The CEO Diary with Fexingo · 2026-07-08 · 8 min
In this episode of The CEO Diary, Lucas and Luna examine how Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert is navigating the outdoor apparel company after founder Yvon Chouinard transferred ownership to a trust and nonprofit in 2022. They unpack the unique governance structure - Earth as the only shareholder - and the real-world tensions it creates: balancing activist-led boycotts, supply-chain decarbonization targets, and maintaining premium product margins. The hosts contrast Patagonia's approach with that of REI and discuss whether the 'benefit corporation' model can scale beyond a niche brand. Specific data points include Patagonia's estimated $1.5 billion in annual revenue, the 1% for the Planet pledge, and the carbon footprint of a single R1 fleece. A concrete look at what it means to run a company legally obligated to prioritize purpose over profit. #RyanGellert #Patagonia #YvonChouinard #BenefitCorporation #BCorp #PurposeDrivenBusiness #OutdoorIndustry #Sustainability #CEOLeadership #CorporateGovernance #EarthIsOurOnlyShareholder #SupplyChain #1PercentForThePlanet #ConsciousCapitalism #ESG #Business #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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