RICK RIDGEWAY is an outdoor adventurer, writer and advocate for sustainability and conservation initiatives. In 2020 he retired from Patagonia where for 15 years he was a VP developing environmental and sustainability initiatives including Freedom to Roam, the Footprint Chronicles and Worn Wear. He also was founding chair of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, today the largest apparel, footwear and home textile trade organization in the world. In addition, Rick is recognized as one of the world’s foremost mountaineers. With three companions, he was the first American to summit K2, and he has done other significant climbs and explorations on all continents. He has written seven books. National Geographic honored him with its Lifetime Achievement in Adventure award and the Explorer’s Club with its highest honor, the Explorers Medal. Today, he serves on six boards of conservation organizations. Rick is a speaker at conferences and events and has returned to his passion for writing with his recent memoir Life Lived Wild. Now 74 years old, Rick says that since “retiring” he’s working more than when he worked. He lives in Ojai, California and has three children and four grandchildren.
