Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, at his Jackson, Wyoming home.  Chouinard, an avid climber and outdoorsman, describes himself as a natural innovator and a reluctant businessman.  Patagonia's &quot;slow business&quot; model is unique in that it encourages responsible growth and has a built in 'tithe' system that returns 1% of its net sales to environmental causes.  The company also pays employees to work full-time on environmental issues.