David GreenEdit
David Green is an American businessman and philanthropist best known as the founder of Hobby Lobby, a nationwide private chain of arts-and-crafts stores. Built from a small family operation into a large retail enterprise, the company has long reflected Green’s conviction that faith and free enterprise can work together to serve communities. Under his leadership, Hobby Lobby has remained family-owned and guided by a mission that emphasizes religious faith, traditional values, and charitable giving alongside business success. Hobby Lobby
Beyond building a successful business, Green and his family have pursued a vigorous program of private philanthropy. Through the Green Family Foundation and related efforts, they have supported religious liberty, Christian education, disaster relief, and humanitarian aid. Their giving tends to favor private, faith-aligned organizations and initiatives over government programs, reflecting a belief in voluntary action and civil society as primary engines of moral and civic progress. Green Family Foundation Christian education
A defining moment in Green’s public profile came with the Supreme Court’s decision in Hobby Lobby v. Burwell (2014). The Court held that, under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, certain for-profit corporations could be exempt from providing contraceptive coverage mandated by the Affordable Care Act if compliance would violate the owners’ sincerely held religious beliefs. The decision, reached by a narrow margin, framed religious liberty as a matter of protecting private conscience within the context of a highly regulated economy. It sparked an ongoing national conversation about the reach of religious liberty, the scope of corporate rights, and the proper balance between individual conscience and public health policy. Religious Freedom Restoration Act Contraceptive mandate
Background
Early life and business founding
David Green’s entrepreneurial path culminated in the creation of Hobby Lobby in the 1970s, when he and his family opened a single crafts storefront in the midwest. The enterprise grew through steady expansion, a focus on value and service, and a conservative approach to governance that kept the business closely held within the family. Today, Hobby Lobby operates hundreds of stores across the country, employing thousands of workers and serving as a case study in family-led private enterprise. Hobby Lobby Steve Green (businessman)
Corporate culture and governance
Green has emphasized a corporate culture that blends business discipline with a faith-driven mission. The company frames its operations around principles such as conscience, integrity, and a sense of social responsibility that extends beyond profit, including charitable activity aligned with its beliefs. Leadership has remained predominantly family-centered, with heirs and trusted executives guiding strategy and philanthropy, a model often cited by observers as a practical example of how faith-informed leadership can coexist with scale and competitiveness. Hobby Lobby Steve Green (businessman)
Philanthropy, faith, and public life
Through the Green Family Foundation and related giving vehicles, the Greens have supported religious education, mission work, and relief efforts as part of a broader strategy to strengthen civil society through private action. Their philanthropy places a premium on schools, churches, and faith-based ministries, alongside initiatives that promote religious liberty and freedom of conscience. Critics and supporters alike note that this approach seeks to influence public life less through government programs and more through voluntary, community-based action. Green Family Foundation Christian education
Controversies and debates
The public record around Green includes contentious debates over religious liberty, business ethics, and public policy. Proponents contend that protecting the right to live according to one’s faith is essential to pluralistic democracy and that private actors should have latitude to align their business practices with deeply held beliefs. Critics, however, argue that broad religious exemptions can complicate access to services and healthcare for employees and the public. Supporters of Green’s approach argue that the concerns of critics are often overstated or misunderstand the intent of religious liberty protections, emphasizing that the framework aims to safeguard sincere conscience without creating a blanket license for discrimination. Proponents also point out that the ruling in Hobby Lobby v. Burwell was narrowly tailored to specific circumstances and rests on a statutory protection designed to protect freedom of conscience rather than to redefine civil rights. Hobby Lobby v. Burwell Religious Freedom Restoration Act Contraceptive mandate
Public policy and cultural footprint
Green’s publicly communicated stance on issues such as religious liberty, pro-life policy, and school choice has intersected with broader debates about the appropriate role of faith in public life. Advocates view these positions as defending individual conscience and the integrity of voluntary institutions in a pluralistic society. Critics may frame them as efforts to tilt public policy toward particular moral frameworks; supporters counter that private institutions and families have a rightful role in shaping social norms through voluntary means rather than coercive regulation. The conversation around these topics continues to be a focal point in discussions of the balance between faith, commerce, and civil society. Religious freedom First Amendment