Blake Mycoskie

Blake Mycoskie is a serial entrepreneur, philanthropist, and bestselling author who founded TOMS Shoes and pioneered the One for One business model that transformed how the world thinks about social enterprise. Since its founding in 2006, TOMS has provided nearly 100 million pairs of shoes to children in need, proving that purpose-driven business can achieve both profit and massive social impact.

The Idea That Launched a Movement

While traveling in Argentina in 2006, Mycoskie witnessed children growing up without shoes and conceived a simple but revolutionary idea: create a for-profit company that gives a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair sold. That premise became TOMS, which grew from a small Venice Beach startup into a global brand. The One for One model expanded to include eyewear and clean water programs. His New York Times bestselling book Start Something That Matters inspires readers to find their own path to purpose-driven success.

From TOMS to What Comes Next

After selling half of TOMS to Bain Capital in 2014 and stepping down as CEO, Mycoskie channeled his entrepreneurial energy into new ventures. He co-founded Madefor, a wellness and personal development program, and launched a Social Entrepreneurship Fund to support early-stage startups with core social missions. His keynotes explore how the most successful companies are built from authentic passion, why giving and storytelling outperform traditional marketing, and how leaders can align profit with purpose to create brands that people believe in and rally behind.

VIRTUAL APPEARANCES

Blake loves the flexibility of doing virtual appearances and the format is an interactive, moderated dialogue – instead of a more traditional presentation.

The virtual Fireside Chat format offers attendees a more personalized experience since attendees have the opportunity to engage in a free-ranging discussion that hits upon the topics of highest interest to the assembled audience.  The result is a truly one-of-a-kind, intimate experience with the pioneer of the One for One movement and an early adopter and strong evangelist of Conscious Capitalism.

FIRESIDE CHAT TOPIC IDEAS

We welcome your ideas and suggestions for what you’d like to ask Blake about during the Chat – and here are a few topics to get you brainstorming:

The importance of mental and physical well-being….and the power of incremental steps in building sustainable habits that transform your life.

Self-awareness and reflection as a means of personal and professional growth

Entrepreneurship – and the entrepreneurial mindset…..spotting opportunities and making the most of them

Building your team – selecting the right people for the job

Work and life – striking a balanced blend

Conscious capitalism

Creating a powerful brand

Storytelling as a way to cultivate customer engagement and loyalty

IN-PERSON APPEARANCES

(ONCE LARGE GATHERINGS CAN RESUME – USA ONLY)

The Power of Ideas – from TOMS to Madefor

If the lifeblood of an entrepreneur is the idea, the oxygen that can sustain them is the belief that their ideas can change the world for the better.  As we navigate life searching for purpose and meaning, and chasing conventional notions of success in the process, ideas come and go from our consciousness, but some stick, and if we are lucky enough, or perhaps brave enough, we act on those ideas and they become something transformative.  The power of ideas is what drove Blake Mycoskie to start TOMS (and give over ninety million pairs of shoes to kids in the process), to write Start Something that Matters, to take on various social causes through philanthropy, and most recently to start his latest company, Madefor.

You may think you know Blake Mycoskie — serial entrepreneur, participant on the Amazing Race, Founder of TOMS, author of Start Something that Matters, father, philanthropist, adventurer — but those are only parts of his story.  Despite checking all the boxes we’re all taught to try to check, he’s continued a lifelong journey of exploration and personal transformation, and in doing so realized there’s way more to life than that. Through his talk, The Power of Ideas, Blake will share his quest to go within and beyond, and relate it to what it may mean for you as you search for meaning, connection, contribution and happiness in your own life.