Jon Wilson grew up under the heady influence of the ocean's forces and fragrances on the Rhode Island and Connecticut shores. Taking more naturally to New England's saltwater traditions than its academic ones, he became a carpenter and builder of wooden boats before launching WoodenBoat magazine from a cabin in Maine in 1974. In the wake of that magazine's international success and influence, Wilson sensed an opportunity to create a new magazine that could further thinking and dialog on the deeply human and personal aspects of challenging individual and social issues. He began working on ideas for Hope magazine in 1994, and launched the magazine in early 1996. He is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Hope.