[citation needed] His paternal great-grandfather was Lt. General JM Cripps, of the Bengal Staff Corps, India.

[citation needed] Stephens grew up on a berry farm on Vancouver Island until his early teens, when his parents relocated to Los Angeles, following his father's pursuit of a songwriting career.

In his later teen years, Stephens supported himself as a painter and poet with gallery showings in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, and Vancouver.

In 1967 he traveled to India to study at an ashram for seven months under the guidance of well known spiritual teacher Sant Kirpal Singh.

In August 1967, Stephens returned to Vancouver and opened The Golden Lotus, Canada's first vegetarian restaurant in the heart of Kitsilano.

In 1985, the Stephens' founded Nature's Path,[5] and by 1990 would open North America's first certified organic breakfast cereal production facility in Delta, British Columbia.

Originally focusing on cereals and breads, the company now sells a variety of products including toaster pastries, waffles, and granola.

[25] In November 2021, the University of Victoria (UVIC) conferred honorary doctorate degrees in Education upon Ratana and Arran.

[32] In October 2022, Arran and Ratana received the Peter B. Gustavson School of Business 2022 Distinguished Entrepreneurs of the Year Award (DEYA) from the University of Victoria.

[33] In April 2024, Arran and Ratana received the Rix Award for Engaged Community Citizenship from the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade.

[35] In September 2024, Arran and Ratana received the President’s Distinguished Community Leadership Award from Simon Fraser University for their unwavering commitment to the health of both people and the planet.