Arran Stephens (born January 6, 1944, Vancouver Island) – is president and co-founder (with life-companion, Ratana) of Nature’s Path Foods – North America’s largest organic breakfast food company, employing 250+ people at state-of-the-art facilities in BC, Washington State and Ontario. Arran and Ratana have four children: Shanti, Gurdeep, Jyoti and Arjan, plus three grandchildren. Jyoti (who is enrolled in Bainbridge’s Green MBA program) and Arjan, MBA are actively involved with the company, which had very humble origins as a whole foods restaurant in 1967. Unusual in a time of industry consolidation, Nature’s Path remains independent and family-owned.

Arran has been involved for years on various non-profit boards, and is a key figure in coordinating the purchase and development of the SOS Eco Centre, located at 11011 Shell Road, Richmond, BC. This Ecology centre is being established to teach all aspects of sustainability, demonstration composting, organic gardening (vegetables, berries, herbs and tree fruits), as well as to offer free non-profit courses on yoga, healthy vegetarian cooking, and meditation. A lending library and a pre-school will be set up in this former public school property in 2006. The SOS Eco Centre is part of Science of Spirituality, a global, not-for-profit organization dedicated to love, unity and peace, inspired by the life and teachings of the Masters. See: www.sos.org and www.jyotimeditation.org

Author of Journey to the Luminous (Elton Wolf, 1999, 386 pages) – Arran exquisitely details his spiritual quest with great Indian Mystics, while exploring the frontiers of consciousness (www.mothandtheflame.com). He has been involved in charity and non-profit works, with an enduring commitment to family, sustainability, gardening, literature, healthy lifestyle, community service and meditation.