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Originally founded as a disaster relief organization, Soles4Souls provided footwear to those significantly impacted by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Since then, they’ve distributed over 30 million pairs of shoes in 127 countries and all 50 US states.
[Listen to the story of Soles4Souls below]
But that wasn’t enough for the organization. Soles4Souls also created a micro-enterprise model, providing individuals with high-quality, low-cost product to help run their small businesses, disrupting the cycle of poverty in the process.
On today’s episode we speak with the president and CEO of Soles4Souls, Buddy Teaster, about how the social enterprise is creating short-term relief as well as long-term solutions, the challenges they face – including competitors at every corner drop box – and how they measure social and economic impact to help sustain their mission.
Listen to his story.