Steve McIntosh
Encyclopedia
Stephen Ian “Steve” McIntosh (b. July 3, 1960) is an American author, activist, lawyer, and entrepreneur. He is the founder and president of Now & Zen, Inc.
, and an influential writer in the field of integral thought.
to an English mother and Australian father. His parents divorced in 1962 when he was two years old, after which he lived with his mother as an only child, growing up in Los Angeles
. In 1979 he dedicated himself to bicycle road racing, and in 1980 and 1981 participated in America’s “National Tour”, the Coors Classic bicycle race
. In 1983 he was a pioneer in the new sport of mountain bicycle racing, riding for Ross Bicycles
, the world’s first factory sponsored mountain bike racing team.
In 1984 he graduated from the University of Southern California
business school, winning the USC Entrepreneur Program’s “Best Business Plan Award”. In 1987 he graduated among the top of his class from the University of Virginia Law School where he served as articles editor of the Virginia Law Review
. After becoming a member of the California Bar in 1987, he worked for California’s biggest law firm, Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro. In 1990 he moved to Boulder, Colorado
to become vice president of the start-up environmental products company, Earth Wise, Inc. In 1991 Earth Wise was acquired by Celestial Seasonings tea company
, where McIntosh served as an executive officer and general council. In 1995 he left Celestial Seasonings to found Now & Zen, Inc., where he continues to serve as the company’s CEO.
Now & Zen, Inc., headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, is a growing brand of "natural lifestyle products", featuring the famous Zen Alarm Clock, which wakes users gradually with a series of acoustic chimes. All Now & Zen products have been conceived and designed by McIntosh, with a brand aesthetic that combines the harmonic proportions of sacred geometry
with motifs from traditional Japanese culture. The company’s mission is to provide products that remind people that they live in the presence of the sacred, however they may define it. Now & Zen is a profitable enterprise employing over twenty people, and does business both online and through its walk up store on Boulder's Pearl Street Mall
.
As a result of his focus on progressive spirituality
and cultural evolution, in the late 1990s McIntosh became involved in the integral movement. In 2000 he was invited to join leading integral author Ken Wilber
’s Integral Institute
, where he served in both the Integral Art branch and the Integral Business branch. He left the Integral Institute on good terms in 2002 in order to establish himself as an independent voice in the integral movement. This led to the 2007 publication of his major work: Integral Consciousness and the Future of Evolution: How the Integral Worldview Is Transforming Politics, Culture and Spirituality (Paragon House 2007).
McIntosh divides his time between his home in Boulder, Colorado, and his desert retreat in Castle Valley, Utah
, near Moab
. He is married to Tehya McIntosh, and has two sons, Ian and Peter.
has featured numerous interviews of McIntosh, with a special emphasis on his political views. He has also been interviewed by New Dimensions Radio, the Institute of Noetic Sciences, and other progressive media.
In 2004, his focus on the application of integral philosophy to politics led him to found The Project for Integral World Federation, a non-profit organization dedicated to cultural and political evolution. The organization’s primary activity is the hosting and promotion of the on-line petition: A Declaration of the Value of Global Governance. This declaration, modeled after Thomas Jefferson
’s 1776 Declaration of Independence
for the United States, seeks to raise consciousness about the benefits of a future system of limited, democratic, federal, integral world government
.
Now & Zen
Now & Zen, Inc. is an American company founded by Steve McIntosh in January 1995. Based in Boulder, Colorado. The target market for the firm's brand is the demographic known as the "Cultural Creatives," a progressive segment of American society that has been responsible for the substantial growth...
, and an influential writer in the field of integral thought.
Biography
Steve McIntosh is a first generation American, born in Norwalk, ConnecticutNorwalk, Connecticut
Norwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the city is 85,603, making Norwalk sixth in population in Connecticut, and third in Fairfield County...
to an English mother and Australian father. His parents divorced in 1962 when he was two years old, after which he lived with his mother as an only child, growing up in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. In 1979 he dedicated himself to bicycle road racing, and in 1980 and 1981 participated in America’s “National Tour”, the Coors Classic bicycle race
Coors Classic
The Coors International Bicycle Classic was a stage race sponsored by the Coors Brewing Company. Coors was the race's second sponsor, the first, Celestial Seasonings, named the race after its premium tea Red Zinger, which began in 1975...
. In 1983 he was a pioneer in the new sport of mountain bicycle racing, riding for Ross Bicycles
Ross (bicycles)
Ross was a U.S. built line of bikes between 1950 and 1989, somewhat rivaling Schwinn, up until the mid 1980s. They were manufactured in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and had corporate headquarters in Rockaway Beach, New York....
, the world’s first factory sponsored mountain bike racing team.
In 1984 he graduated from the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
business school, winning the USC Entrepreneur Program’s “Best Business Plan Award”. In 1987 he graduated among the top of his class from the University of Virginia Law School where he served as articles editor of the Virginia Law Review
Virginia Law Review
The Virginia Law Review is a law review edited and published entirely by students at University of Virginia School of Law. It was founded on March 15, 1913, and permanently organized later that year...
. After becoming a member of the California Bar in 1987, he worked for California’s biggest law firm, Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro. In 1990 he moved to Boulder, Colorado
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
to become vice president of the start-up environmental products company, Earth Wise, Inc. In 1991 Earth Wise was acquired by Celestial Seasonings tea company
Celestial Seasonings
Celestial Seasonings is a tea company based in Boulder, Colorado, United States that specializes in herbal tea but also sells green, wellness, red, white, chai, holiday and black teas. They account for over $100,000,000 in herbal tea blends sales in the United States annually. All of their teas are...
, where McIntosh served as an executive officer and general council. In 1995 he left Celestial Seasonings to found Now & Zen, Inc., where he continues to serve as the company’s CEO.
Now & Zen, Inc., headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, is a growing brand of "natural lifestyle products", featuring the famous Zen Alarm Clock, which wakes users gradually with a series of acoustic chimes. All Now & Zen products have been conceived and designed by McIntosh, with a brand aesthetic that combines the harmonic proportions of sacred geometry
Sacred geometry
Sacred geometry is the geometry used in the planning and construction of religious structures such as churches, temples, mosques, religious monuments, altars, tabernacles; as well as for sacred spaces such as temenoi, sacred groves, village greens and holy wells, and the creation of religious art...
with motifs from traditional Japanese culture. The company’s mission is to provide products that remind people that they live in the presence of the sacred, however they may define it. Now & Zen is a profitable enterprise employing over twenty people, and does business both online and through its walk up store on Boulder's Pearl Street Mall
Pearl Street Mall
The Pearl Street Mall is a four block pedestrian mall in Boulder, Colorado...
.
As a result of his focus on progressive spirituality
Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
and cultural evolution, in the late 1990s McIntosh became involved in the integral movement. In 2000 he was invited to join leading integral author Ken Wilber
Ken Wilber
Kenneth Earl Wilber II is an American author who has written about mysticism, philosophy, ecology, and developmental psychology. His work formulates what he calls Integral Theory. In 1998, he founded the Integral Institute, for teaching and applications of Integral theory.-Biography:Ken Wilber was...
’s Integral Institute
Integral Institute
The Integral Institute is a think-tank founded in 1998 by American author Ken Wilber. The purpose of the Institute is to gather and attempt to integrate the various viewpoints found in a number of major fields of knowledge...
, where he served in both the Integral Art branch and the Integral Business branch. He left the Integral Institute on good terms in 2002 in order to establish himself as an independent voice in the integral movement. This led to the 2007 publication of his major work: Integral Consciousness and the Future of Evolution: How the Integral Worldview Is Transforming Politics, Culture and Spirituality (Paragon House 2007).
McIntosh divides his time between his home in Boulder, Colorado, and his desert retreat in Castle Valley, Utah
Castle Valley, Utah
Castle Valley is a town in Grand County, Utah, United States. The population was 349 at the 2000 census. The town is about 16 miles northeast of Moab near State Route 128.-Geography:Castle Valley is located at ....
, near Moab
Moab, Utah
Moab is a city in Grand County, in eastern Utah, in the western United States. The population was 4,779 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat and largest city in Grand County. Moab hosts a large number of tourists every year, mostly visitors to the nearby Arches and Canyonlands National Parks...
. He is married to Tehya McIntosh, and has two sons, Ian and Peter.
Integral movement
In addition to his major work, Integral Consciousness and the Future of Evolution, McIntosh also appears in the DVD interview: The Evolution of Consciousness, and is the author of a variety of scholarly articles on integral philosophy and politics. What Is Enlightenment? MagazineWhat Is Enlightenment? (magazine)
EnlightenNext is an international magazine devoted to spirituality, culture, and the growing integral movement, published quarterly by EnlightenNext, a nonprofit organization. The magazine, which first appeared in 1992, was founded and is still guided by Andrew Cohen, an American guru of...
has featured numerous interviews of McIntosh, with a special emphasis on his political views. He has also been interviewed by New Dimensions Radio, the Institute of Noetic Sciences, and other progressive media.
In 2004, his focus on the application of integral philosophy to politics led him to found The Project for Integral World Federation, a non-profit organization dedicated to cultural and political evolution. The organization’s primary activity is the hosting and promotion of the on-line petition: A Declaration of the Value of Global Governance. This declaration, modeled after Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
’s 1776 Declaration of Independence
United States Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. John Adams put forth a...
for the United States, seeks to raise consciousness about the benefits of a future system of limited, democratic, federal, integral world government
World government
World government is the notion of a single common political authority for all of humanity. Its modern conception is rooted in European history, particularly in the philosophy of ancient Greece, in the political formation of the Roman Empire, and in the subsequent struggle between secular authority,...
.