John Mackey is co-founder and co-CEO of Whole Foods Market, a worldwide company that distributes and sells natural and organic products, and was the visionary for Whole Planet Foundation to help end poverty in developing nations, the Local Producer Loan Program to help local food producers expand their businesses, the Global Animal Partnership’s rating scale for humane farm animal treatment, and the Health Starts Here initiative to promote health and wellness.

Mackey has been recognized as one of Fortune’s «World’s 50 Greatest Leaders,» Ernst & Young’s «Entrepreneur of the Year Overall Winner for the United States,» Institutional Investor’s «Best CEO in America,» Barron’s «World’s Best CEO,» MarketWatch’s «CEO of the Year,» Fortune’s «Businessperson of the Year,» and Esquire’s «Most Inspiring CEO.»

Mackey is a strong believer in free market principles; he cofounded the Conscious Capitalism Movement and is coauthor of the book Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business