The Passing of Anita Roddick

The passing of Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop, on September 10, is truly a loss. Roddick, a pioneer of social entrepreneurship, was one of the first to embrace the concepts of fair trade and organics, supporting the environment, and protesting animal testing. Starting with a small store in England in 1976, and expanding to over 2000 stores in 50 countries, she is also an inspiring example for entrepreneurs and proof that you can do well, while still doing good. According to a recent write up in The New York Times, "Anita did more than run a successful ethical business: she was a pioneer of the whole concept of ethical and green consumerism,” Tony Juniper, director of Friends of the Earth, wrote in The Evening Standard on Tuesday. “There are quite a few business people today who claim green credentials, but none came anywhere near Anita in terms of commitment and credibility.” She will be greatly missed.