John Mackey was born in Houston, Texas in August 1953. He co-founded Whole Foods in 1980 and was named Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young in 2003. Mackey is one of the most influential advocates in the organic food movement. He is also a vocal member of the Libertarian Party. He authored the bestselling book Conscious Capitalism and is known for being a strong supporter of free market economics with strong anti-union views. Mackey co-founded his first health food store in 1978 called SaferWay and then merged with another grocery chain to form Whole Foods Market. John Mackey has also authored the books Be the Solution: How Entrepreneurs and Conscious Capitalists Can Solve All the Words Problems and Conscious Leadership: Elevating Humanity Through Business.