Born in Prague, Czech Republic, Jirka Rysavy was selected for a math and physics prodigy experimental class at the age of 10 and continued on the math-physics path. He holds an M.Sc. in engineering from Tech University of Prague. A Czech champion in 400m hurdles, Jirka's athletic career was cut short by an injury before the Olympic Games. He left athletics, traveled to 40 countries, and moved to Boulder, Colorado, in 1984.

In 1985, Jirka founded Crystal Market (CEO, Chair), which later became Wild Oats Market and was sold to Whole Foods Market, now owned by Amazon. In 1986, he founded Corporate Express (CEO, Chair), which went public in 1994, became a Fortune 500 company, and was sold in 1999 with revenue of $4.7 billion and 24,000 employees—now part of Staples.

In 1999, Jirka became the CEO and Chairman of Gaiam, the yoga and DVD company he founded. Gaiam went public in 1999, and Jirka stepped down as CEO in 2009 to return to athletics. He sold the Gaiam brand in 2016.

In 2001, Jirka founded Energy Tech within Gaiam, which was later renamed Real Goods Solar (Chair). Real Goods Solar went public in 2008, and Jirka sold his holdings in 2013.

In 2013, Jirka founded Gaia, a global video streaming service within Gaiam. He returned to the company as full-time CEO in 2016 and currently serves as Executive Chairman (NASDAQ: GAIA).

In 2022, Jirka founded Igniton (CEO, Chair), a company focused on improving cognitive functions, memory, longevity, and more. Igniton is based on a 12-acre campus in Colorado and has distribution in 50 countries.