new insights from brain research about how people take in information, form perceptions, think and make decisions into actionable marketing concepts.
His newest book, Firms of Endearment: How World-Class Companies Profit from Passion and Purpose, discusses how winning businesses can be built in the new age of transcendence. In this book, he presents a compelling case supported by plenty of data that shows that each stakeholder in an organization tends to thrive best when all stakeholders thrive. That is, no stakeholder group is more important than any other. "It is disciplined dedication to the well-being of all stakeholders that separates firms of endearment from their competition." Mr. Wolfe shows how stakeholder relationship management (SRM) can achieve and then sustain superior business performance that, in turn, will create a decisive competitive advantage. Mr. Wolfe advocates that SRM business models will increasingly be seen "as the most efficacious way to achieve sustained superior business performance in years to come".
Mr. Wolfe is a frequent keynote speaker at business and professional conferences and conducts private workshops tailored to client needs and circumstances. Mr. Wolfe's clients include American Express, Alexander Life Insurance, AARP, Coca-Cola, Del Webb, Ford Motor Company, Kimberly-Clarke, Marriott, MetLife, PacifiCare, PruCare, Schwann's Foods, and Textron.
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