Green Crush

I work at an environmental, action-sports-oriented nonprofit called Surfrider Foundation.

We exist for the protection and enjoyment of oceans, waves, and beaches. Two examples: we fight for clean water and beach access.

Mini Cooper S or telecommute. I'm a firm believer in the virtual organization, having lived it for the past couple decades.

I was a sponsored skateboarder and early-era snowboarder in my formative years. Then I was a tech entrepreneur working alongside insanely passionate and smart people who went to great lengths to change the world. The vision of this organization, the flatness of the world, and the action-sports orientation all intersect the vectors of my life.

Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Solana Beach, Calif.

Understanding that even with the smartest minds and almost endless money, we were unable to craft the right business model at Pandesic. IQ and dollars aren't enough -- success comes to those who are relentlessly focused and add value or meaning daily.

Cold-calling Jake Winebaum when I was moving from Silicon Valley to San Diego and having it yield my first offer to become a CEO.

My dad and Yvon Chouinard. Their vision goes well beyond the commonly expected.

My quiver of surfboards is too large -- it's around a dozen. I should be able to deal with having a few boards, but I just ... can't.

Family. Surf. Church. Any mix of those elements is optimal; double dipping is encouraged.

I'm blessed to have a wife who loves to cook, cooks extremely well, and has a preference for healthy foods.

I pick up trash any time I'm at a beach.

A six- to eight-foot-high, clean, perfect wave. Being more specific, Georges in Cardiff by the Sea on a dawn patrol, low-to-mid rising tide.

Oceans would be clean.

Founding Brothers by Joseph Ellis and Dora Lives by Craig Stecyk and Drew Kampion; together they frame the American reality.

The Clash. The only band that mattered.

Jack White and Loretta Lynn's Van Lear Rose.

We don't get TV; we turned it off about a decade ago. One of the best decisions of my life.

Favorite surf film: Sprout.

My son Reid.

Seriously consider the waste of time that television is -- then turn it off for good.