As a child Gary Hirshberg had learned from his mother about the importance of serving others; a lesson that was reinforced through his family’s friendship with the family of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. So when he had turned a tiny farm with just a couple of cows into Stonyfield Farm, the leading producer of organic yogurt worldwide, Gary and his business partner made sure that they would give back. They decided that 10 percent of their profits would be spent on initiatives to help fight the effects of climate change. Through the years they have taken many measures to minimize the carbon footprint of their company, and to support environmental causes. They have also built up a network of organic farmers by teaching them about sustainable agricultural practices. “Determination is the most important and underappreciated characteristic needed to be an entrepreneur,” Gary says. “Nothing takes the place of hard work and passion.”