This is a new section of TYC, where I’ll be highlighting the accomplishments of business owners around the world whose business ideas are making more than money. This idea was sparked by a number of things, including the Catalyst Conference, where I heard Patrick Lencioni speak, Jarkko Laine’s post on making money by helping African entrepreneurs, and Blake Mycoskie of TOMS Shoes.

The plan will be to conduct interviews with some of the entrepreneurs who are a bit more socially conscious than their counterparts at Enron, and try to get a feel for the trends among business owners when it comes to giving back and see if we can’t spark a bit of enthusiasm for doing good!

Today’s Spotlight - TOMS Shoes

Blake Mycoskie, Designer and Chief Show Giver, at TOMS Shoes says,

Inspired by a traditional Argentine shoe and challenged by the continent’s poverty and health issues, I created TOMS with a singular mission: To make life more comfortable. TOMS accomplishes this through its unique shoe and my commitment to match every pair purchased with a donated pair to a child in need…no complicated formulas, it’s simple…you buy a pair of TOMS and I give a pair to a child on your behalf.

If you ask me, this is a company and a cause worth supporting with both time and money. So I suggest you write a post about these guys and go to the site and buy a pair. They have some very cool designs that I would buy and wear even without the great cause behind them! Here’s a video of their first Shoe Drop in October ‘06