Blake Mikoski starts Toms Shoes with a philanthropic mission

Blake Mikoski, the founder of Toms Shoes, had a series of entrepreneurial ventures before launching Toms. He started with a laundry business in college, then went on to start an outdoor advertising company, a reality TV channel, and a driver's ed school. While in Argentina learning to play polo, he was inspired by a shoe drive that collected shoes for children in need. This experience prompted him to start Toms Shoes, a company that would give a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair sold. When he returned to the US and started selling the shoes, the business took off after being featured in Vogue and an AT&T commercial. Despite criticism, Toms has donated over 70 million shoes in 70 countries, leading the way for other businesses to incorporate giving into their models.