Footwear founder donates book proceeds

LOS ANGELES — Blake Mycoskie, founder of the Toms shoe brand, has donated 100% of the proceeds from his bestselling book “Start Something That Matters.”



Mycoskie has established the Start Something That Matters Foundation with the book’s proceeds, approximately $300,000, to benefit social entrepreneurs and students around the world. The first three recipient organizations of the new fund are the Dell Social Innovation Challenge, Echoing Green and GOOD.is.



"I started Toms with no shoe or fashion experience, no retail experience and basically five thousand dollars," said Mycoskie. "I've created this foundation to help those who have amazing ideas that will ultimately make a positive impact on the world. I know how important it is that a great idea or strong business plan receives financial support."



Mycoskie released his first book September 2011 and in it chronicles the story behind the business model that matches social good with sales. In addition to sharing stories from other leading social entrepreneurs, Mycoskie offered readers a new way of thinking about success, defined by work that fulfills hunger for material accomplishment, philanthropic impact and personal meaning.



The first three recipients were chosen because their own business models reflect closely what Mycoskie details in his book. The Dell Social Innovation Challenge identifies and supports young social innovators who dedicate themselves to solving the world's most pressing problems with transformative ideas. Echoing Green has invested more than $31 million in seed funding 540 social entrepreneurs and their innovative organizations across the globe. GOOD is a global community of, by, and for pragmatic idealists working toward individual and collective progress. This community shares its ideas through several mediums, including GOOD.is, the platform for collaboration among members of the GOOD community and the organizations and corporations that work with the GOOD community.