Brauer Lecture Series
Brauer Lecture Series 2026
The Brauer Lecture: 4 P.M. Monday, April 13, 2026
About the Speaker
John Mackey
Co-Founder and Visionary, Whole Foods Market + CEO of Love.Life
John Mackey is an entrepreneur and the co-founder and visionary of Whole Foods Market. In his 44 years of service as CEO, the natural and organic grocer grew from a single store in Austin, Texas, to 540 stores in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada, with annual sales exceeding $22 billion and more than 105,000 team members.
A pioneer of natural and organic foods and a passionate advocate for capitalism as a force for good, Mackey has focused on building a more conscious way of doing business. His vision inspired the Whole Planet Foundation to help end poverty in developing nations, the Local Producer Loan Program to help local food producers expand their businesses, the Global Animal Partnership’s rating scale for humane farm animal treatment, and the Total Health Immersion program to promote health and wellness with Whole Foods Market Team Members.
A staunch advocate for free market principles and business as a force for good, Mackey co-founded the Conscious Capitalism Movement and co-authored a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling book entitled “Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business.”
Mackey has been recognized as one of Fortune’s "World's 50 Greatest Leaders," Ernst & Young’s “Entrepreneur of the Year Overall Winner for the United States,” Institutional Investor’s “Best CEO in America,” Barron’s “World’s Best CEO,” MarketWatch’s “CEO of the Year,” and Esquire’s “Most Inspiring CEO,” while Whole Foods Market was named to Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list for 20 consecutive years.
A mission-driven entrepreneur, Mackey is deeply passionate about the connection between food and health. His next business venture, Love.Life, will unite the power of nourishing food, holistic medical care, and precision wellness therapies to make optimal, lasting health and vitality achievable.
Mackey currently serves on the board of directors for Conscious Capitalism, The Motley Fool, the Cato Institute, the Institute for Cultural Evolution, and Students for Liberty. His new book, The Whole Story: Adventures in Love, Life, and Capitalism, was published in May 2024.
About the Brauer Lecture Series
Sponsored in conjunction with the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis, MO, the Brauer Lecture Series seeks to highlight the leadership characteristics of its speakers. Featured lecturers are encouraged to discuss how their values guide their daily lives while also highlighting the importance free-market economics.
This lecture series is designed to bring to campus world-renowned speakers who will address the contributions of free enterprise to economic growth, public policy, and world affairs.
The Brauer Lecture Series is made possible by a generous gift from Stephen F., ’67 ΦΔΘ, and Camilla T. Brauer of St. Louis, MO