Raising the Bar: Integrity and Passion in Life and Business: The Story of Clif Bar, Inc.

September 13, 2004
Gary Erickson

In April 2000, Gary Erickson, co-founder of Clif Bar, turned down a $60 million offer to buy his company. Now he’s working harder than ever, rather than enjoying a luxurious retirement on a tropical island. Why would any sane person make that decision?

Erickson – competitive cyclist, jazz musician, world traveler, mountain climber, and wilderness guide (among other things) – explains how sustaining one’s employees, community, and environment are good for business, using concrete examples from his life and from Clif Bar. Raising the Bar chronicles Clif Bar’s ascent from a homemade energy bar to a $100 million-selling phenomenon, a company hailed by Inc. magazine as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. four years in a row.

Speaker Details

Gary Erickson is founder of Clif Bar Inc., the leading maker of all-natural energy and nutritional foods, based in Berkeley, CA. He is a businessman, consummate outdoor enthusiast, and environmmentalist, and has been featured in People, Health, Inc., Outside, and many other magazines as well as newspapers and TV. He is also a frequent speaker and has won numerous awards for his business acumen, his contribution to the health food industry, and his philanthropy