Chip Wilson is a Canadian-American entrepreneur and philanthropist best known as the founder of Lululemon Athletica. Credited with pioneering the premium athleisure retail category, he remains a significant shareholder and active voice in the technical apparel industry through his family holding company, Hold It All Inc.

Details

Nationality: American
Residence: Vancouver, Canada
Occupation: Entrepreneur, Investor, Philanthropist
Known For: Founding Lululemon Athletica and creating the premium athleisure retail category.
Accolades: Wilson was named EY Canadian Entrepreneur of the Year for Innovation and Marketing in 2004 and inducted into Canada's Marketing Hall of Legends in 2010. He received the UVic Distinguished Entrepreneur of the Year Award and the Kitsilano Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012. In 2013, he was honored with the International Distinguished Entrepreneur Award from the University of Manitoba. He received the T. Patrick Boyle Founder's Award from the Fraser Institute and honorary doctorates from Emily Carr University of Art + Design and Kwantlen Polytechnic University in 2014. He was inducted into the Business Laureates of British Columbia Hall of Fame in 2019 and is consistently ranked on the Forbes Billionaires List.
Education: Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Calgary (1980).
Website: https://www.chipwilson.com/

Chip Wilson

Chip Wilson is a Canadian entrepreneur and the founder of Lululemon Athletica. [1][2] He is widely credited with creating the premium athleisure retail category. Wilson began his career in 1979 by founding Westbeach Snowboarding. [1][2] He later launched Lululemon in 1998 to provide technical performance apparel for yoga practitioners. As of 2026, he remains the company's largest individual shareholder. [1] He is currently leading a high-profile proxy campaign to refresh the Lululemon board of directors. Wilson advocates for a return to visionary creative leadership and technical excellence. In April 2026, he launched a new investment venture to support early-stage technical apparel brands. He also co-founded Low Tide Properties, a real estate firm focused on Vancouver urban redevelopment. Wilson is the author of the 2025 bestseller Lululemon and the Future of Technical Apparel. [3][4] His philanthropic work includes a 100 million dollar commitment to SOLVE FSHD to find a cure for muscular dystrophy by 2027.

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