Charles J. Smith

Charles J. Smith "has been an active entrepreneur for the past 16 years, launching four companies and one foundation. As a commercial photographer in 1992, he co-founded Digital Stock, the company that invented the royalty-free licensing model for digital images. Digital Stock was one of the fastest growing private companies in the 90’s and was sold to Bill Gates’ Corbis Corporation. Today, the royalty-free business accounts for 95% of image sales worldwide.

"In 2001, Mr. Smith launched nForma (now Knowledge Factor), an online learning system that helps companies achieve worker excellence via its patented Confidence-Based Learning method.

"In 2006 Charles started Redwing Media, a company that creates science content for educational markets. One of its most prominent projects is an introductory biology textbook written and produced in conjunction with professors at Harvard University and WH Freeman Publishers.

"In 2008, Smith introduced Carbella (“beautiful carbon”) a company focused on reforesting degraded areas in the tropics. Project investors achieve a substantial return on capital while the planet benefits in three ways; CO2 is absorbed, biodiversity expands, and local poverty is alleviated."

• Director, E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation