Maastricht Entrepreneurship

By mixing the qualities of Richard Branson and Mother Theresa, Blake Mycoskie shows how to be the perfect example of a successful social entrepreneur. He is the founder of TOMS Shoes, a young and fast growing company with one simple premise: For every pair of shoes sold, one pair goes to a child in need around the world. Selling shoes, for a better tomorrow.
It all started when Mycoskie visited Argentina in 2006. Shocked when discovering that many children without shoes were exposed to serious health risks and were not allowed to go to school, he was inspired and determined to find a solution. Mycoskie is convinced that creating a For-Profit-Business will in the end be more sustainable, than an organization based on fundraising. No philanthropy; but a true business based on the ‘One For One’-model. And believe it or not, focusing on profit enables TOMS to accomplish their non-profit mission.

Since 2006, TOMS has given over 140,000 pairs of shoes to children in need. Furthermore, they have grown into a company expected to bring in more than 13 million US dollars in 2009. With an appearance in CNBC’s “The Entrepreneurs”, meetings with President Obama’s Senior Administration in the White House and defined by Bill Clinton as “one of the most interesting entrepreneurs he has ever met”, Blake Mycoskie equals entrepreneurial expertise. What makes TOMS special is that the people, who wear the shoes, become automatically storytellers/marketers of TOMS Shoes. Low advertising costs make it therefore possible to invest the remaining money in shoes to give away. You can’t underestimate the power of giving… Changing a life begins with a single step.

Get Involved & Inspired:

http://www.tomsshoes.com/

http://blakemycoskie.blogspot.com/

http://www.friendsoftoms.org/