Doug Tompkins

Entrepreneur, conservation philanthropist, and documentary filmmaker are some of the titles that Doug Tompkins has held over his career. Doug’s love of mountaineering led him to start North Face, the outdoor apparel company. He then cofounded the international clothing company, Esprit, which he later sold. Doug has spent the last few decades focusing his energies on sustainable farming, land conservation and biodiversity preservation in Chile and Argentina. With the purchase of more than 2 million acres of land in South America, Doug has pioneered one of the largest private conservation efforts in the world.

Doug speaks to Jessica Harris about his journey from selling dresses out of a van to conserving South America’s natural environment, from scratch.

Doug died in December, 2015. He will be remembered for his love of nature and pioneering spirit.