Patagonia

Yvon Chouinard started Chouinard Equipment in 1957, hand-forging pitons in a Burbank backyard so climbers wouldn't have to keep pounding soft European pitons into Yosemite granite. He named the clothing arm Patagonia in 1973. Its product DNA was set early: the rugby shirt and the Capilene polypropylene baselayer; later, the Synchilla fleece and the recycled-PET Nano Puff. Every choice was anchored to a belief that great outdoor gear should last decades and be relatively easy to repair. Patagonia became, slowly, the case study for how a company can take environmentalism seriously and remain profitable. The 1% for the Planet pledge (founded by Chouinard and Craig Mathews), the 'Don't Buy This Jacket' Black Friday campaign, the Worn Wear repair program, and the legal pivot to B Corp status in 2012 were each, individually, things that any other company might have done as marketing — but Patagonia kept doing all of them, decade after decade. In September 2022 Chouinard, his wife, and their two children transferred the entire company — then valued at around $3 billion — to a permanent trust and a non-profit, ensuring that all future profits flow toward fighting climate change. As Chouinard put it: 'Earth is now our only shareholder.' It is hard to overstate how unusual that move is.