C hip Wilson is a Canadian entrepreneur and the controversial founder of Lululemon Athletica, the company that pioneered the 'athleisure' apparel category and turned yoga pants into a global fashion staple. An avid surfer and snowboarder, Wilson founded his first athletic apparel company, Westbeach, before identifying a new market opportunity. He founded Lululemon in 1998 in Vancouver, initially as a design studio by day and a yoga studio by night.

He created a new category of high-quality, technical, and stylish athletic apparel that women could wear both for workouts and for everyday life. The company's unique culture and cult-like following fueled its explosive growth. Wilson's tenure at the company was often marked by controversy due to a series of public gaffes and comments that were seen as insensitive. He resigned as chairman in 2013 and later left the board, but he remains the company's largest individual shareholder. He has since focused on his family's investment firm and real estate.