Wednesday, November 17, 2010
6:30pm talk followed by a Meet and Greet
FREE! – Stocker Arts Center

Blake Mycoskie
  
"The New Social Entrepreneurism"

Blake Mycoskie is the Founder and Chief Shoe Giver of TOMS Shoes, Inc. TOMS' simple promise to give a pair of new shoes to children in need around the world with every pair sold is revolutionizing the way consumers shop. As of April 2010, TOMS Shoes has given more than 600,000 pairs of new shoes to children in need around the world, thanks to its customers, whose purchases make it all happen.

The One-for-One business model is redefining social entrepreneurship for a new generation. Can the purchasing power of individuals be used to foster the greater good? Can an entrepreneur succeed financially and make the world a better place? The amazing success of TOMS Shoes proves that the answer to both of these questions is a resounding "Yes!"

In 2009, TOMS received the prestigious ACE Award from the U.S. State Department, presented to only two companies a year who  promote corporate social responsibility, innovation, and exemplary practices. Embodying the entrepreneurial spirit of a new generation, Mycoskie has created five businesses since college. In the Bill Gates Time magazine article, How to Fix Capitalism, TOMS is cited and Mycoskie caught the attention of AT&T, who has featured him in a major national ad campaign. Before TOMS Shoes, he ran a successful national campus laundry service, sold a media company to Clear Channel, and ran an online driving school featuring hybrid cars. Between business ventures, he competed in the CBS’ primetime series, The Amazing Race. With his sister, Paige, Blake traveled the world and came within minutes of winning the $1 million dollar grand prize. Blake Mycoskie is an avid reader and traveler. He is 33 years-old and lives on a sailboat in Los Angeles. www.toms.com/blakes-bio

Watch a short video on the founding of TOMS shoes here!

Lorain County Community College also hosted a series of activities on Wednesday, November 17 in conjunction with Global Entrepreneurship Week for high school and college students that were planned to help them understand what it means to be an entrepreneur.  

Panel Discussion featured local entrepreneurs including:

• Tony Madalone of Fresh Brewed Tees
• Sharie Renee of Cosmic Bobbins
• Frank Whitfield of Eden Vision
• Charlie Malta of Guice Mann Outfitters
• Jordan Bowerman of Invent2Day

followed by an Entrepreneur Fair, Reception and Networking. Local, in residence, and student entrepreneurs showcased their work during the Entrepreneur Fair.

Clifton Taulbert is President and Founder of the Freemount Corporation, an Organizational Development and Human Capital consulting company. His ability to connect with diverse individuals across a broad professional spectrum has introduced him to audiences from members of the United States Supreme Court, as a personal guest of Sandra Day O’Connor, to CEOs of Fortune 500 Companies as well as educators around the world.

He is especially known for his work with leaders and emerging leaders; helping them to embrace ‘Building Community’ as a necessary force-multiplier for their organizations and understand their critical role in ‘Diversity Leadership’ for the 21st century.

As a Pulitzer-Nominated author and journalist, Mr. Taulbert has written for major newspapers across the country including The New York Times and the Atlanta Constitution. His internationally embraced book, Eight Habits of the Heart, outlines principles he believes to be crucial to ensuring a work and learning place where productivity is valued and mutual respect is a way of life. He has also authored eight additional books.

Taulbert grew up and was educated in the Mississippi Delta during the era of legal segregation and surprisingly, it was during those dire times of his young life that he experienced ‘Community’…the power of intentional unselfishness. It changed his life! The world was introduced to his small community in his internationally acclaimed memoir, Once Upon a Time When We Were Colored, which was made into a major motion picture.

His latest book, Who Owns the Icehouse? is based on his growing up experiences, and draws on eight essential life-lessons he gained from his Uncle Cleve, an unlikely entrepreneur in the segregated South. The book is scheduled to be released Fall 2010. You will be able to purchase some of Clifton Taulbert’s books in the Stocker lobby that night and he will be autographing them at the end of his talk. www.cliftontaulbert.com






For more information about the University Partnership Program, the Meeting Great Minds Series or events, please contact the University Partnership at (440) 366-4949 or (800) 995-5222 ext. 4949 or by email at nleary@lorainccc.edu.