[MONTEVERDE, Costa Rica — A group of pioneers in the “green business” were getting back to their roots with a two-day hike through a pristine rain forest in Costa Rica when they hit Fer-de-lance Hill.
The hike was so physically taxing — 28 kilometers, or about 17 miles, up and down mountains — that some older, or beefier, members of the entourage barely made it.
The trek, intentionally or not, served as a metaphor for the difficulty many of the executives are having as they transition from niche marketers to big-business men who have grown wealthy as demand for their products has surged. That is a good problem to have, of course, but it has stirred worries among them about selling out and has reaffirmed a desire to stay true to their cause.
The hike was organized, in part, to help raise $10 million to expand a swath of preserved forest in the northwest part of the country that includes the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and the Children’s Eternal Rain Forest. Among those on the trip on Feb. 5 and 6 were Walter Robb, co-president of Whole Foods; Anthony Zolezzi, a founder of Pet Promise, a natural pet food company; and Bryan Meehan, the founder of Fresh & Wild Stores in Britain, who is now chief executive of Nude Skincare. They are, Mr. Newmark said, “the true spiritual warriors and visionaries of our industry.”]-NYT
