I can honestly say that Emerger Strategies would not exist if I hadn’t picked up a copy of Let My People Go Surfing. Yvon Chouinard’s memoir about building Patagonia into a company that uses business as a tool to solve environmental and social problems didn’t just inspire me — it gave me a blueprint for the kind of company I wanted to build someday.
Around the same time, while living in Jackson Hole and attending a Fly Fishing Film Tour event, I first heard about 1% for the Planet — the global giving movement co-founded by Chouinard and fly shop owner Craig Mathews. Right then and there, I made myself a promise: if I ever owned my own business, I would join.
That was a decade ago. Today, I’m proud to mark 10 years of Emerger Strategies giving back as a certified 1% for the Planet member — and to announce that this week, we’re going even further.
From Failed Startups to a Dream Job — The Origin Story
Before launching Emerger Strategies, I installed solar panels while living in Jackson Hole, graduated with an MBA in Sustainable Business, and spent time working at two early-stage companies: one in biodiesel production, another developing green building software to streamline LEED certification. Both were mission-driven. Both startups failed.
Those experiences taught me a lesson that has shaped everything I’ve done since: sustainability for sustainability’s sake is not enough. It must make business sense. A compelling environmental mission can’t survive without a viable business model behind it.
In 2016, I created my dream job by marrying my two greatest passions — fly fishing and sustainability. I launched Emerger Strategies with a clear mission: to prove the business case for sustainability by working with brands in the fly fishing and outdoor industry. And the very first thing I did after registering my LLC? I joined 1% for the Planet.
What Is 1% for the Planet — and Why It Matters
1% for the Planet is a global movement of businesses and individuals who pledge to donate 1% of annual revenue to approved environmental nonprofit partners. Founded in 2002 by Yvon Chouinard and Craig Mathews, the organization has channeled hundreds of millions of dollars to environmental causes worldwide. I even had the opportunity to interview Yvon and Craig on The Sustainable Angler podcast:
The premise is simple: if businesses that profit from the natural world reinvest a meaningful share of that profit into protecting it, the collective impact is enormous. For a fly fishing sustainability consultant, joining wasn’t just a logical decision — it was an ethical one.
As a certified member, Emerger Strategies commits to donating 1% of annual revenue to vetted environmental nonprofits through monetary donations, volunteer time, and in-kind services and advocacy. We track and report all three.
A Decade of Environmental Giving: Our Nonprofit Partners
Since 2016, Emerger Strategies has donated over $11,000 to organizations working at the intersection of conservation, climate, and community — causes that align directly with the values of the fly fishing community and the broader outdoor industry:
- The Sustainability Institute — “Advancing sustainable and resilient communities while building the next generation of conservation leaders.”
- Charleston Waterkeeper — “We protect, restore, and defend Charleston’s waterways for you and for nature.”
- Bonefish & Tarpon Trust — “To conserve and restore bonefish, tarpon and permit fisheries and habitats through research, stewardship, education and advocacy.”
- Protect Our Winters — “We turn passionate outdoor people into climate advocates, working together to protect a future with clean air, clean water and a healthy planet.”
- The Conservation Alliance — “We harness the collective power of business and outdoor communities to fund and advocate for the protection of North America’s natural places.”
Our giving goes beyond writing checks. We volunteer (building oyster reefs from recycled oyster shells pictured above), we advocate, and we use our platform in the fly fishing and outdoor industry to amplify these organizations’ missions. Because protecting the places and fish we love isn’t just good ethics — it’s good business.
This Week: 5% of All Sales Go to #WeKeepItWild
This week, Emerger Strategies is proud to participate in The Conservation Alliance’s #WeKeepItWild donation campaign — and we’re putting real dollars behind it. For every sustainability consulting engagement booked or invoiced this week, Emerger Strategies will donate 5% of the total sale to The Conservation Alliance. That’s five times our standard 1% for the Planet commitment, because some moments call for going further.
What is The Conservation Alliance? Since its founding in 1989, TCA and its members have helped protect over 125 million acres of land and nearly 5,000 river miles by advocating for common-sense policies and granting $34.9 million to local groups to improve and protect critical landscapes across the country.
What is #WeKeepItWild? We Keep it Wild is a week-long campaign during which participating companies will donate 5% of their online revenue to The Conservation Alliance (TCA). Funds from this campaign will contribute to TCA’s ongoing work across TCA’s advocacy portfolio. It’s a reminder that the outdoor industry — from fly fishing brands to gear companies — has both the ability and the responsibility to protect the landscapes and public lands that fuel it.
The Business Case for Giving Back
Ten years in, I remain as convinced as ever that the most resilient businesses are the ones that understand their dependence on healthy ecosystems. Fly fishing brands need clean water and thriving fish populations. Outdoor companies need protected wild places. And sustainability consultants need clients who are ready to act on that understanding. In short, Emerger Strategies works with brands who give a damn.
1% for the Planet is one of the most elegant mechanisms I know for institutionalizing that commitment — turning business activity into conservation capital, year after year, regardless of whether the fish are biting or the economy is cooperating.
The #WeKeepItWild campaign is a reminder that we can always do more. And this week, we are.
Thank you for being part of this journey — and for keeping it wild.
Protect what you love,
Rick
FAQ
What is 1% for the Planet? 1% for the Planet is a global organization whose members pledge to donate 1% of annual sales or income to approved environmental nonprofit partners. It was co-founded in 2002 by Patagonia’s Yvon Chouinard and fly shop owner Craig Mathews.
How long has Emerger Strategies been a 1% for the Planet member? Emerger Strategies has been a certified 1% for the Planet member since 2016 — the year the company was founded. Joining was the first action taken after registering the LLC.
What environmental nonprofits has Emerger Strategies supported? Over 10 years, Emerger Strategies has donated more than $11,000 to organizations including The Sustainability Institute, Charleston Waterkeeper, Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, Protect Our Winters, and The Conservation Alliance.
What is The Conservation Alliance’s #WeKeepItWild campaign? #WeKeepItWild is a fundraising initiative by The Conservation Alliance that mobilizes outdoor industry businesses and consumers to donate to wild lands and waters protection across North America.
What does Emerger Strategies do? Emerger Strategies is a sustainability consulting firm specializing in the fly fishing and outdoor industry, helping brands build the business case for sustainability, develop environmental strategies, and engage authentically with conservation causes.