Wayne Elsey

Founder of Elsey Enterprises

Over 30 years as a transformational social impact entrepreneur, Wayne Elsey has revolutionized how for-profit companies can earn profits and create global change. Wayne is the founder of the international brands, Funds2Orgs and Sneakers4Good. In each of these companies, Wayne continues to prove that profit and business success are aligned, not mutually exclusive goals.

Wayne's professional journey began at the age of 15 when he participated in a work-study program in retail footwear. Through focused drive, motivation, and a commitment to excellence, Wayne worked his way up in the shoe manufacturing industry, ultimately becoming the president of Kodiak-Terra USA. In the process, he developed exceptional strategic leadership, operational, market expansion, and global supply chain expertise.

Compelled to shift gears into social impact in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, Wayne founded a nonprofit that grew from a startup to a $74 million organization under his leadership. During his tenure, they distributed more than 20 million pairs of shoes to people who survived natural disasters, including Hurricane Katrina and the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

Today, Wayne serves as CEO of companies focused on purpose and profit in the U.S. and in 24 countries worldwide:

• Funds2Orgs: The nation's leading shoe drive fundraising social enterprise serving schools, nonprofits, and community organizations, and making a global impact.
• Sneaker4Good: A leader in sneaker reuse and partnering with run store retailers and elite marathons to collect sneakers for reuse and sustainability.
• TreeRaise: An innovative program for schools, nonprofits, and faith-based organizations to raise funds and support the environment and global tree planting.

Wayne published over 10 books on leadership, social entrepreneurship, and sustainable business growth, including his latest, The Reuse Economy: Breaking Away from Throwaway Culture, which is a roadmap for consumers and businesses to turn waste into opportunity and build communities and businesses that thrive by doing more with what already exists.

His expertise has been featured on national media outlets, including Good Morning America, NBC Nightly News, Today Show, and Fox News. Wayne was named one of the top 200 philanthropists by Richtopia and is a member and contributor of the Forbes Business Development Council and Brainz Magazine.