Check out these eco-friendly business leaders who are involved in everything from making chewing gum to green investing.
Photo: Getty Images.
Deborah Schimberg - Glee Gum
If you’re looking for a delicious way to be eco friendly, check out the products made by Glee Gum, which was founded by Schimberg. Her chewing gum is made with sustainably harvested rainforest chicle and comes in eight flavors, including tangerine, bubblegum, and triple berry.
Photo: Getty Images
Chad and Jodi Ray - Ray Family Farms
This husband and wife team operate a sustainable farming practice near Raleigh, North Carolina. They donate over two tons of produce each year to the Raleigh Rescue Mission and were acknowledged earlier this year as “Champions of Change,” which is part of President Obama’s Winning the Future initiative. A White House press release stated that, “They have committed to environmental stewardship throughout their business, whether in farming, construction or educating all age groups about the importance of animal welfare, heritage livestock breeds, and environmental stewardship. They believe in the triple bottom line of people, planet, and profit.”
Photo: Green Builder Coalition
Al Gore - Former Vice President of the United States
Sure, he may first come to mind as our former Vice President and a presidential candidate, but these days Gore is also a businessman. Green Cube Traders has said that, “The best example of how ‘green investing’ can pay off is the investment portfolio of former Vice President Al Gore. Mr. Gore's investment in Silver Springs (a company that creates highly-efficient electric grid components) has returned his company's initial $75 million investment many times over.”
Photo: Getty Images.
John Paul DeJoria - Paul Mitchell Systems and Patron Spirits
The billionaire businessman known for John Paul Mitchell Systems and Patron Spirits, views technology a bit different than most people. He’s stated that his interests lie in using technology to help clean up the environment around us and to spread the word about ecology. Patron turns the distillate from making their tequila into organic fertilizer and DeJoria’s website, JP Selects, identifies all sort of companies that make their products in a sustainable manner.
Photo: Getty Images.
Rose Gerstner - Sympatico Clothing
As the owner of Sympatico Clothing, Gerstner oversees a company that produces women’s apparel crafted from eco-friendly hemp and Tencel (a fiber made with wood pulp from sustainable tree farms)—and it’s all designed and produced in America. The company website notes that their clothing is “the perfect marriage of style with sustainability.”
