Sandy Gooch is the founder of Mrs. Gooch’s Natural Foods Markets. She created a successful chain of supermarkets dedicated to providing the finest food and health-care products available. After suffering a life-threatening reaction to food chemicals, the only way Sandy could survive was to eliminate all additives from her diet. Difficulty locating a variety of natural foods motivated her to open the largest market of its kind, thus becoming the first woman to develop a supermarket chain in the United States. Operations continually expanded, larger stores opened, and a 90-million-dollar-a-year business developed. In 1993, Mrs. Gooch’s was acquired by Whole Foods Markets, Inc.
Designing, building and refurbishing estate homes subsequently became Sandy’s focus. Her successful real estate ventures have out-performed market trends, while managing to incorporate pro-environmental features.
A lifetime educator, Sandy continues to inform the public about the significance of the interrelationship between sustainable environmental practices and the long-term health and viability of our planet. In 1995, Sandy developed The Healthy School Meals Program at Venice High School in Los Angeles. She also currently serves on the Advisory Board for Growing Great, a foundation that has specialized in teaching students in Manhattan Beach and 10 schools in the Los Angeles School District about eating and growing healthy food.
Currently, Sandy’s efforts are on a worldwide scale as she focuses on social,
environmental, and health issues, including preventive lifestyle measures and holistic and complimentary medicine modalities. Sandy is also a member of the International Women’s Forum (IWF), a worldwide organization of preeminent women of achievement. Since 2000, Sandy has been a member of the Women’s Leadership Board at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, an international group of women using their influence and resources to develop and empower women worldwide.