Christopher 'Chris' Quinlan grew up on the B.C. coast and worked in a logging camp before moving to Whistler in 1991 to enter the food and beverage industry. He held several jobs, including driving buses and working in restaurants, before becoming the founding president of the Restaurant Association of Whistler and helping develop the Restaurants of Whistler Dining Guide.

Quinlan has served on City Council and in the Chamber of Commerce, sat as vice-chair of the Whistler Housing Authority, and been the morning show host for 101.5 Whistler FM. Since 2009, he has been the director of the Whistler Center for Sustainability. From 2010 to 2018, he was the manager of the Whistler Farmer's Market. He went on to develop a successful Sea to Sky Farmer's Market collaboration and to found the website Marketwurks.com, which helps marketplace managers to process vendor applications.