Griff Wigley is one of the most enthusiastic leaders in the Company of Friends, Fast Company's network of readers. And his 'cell,' in the Twin Cities, is one of the oldest and largest of the 50-plus cells that have sprung up around the world. Here are some of his vital statistics.

Age: 49

Favorite Roles: Husband (wife, Robbie, 53); father (of Collin, 22, Tyson, 20, Graham, 17, and Gillian, 12); 'HR guy' and strategic planner for gofast.net, an Internet-service provider that serves businesses in the Twin Cities; and coordinator for the Minneapolis-St. Paul cell of Company of Friends

Previous Roles: New-media guru at Utne Reader, where he managed the magazine's Web presence and its Neighborhood Salon Association, a network of readers interested in meeting for good conversation

Favorite FC Story: 'Your interview with Richard Leider (Are You Deciding on Purpose? February:March 1998). I had just started working with a mentor, who had assigned me to write a best-case eulogy for myself. Reading that interview crystalized my thinking -- about how easy it is to wake up when you're 70 and think, 'The things that matter most to me are the things that I haven't been doing for 40 years.' '

Guiding Principle: 'Never underestimate the power of good conversation to deepen our understanding of complex issues. We're often so passive: We sit in front of the TV, or we sit in school. But conversation wakes you up. When you have to put sentences together, the holes in your thinking become apparent.'

Coordinates: Griff Wigley, Northfield, Minnesota, griff@gofast.net

From: December 1999 issue