Origin Story
Christopher Gavigan comes from the windy, sea-bound east coast of the United States. The location kindled his age-long passion for preserving nature's endowment.
Christopher headed towards Santa Barbara to study Environmental Science Management at the University of California. At grad school, he studied Behavioural Psychology. Here, Yvon Chouinard mentored him, and he gained strong leadership experience.
Eventually, he found his Northstar: to elevate wellness and a green environment.
The Spark
Christopher got his breakthrough in a 2009 Mount Sinai School of Medicine research. It revealed how hemp holds a therapeutic potential to sustain balance in human cells. This realisation clarified his vision to unlock the medicinal possibilities in hemp. He says, "We need this plant. But humanity needs a brand that delivers quality and safe products.
Doing Business in the Hemp Market
In 2018, Christopher founded Prima. His co-founders are Jessica Assaf and Laurel Angelica Myers. Together, they surveyed the Hemp market, searching for the best hemp farm. He said, "We sought partners focused on sustainable farming methods and laid emphasis on regenerative soil health and seed quality."
Prima thus became a science-backed company that’s also involved in advocacy and education. It is focused on reducing body stress and promoting wellness.
Raising Funds
Christopher closed several funding rounds. This corpus helped further clinical research and refined Prima's product portfolio. Prima raised $3.27 million in one of its early seed funding and secured $9.2 million in 2021. The brand's investors include giant venture firms like Defy, Greycroft, and H-Ventures.
Founding and Leading Other Forward-thinking Companies
Christopher's commitment to building eco-friendly products is undying. It fuelled him to co-found The Honest Company, a health and wellness brand.
The Honest Company made $319 million in sales revenue in 2021. In the same year, it raised $412.8 million via IPO and is valued at approximately $550 million.
Christopher's business partners are Brian Lee and popular actress Jessica Alba. He also founded Pinnacle Expeditions and Family First. He served as the CEO of Healthy Child Healthy World for about seven years and is currently the advisor to Cradle.
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