Whole Foods CEO John Mackey has always been known for his candor and willingness to share his sometimes contentious views on a variety of issues – entrepreneurship, the environment, unions, health care, and why he believes in eating a whole food diet. Co-Author of Conscious Capitalism, Mr. Mackey is also an outspoken advocate for free-markets, stressing that business combined with purpose elevates society and creates prosperity for all. 

Join us for a salon dinner and off-the-record conversation with one of America’s top business leaders and a local Austinite. We’ll be discussing John’s views on free-market policy, current events, and how he built Whole Foods into one of America's most successful companies. 

About the Speaker

John Mackey, co-founder and co-CEO of Whole Foods Market, has led the natural and organic grocer as it has grown from a single store in Austin, Texas, founded in 1978, to an $11 billion Fortune 300 company, and a top U.S. supermarket with more than 340 stores and 70,000 employees worldwide.

While growing Whole Foods and serving customers, Mackey has also focused on building a more conscious way of doing business. He founded Whole Planet Foundation to help end poverty in developing nations; he launched the Local Producer Loan Program to help local farmers and food producers expand their businesses; he created the Global Animal Partnership to set standards for farm animal treatment; and he laid the foundation for the company’s Health Starts Here initiative, which encourages health and wellness among customers and employees. For 15 consecutive years, FORTUNE magazine has included Whole Foods Market on its “100 Best Companies to Work For” list.

A strong believer in free market principles, Mackey co-founded the Conscious Capitalism Movement to challenge business leaders to rethink why their organizations exist, and to acknowledge their roles in the interdependent global marketplace. He co-authored Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business in 2012 to boldly defend and re-imagine capitalism, while encouraging others to implement a way of doing business that is grounded in ethical consciousness.