Patagonia’s story starts with a young Yvon Chouinard, who didn’t aim to build a big outdoor company but just wanted to climb. Born on November 9, 1938, in Lewiston, Maine, Yvon and his French-Canadian family moved to Southern California when he was young. There, he developed a love for the outdoors, especially climbing.
He was a restless kid, constantly seeking adventure. As a teenager, he joined the Southern California Falconry Club, where he met climbers and started scrambling up rocks to reach falcon nests. This hobby turned into a full-blown love for rock climbing, and he became a fixture in the growing climbing community in the late 1950s, hitting the cliffs of Yosemite Valley.
He realized that the climbing equipment of the day was heavy, expensive, and often unreliable, so he decided to make his own gear. He taught himself blacksmithing, bought a used coal-fired forge, some anvil tools, and a 200-pound hammer, and began making his own pitons (metal spikes driven into rock crevices). His pitons were stronger, reusable, and more affordable than what was out there. Word spread, and fellow climbers wanted in on his gear. This led Yvon to start Chouinard Equipment, which quickly became a go-to source for quality climbing hardware. By the 1960s, Chouinard Equipment was the largest supplier of climbing hardware in the U.S.!
But as climbing became more popular, Yvon noticed something troubling: his steel pitons were leaving scars on the rock faces, especially in places like Yosemite. Wanting to protect the environment he loved, he made a drastic change in 1972. He phased out pitons entirely and introduced aluminum chocks, which didn’t damage the rocks. It was risky since pitons were a core part of his business, but it worked—people appreciated the eco-consciousness of chocks. Chouinard Equipment launched a catalog with an essay titled "The Whole Natural Art of Climbing," encouraging climbers to go "clean" and leave no trace.
He’d been buying sturdy rugby shirts from Scotland for his own climbing trips, and they turned out to be perfect for rough conditions. People were asking about his shirts, and soon, Chouinard Equipment was selling clothes alongside hardware.
In 1973, the clothing side of things really took off, and Yvon officially founded Patagonia as a separate brand. He picked the name “Patagonia” because he felt it evoked images of adventure in far-off, rugged landscapes. Over the years, Patagonia became known for its high-quality, eco-conscious clothing, especially with innovations like Synchilla fleece jackets and Capilene baselayers, producing products designed to last and encouraging people to repair rather than replace them
Forever a Force for Good
In the 1980s, Patagonia leaned heavily into environmental advocacy. In 1985, they began donating 1% of sales to environmental causes, starting what would become the “1% for the Planet” https://www.onepercentfortheplanet.org movement. Over time, Patagonia has incorporated recycled materials, reduced water use, and even backed activist movements for environmental and social justice. Yvon also introduced a philosophy called “The Responsible Company,” which prioritized transparency, ethical production, ensuring fair labor practices, and environmental responsibility. He famously wrote Let My People Go Surfing, a book outlining his philosophy that work-life balance and environmental activism could exist within a profitable business.
Patagonia has grown into a brand that stands for more than just outdoor gear—it’s a voice for protecting the planet, a platform for environmental change. Yvon eventually took the extraordinary step in 2022 of transferring ownership of the company to a trust and a nonprofit (see below), ensuring that Patagonia’s profits would fund environmental efforts indefinitely.
What started as one man’s search for better climbing gear grew into a mission-driven business that’s become iconic for outdoor enthusiasts and environmental advocates worldwide. Patagonia remains a company dedicated to exploring, respecting, and protecting the planet for future generations.
Yvon Chouinard has led a life of adventure, environmental advocacy, and entrepreneurship that’s both unconventional and inspiring. He’s demonstrated how to build a successful business without sacrificing one’s ethics or the planet. Living in Ventura, California, also home to Patagonia’s headquarters, and being close to the ocean and the mountains allows him to stay connected to the natural world he’s spent his life protecting. Despite his success, Chouinard lives simply, favoring a lifestyle that reflects his values of minimalism and environmental stewardship.
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Patagonia's profits now go to the Patagonia Purpose Trust and the Holdfast Collective, as part of a unique ownership structure that founder Yvon Chouinard implemented in 2022 to ensure the company's long-term commitment to environmental and social causes.
Here’s how it works:
The Patagonia Purpose Trust:https://www.patagonia.com/ownership owns all the company’s voting shares (2% of Patagonia’s total shares) and was created to protect the company’s values and ensure it remains mission-driven. Its main role is to safeguard Patagonia’s commitment to its social and environmental principles, effectively keeping it from being sold or deviating from its founding values.
The Holdfast Collective: https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/holdfast-collective is a nonprofit organization that owns all of Patagonia’s non-voting shares (98% of Patagonia’s total shares) and receives the company’s annual profits after reinvestments. These profits are used to support environmental and climate-related causes, including grants and other initiatives aimed at fighting climate change, protecting biodiversity, and preserving wild spaces.
Together, they ensure that Patagonia’s profits, estimated to be about $100 million annually, will continue funding projects focused on environmental and social impact indefinitely.
