While traveling in Argentina, Blake Mycoskie witnessed the hardships faced by children without shoes and was inspired to create TOMS Shoes, a company that matches every pair of shoes purchased with a pair donated to a child in need. Mycoskie founded TOMS to be a for-profit business that could continually donate new shoes through a sustainable one-for-one model. Though TOMS faced criticism for potentially disrupting local markets, Mycoskie ensured donations were provided only in very rural areas and worked with charities to thoughtfully distribute shoes.

1. BLAKE MYCOSKIE
GIVING THE POOR SHOES
BB CITIZENSHIP STAGE 2: HEALTH
HONG KAI, QI YUAN, BRYAN, KRISHNA

2. WHY HE DOES IT
While in Argentina, he met an American woman who was part of a volunteer
organization which provided shoes for children in need. Mycoskie spent several days
traveling from village to village with the group, as well as on his own. Blake Mycoskie
witnessed the hardships faced by children growing up without shoes. Wanting to
help, he created TOMS Shoes, a company that would match every pair
of shoes purchased with a new pair of shoes for a child in need. he wrote in a 2011
article for The Business Insider. “It dramatically heightened my awareness. Yes, I knew
somewhere in the back of my mind that poor children around the world often went
barefoot, but now, for the first time, I saw the real effects of being shoeless: the
blisters, the sores, the infections.”

3. WHAT HE DOES
-Mycoskie returned to the United States and
founded Shoes for Better Tomorrows. Designed as a
for-profit business which could continually give new
shoes to disadvantaged children,.
-The company would donate a new pair of shoes for
every pair of shoes sold.
- A business model that helps a person in need with
every product purchased

4. ASPIRATIONS / GOALS
• Blake Mycoskie always knew he wanted to incorporate giving in his business but
it was a matter of finding the right way to do so. His big idea with TOMS was
creating a sustainable way of giving, blending business and philanthropy. If he
had created a non-profit, he would have been able to give shoes once, or maybe
twice, but by developing this One for One model, he has been able to return to
these communities and other areas across the world with shoes for children in
need.

5. HOW HE ACHIEVED HIS ASPIRATIONS / GOALS
• More than 60 million pairs of shoes have been donated to children, and the
company has also applied its one-for-one model to eyewear and water. In 2014,
Mycoskie sold a 50 percent stake in the business to Bain Capital, valuing the
company at an estimated $625 million, and likely making him more than $300
million. But his original aim was more about doing good.

6. CHALLENGES FACED BY BLAKE MYCOSKIE
• Blake Mycoskie's company, TOMS quickly became the target of criticism,
specifically the accusation that by giving away shoes in developing parts of the
world, it was disrupting local markets.

7. HOW HE OVERCOME THE CHALLENGES
• He response, ''We 100% agree''. He went on: We are incredibly diligent to make
sure that our shoes are being given in very, very rural areas where families are
having to choose between shoes for the uniform or food on the table,and they're
choosing food on the table. By no means do we ever want to disrupt a local
market. Mycoskie also pointed out that ''TOMS itself does not put the shoes on
people's feet.'' Instead, they work with charities and nonprofits who are ''really
focused on improving the quality of life in the people that they serve. So they
have the utmost interest in making sure that we're not disrupting anyone in the
market.''

8. CONCLUSION
• Doing good things can be hard, but it is worth it.
• Sometimes when you do good, people may suspect you.
• Anybody can get started making their dreams come true.
• Blake Mycoskie is a great entrepreneur. To make a sizable profit off your product
while in return giving back to communities and 3rdworld countries is genius.
TOMS could be like every other company and give to charity