TOMS founder to speak at Southeast

First came the shoes. Then footwear lovers found out their purchases of TOMS shoes were helping do good works worldwide.

Now Cape Girardeau residents will get a chance to hear from TOMS founder Blake Mycoskie as part of the Southeast Missouri State University's 2013-2014 Speakers Series at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 12 at the Show Me Center. The title of Mycoskie's presentation is "Start Something that Matters," which also is the title of his book.

Coordinator of campus programming Joanna Shaver said about 1,000 people are expected.

Southeast junior Robyn Shanahan, who has worn TOMS shoes since her freshman year of high school, said she saw a commercial about TOMS that told the story of the company. From there, she read about TOMS on its website and in Mycoskie's book.

"I thought the [company's] mission was really cool," Shanahan said.

This past summer, she saw TOMS in action while she was on a two-mission trip to Belize with the Salvation Army.

" ... I actually saw children who received TOMS shoes," at an elementary school in Belize City, Shanahan said.

She and a couple of girls from her sorority and a couple of friends, who also own TOMS shoes, plan to attend the presentation.

For her own shoe needs, Shanahan said she wears TOMS "pretty much every day."

"They have flats and heels, so you can pretty much wear them with anything. They're pretty comfortable and they last a long time," she said.

Steve Backer, a graduate student in educational leadership, also is excited about Mycoskie's visit.

"I've always known of the shoes and I was given his book 'Start Something that Matters.' It was given to me as a gift. I read it in an airport this summer. I enjoyed his outlook on life, business and entrepreneurship," Backer said. He added he also liked Mycoskie's philosophy that you can do something important while still making a profit with your business.

Backer said he purchased a pair of TOMS shoes before knowing much about its founder, also referred to as chief shoe giver. " ... I did really enjoy the idea of buying some shoes that would help someone else, but I didn't really think much about it. I really enjoyed the outlook [in the book]. I wouldn't say I was really a fan until this summer," he said.

He said a lot of students plan to attend Mycoskie's speech.

"I know a lot of students are really excited, although they may not necessarily know who Blake is; they know it's the TOMS guy," Backer said.

According to the TOMS website, once shoes are purchased, the company collaborates with its long-term "Giving Partners to distribute the same number of pairs as customers buy."

The company's "Giving Department" works with "Giving Partners to place orders for the right sizes, quantities and types of shoes," the site said. Shoes are sent to the "Giving Partners," who distribute the shoes as part of other works such as health checkups, distribution of medicine and vaccines, microfinance programs, teens leadership programs, school support and vocational training for older teens, the site said.

The company also covers shipping and distribution costs, the site said.

TOMS has given more than 10 million pairs of new shoes to children in need since it began in 2006. The company also recently expanded to include TOMS Eyewear, helping to provide glasses and eye care to more than 150,000 people worldwide, the website said.

In 2009, Mycoskie and TOMS received the Secretary of State's 2009 Award of Corporate Excellence. People magazine featured Mycoskie in its "Heroes Among Us" section, and TOMS was featured in the Bill Gates Time magazine article "How to Fix Capitalism." In 2011, Mycoskie was named in Fortune magazine's "40 Under 40" list, recognizing him as one of the top young businessmen in the world.

General admission tickets are $10 and can be purchased at showmecenter.biz and the Show Me Center box office. Current Southeast faculty, staff and students can use a valid Redhawks ID to pick up a free ticket in the University Center, room 202, the Center for Student Involvement or the Show Me Center box office, according to a news release from the university.

rcampbell@semissourian.com

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