The Discoverist

IN THIS ISSUE:

LOS A N GE LE S , U SA

TOMS' Blake Mycoskie Not All Who Wander Are Lost AU STR A LIA

Movember's Adam Garone

Men's Health Advocate and Moustache Mobilizer B E R K E LE Y, U SA

Seva's Shwetha Sridharan Searching for the Sunrise

a global movement

LO N D O N , U K

JacksGap

Traveling the World with 4 Million Followers

WINTER 2014/15

FREE

2

JOIN THE CON V ERS ATION: TOMS.COM / @TOMS

TH E D ISCOV ER IS T

Hello! Salut! Olá! Alo! Welcome to the global discoverist movement. We're a varied bunch of explorers, adventurers, do-gooders, concerned citizens, wayward travelers, curiosity seekers, and philanthropists.

If you're reading this, you likely are too. You care about helping people around the globe; and about preserving our precious planet. You've got that wonderful travel bug—but instead of just taking it all in, you want to give back along the way.

03

LO ND O N, UK

Holly Allenby

On Embracing Sustainable Fashion

04

V ENI CE, USA

Blake Mycoskie

Not All Who Wander Are Lost

06

AUST RALI A

Movember’s Adam Garone Moustache Mobilizer

07

BERK ELEY, USA

Shwetha Sridharan Searching for the Sunrise

08

NI CARAGUA

Stefan Wigand

A Discoverist’s Life Behind the Lens

As two intrepid discoverists like you, TOMS reached out to us to help tell their story of discovery and philanthropy.

So we dove into their world to introduce you to our favorite discoverists. We hope you enjoy reading about their untold journeys in the following pages. We can't wait to hear about yours soon.

10

JOIN US @TOMS

12

NEWPO RT, USA

John Whitledge

On Travel, Surf, and Creativity H O NG KO NG

Kevin Poon

Fashion and Philanthropy WASI LLA, USA

John Gourley

Portugal. The Man Playlist

11

LO ND O N, UK

Finn and Jack Harries

Traveling the World with 4 Million Followers

Mapping The Future Giving and Jobs

14

V I CTO RI A, B C

Malcolm Johnson

A Canadian Canoeymoon of Discovery

15

PERU

TOMS Roasting Co. From Crop to Cup

What does "discovery" mean to you?

EMILY ANDERSON NYC Creative Director @theusualmontauk littleenglishgenius.com

YASHA WALLIN NYC / Berlin Editorial Director @ywallin theusualmontauk.com

"Discovery is challenging, "Discovery happens eye-opening, sometimes when you have an open terrifying, but always worth mind and an open heart. it. Having a discoverist It can be as small as mindset means you're learning something always open to the new new about a person and I'd bet my passport you love, or catching an that discoverists make unexpected sunset while better dinner party guests." on an epic adventure."

MALCOLM JOHNSON Victoria, BC Writer / photographer @malcolmrjohnson

"To me, discovery means going out into the world and finding things you can't find on the Internet."

STEFAN KNECHT NYC Designer @knechtwith stefanknecht.com

"Discovery means having the inquisitive nature to go out of your way, take the extra step, and find a new route home each day.

Keep your eyes open and your head up."

MAXWELL WILLIAMS Los Angeles Writer @okamax

"Discovery is puberty."

ZACH SLOBIG San Francisco Writer zacharyslobig.com

"Discovery is when you stumble onto something you weren't aware existed— not "the unknown"—just unknown to you.

ANNA BRONES Paris Writer foodieunderground.com

"Discovery isn't just the quest for something novel, it's the beauty of finding the extraordinary in the midst of the mundane."

2014/15

A G LOBA L MOV E M ENT

3

GIVING PHILOSOPHY

And How it Works YOU BUY >

WE GIVE >

SHOES

When you buy a pair of TOMS shoes, you help improve the health, education, and well-being of a child. TOMS partners with humanitarian organizations— "Giving Partners"—to support them with shoes, which protect kids from infections and rough terrain and help make it possible for them to attend school. Currently TOMS gives shoes in 70+ countries.

G L ASSE S

285 million individuals are blind or visually impaired around the world. 80% of those cases can be corrected or prevented. Your TOMS eyewear purchase helps restore sight through prescription glasses, medical treatment, and sight-saving surgeries. It also invests in clinics, hospitals, and training for people who work in them, in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Guatemala, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Paraguay, Tibet, Tanzania, Uganda, and the United States.

COF F E E

More than 780 million have no access to clean water. TOMS partners with Water For People to support water systems in Peru, Rwanda, Malawi, Honduras, Guatemala, and India—the same countries coffee beans are sourced for TOMS Roasting Co. Each bag of TOMS coffee purchased guarantees 140 liters of water to a person in need.

WORDS Holly Allenby, founder of the-acey.com

OPINION

PICTURES The-acey.com stock on set of their AW14 shoot, London, 2014.

Holly Allenby, London, 2014. Photo: Miles Langley.

my fave TOMS product:

Yvette Panama Tortoise

Why We Need to Embrace Sustainable Fashion innovation reflects how the brand is intelligently reduc- innovative business model and integrity at its ing their impact on the environment. It’s two sided, so- roots—plus a commercially viable product. cial, and environmental.

Within the food industry, we’ve become mindI learned a lot about integrity and innovation at TOMS ful of buying a fair-trade banana or organic eggs. when I joined their team in 2008 as the first British in- Now it’s the clothing industry’s turn—as well as Today, the clothing industry is operating at a cheaper and faster pace tern. It was back when they were a small start-up based yours. You can start building a wardrobe that rethan ever before, with 50 seasons annually, as opposed to only two in in a modest warehouse in Santa Monic, CA. It was also flects your ethics, as well as your aesthetics. Next the past. But who is paying the price for this fast fashion frenzy? It’s when social enterprises within fashion were still few and time you buy something, think trans-seasonal as a combination of garment workers, the environment, and ultimate- far between, and the majority that did exist were not at opposed to trend led. Before I purchase, I always think about how many times I’ll wear something, ly us, the consumers, who are receiving products of compromised all relevant from a style perspective. and from where and what it is made of. Be an inquality. As a global community we are more connected than ever TOMS was one of the first companies to see and seize telligent shopper and ask questions about where before, but with the least amount of knowledge about the clothes we the opportunity to combine fashion with social change. wear day in and day out. As an activist and eco-friendly advocate, Ali This concept was totally new to me, as it was to most items were produced and sourced.

Hewson puts it well, “We carry the stories of the people who make people. However, they say a great story travels far, and Change within the industry isn’t going to happen our clothes.” so was the case for TOMS. Just a couple short years overnight; it’s a joint effort between the consumer When founding my conscious clothing hub, THE-ACEY, we identi- later One for One® hit the UK, Europe, and spread creating the demand for responsibly-made goods fied two main aspects integral to sustainability within fashion—in- across the US. As I watched the company evolve while and the retailers slowing down and mindfully maktegrity and innovation. Integrity is the brand taking responsibility for working with them in LA, London, and Amsterdam, it ing garments. the people and processes behind the products it’s producing. And was clear that their success was a combination of an @the_acey www.the-acey.com

“SUSTAINABLE FASHION” IS A BROAD, FUZZY TERM WIDELY USED. It’s a term that is also misunderstood by conflicting opinions and can confuse consumers. Simply put, sustainable fashion is the ability to develop products that consumers want now, without compromising the environment for future generations.

TRAVEL can help improve your PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS.

There are over 6,000 LANGUAGES spoken in the world today, many of which are spoken by FEWER THAN A FEW HUNDRED people.

4

JOIN THE CON V ERS ATION: TOMS.COM / @TOMS

A History of Giving in Numbers

INTERVIEW

TH E D ISCOV ER IS T PICTURES Blake painting a mural with schoolchildren, Peru. Photo: Kevin Zacher; Blake running with Children, Peru. Photo: Kevin Zacher; Blake surrounded by children, Rwanda. Photo: Kevin Zacher; The group on the bus, Nepal. Photo: Kevin Zacher; Looking ahead, Guatemala. Photo: Jared Chambers.

number of people TOMS has helped restore sight to in 13 countries

number of Giving Partners who help distribute products worldwide

In Malawi, one of the countries TOMS works with, access to clean water can be as low as 40% of the population

number of styles of women’s shoes TOMS offers

number of different types of TOMS sunglasses available

number of different coffee roasts TOMS has to get you through the day

number of shoes TOMS has donated to children in need in 70 countries!

TOMS gives different types of shoes including:

Winter boots

Sports shoes

Not All Who Wander Are Lost

Texas-born Blake Mycoskie started his discoverist journey at the young age of 19, launching his first endeavor to help people. Granted it was a modest college laundry business, but it set the stage for the kind of innovative, philanthropic enterprise that is known today as TOMS. The One for One® model that started with shoes—after a life-changing trip to Argentina—has expanded to eyewear for sight, and coffee for water, and has paved the way for an entirely new generation of "conscious" companies. We caught up with this insatiable traveler just before boarding a plane (naturally), to talk about his incredible path, and growing a global movement that gives back.

WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEFORE TOMS? HOW DID YOU START THINKING ABOUT HELPING PEOPLE?

Black canvas shoes

Over 10 types of locally produced shoes

I started my first company when I was 19, so I'm what people would call a serial entrepreneur. TOMS is my fifth company. I didn't realize it at the time, but I ended up using business to make people's lives better, even before I started focusing on poverty. My first business was a pick-up and delivery laundry and dry-cleaning service, still around today. It focuses on campuses and students.

I remember having that excitement that I created something from scratch that was providing a service to people.

I've always looked at business as an opportunity to be creative and to create stuff that makes people happy. So that was a very good training ground to what became my philosophical ideals around using business, not just to make people happy, but to actually improve people's lives, especially those who are the most disadvantaged in the world.

The names of all the continents end with the same letter that they start with.

That's where my idea in 2006 to create a shoe company where we can sell a pair, give a pair—which became TOMS—really crystallized. I saw there was an opportunity to help those in need. Kids need shoes for school and at the same time we sell shoes to people who want them for their casual lifestyle. So I get to make two people happy with one sale so to speak.

TOMS HAS A VERY STRONG ETHOS; HOW HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO MAINTAIN THAT ETHOS AS TOMS EXPANDS?

It’s almost become easier as we've gotten bigger. It was really easy at the beginning, with only 50 or 60 employees—the ethos was very strong. In the middle as we were growing really fast, it was harder to maintain that because there was so much pressure to make it a successful business. Now we've proven we're successful—we've helped give 35 million pairs of shoes away.

Now what we are turning back to is a time where we were positioned as the originator of this One for One®; so we as a company and I myself feel a personal responsibility—not just to TOMS—but to the whole social entrepreneurial movement. So many people have used us as an example, that if we don't keep the ethos strong and we don't stay committed to our ideals, we’re not just letting down people at TOMS, we're letting down a whole generation of thinkers about business.

The most common shoes given are black, unisex canvas slip-ons with a sturdy sole.

Black shoes are REQUIRED FOR SCHOOL in many countries.

2014/15

A G LOBA L MOV E M ENT

NOW THAT SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE ADOPTED THIS ONE FOR ONE ® MODEL, HOW IS TOMS UPDATING THAT OR KEEPING IT FRESH?

One of the ways that we have really evolved in the last 18 months, that a lot of people aren't aware of, is our commitment to localized manufacturing. If you really think about poverty alleviation, there are three things you have to focus on. You've got to focus on basic needs, education, and job creation. Basic needs is aid, and that's usually health-related and that’s to give someone the vitality to go to school or have a job. When we look at the basic needs, shoes help you go to school and protect your feet from illnesses; eyesight helps people see; clean water through our coffee program keeps people healthy from not drinking contaminated water.

The second piece of that, the job piece, is something that we didn't really pay a lot of attention to at first. But about 18 months ago we made a commitment that we will manufacture one-third of all of our giving shoes in the countries where we give them. A lot of people don't know that about TOMS—that we actually have manufacturing now in Kenya, Ethiopia, India, and we are the only footwear manufacturing in Haiti.

So the biggest part of our mission isn't just in providing aid, which we do for One for One®, it’s actually in job creation.

That's something that’s one of the reasons that we actually got into the coffee business, because we can support a lot of local farmers in that regard. Job creation and what we are doing on the ground are a big part of our mission right now.

WE UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE OUTSIDE AUDITORS GO IN TO MAKE SURE THESE FACTORIES ARE UP TO HIGH QUALITY STANDARDS AND NOT USING CHILD LABOR AND OTHER THINGS PEOPLE ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT.

That's a very important part obviously; if your mission is to use business to improve lives, then you've got to take that part equally as seriously as you do the other work that you are doing.

pair of shoes—and then we're making a donation on their behalf. It brings them a lot of joy, and when consumers have joy, they're more loyal.

IF SOMEONE DOESN'T HAVE THE MEANS TO BUY A PAIR OF

We say TOMS is not a company, it's a movement. We don't have a logo, we have a flag, and anyone can fly it. We've created a lot of opportunities for people to participate in what we are doing without buying anything. One of them is every year, in April, we do One Day Without Shoes, where we ask people all around the world to go barefoot to raise awareness of the fact that there are millions of people in the world that don't have a choice, and that little decisions we make every day can help raise awareness.

We also have World Sight Day, in October, where we raise awareness of the 280 million people who are visually impaired, who don't have to be. Then of course things like Instagram and Facebook and all the different social media is a great way for people to participate in sharing ideas and inspiring one another without purchasing something.

THE TITLE OF THIS PUBLICATION IS THE DISCOVERIST. WHAT DOES THAT AND “DISCOVERY” MEAN TO YOU?

Discovery is very closely aligned with being curious. I think curiosity is the prerequisite sometimes of discovery, because you first have to identify that curiosity that causes you to travel or explore or to discover. I’ve been a curious person all my life.

That's what causes me to ask questions, because I don't have answers. The answers become new businesses that I start, and models that I like to create. So when I think of what a “discoverist” is, it’s someone who is out there, traveling and discovering new ideas, new people, new lands. Not just for your own benefit, but for the benefit of others. That's where the word philanthropist has been merged with the word discovery.

There are a lot of people out there exploring, and discovering for their own good and their own development. But the discoverists are doing it for the greater good of the world.

SOCIAL SYSTEMS PUT IN PLACE BY THE GOVERNMENT HERE

IT GOES BACK TO THIS IDEA THAT TRAVEL IS IMPORTANT, BUT

AS WELL AS IN SCANDINAVIA, AND THE REST OF EUROPE.

“TRAVELING WITH A PURPOSE” IS A DIFFERENT THING THAN

THE GOVERNMENT IS SUPPOSED TO TAKE CARE OF PROB-

JUST TRAVELING.

US. BECAUSE OF THAT, THE NEED FOR INDIVIDUAL PHILANTHROPY RESONATES DIFFERENTLY THAN IT DOES IN THE US. AS TOMS EXPANDS, HOW DO YOU ADDRESS THE CULTURAL ®

DIFFERENCES AROUND THE ONE FOR ONE MODEL?

I was in Berlin a few months ago doing some media, and what I found is because it's not as common, it makes our model even more provocative, even maybe more radical, which is a good thing from a business-building standpoint.

It stands out, it causes a real spirited debate as to whether this is all the consumers’ responsibility or not, and how your purchases can speak to what you're all about. If you're going to buy a pair of canvas shoes and you have the opportunity to buy a Converse or a Vans or a TOMS, even if you don't feel that it's your responsibility to help those in need, and that it’s the government's responsibility, it’s a great thing that you can buy a pair, and help someone. So it's really an additive.

We're not asking the customer to make a donation, we're asking them to do what they're already going to do—buy a

"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page." — St. Augustine

about putting a shoe on a child's foot. It requires the act of deep, deep humility, which has definitely touched me in a very profound way.

SHOES, WHAT'S A GREAT WAY FOR PEOPLE TO GIVE BACK?

I'M IN GERMANY RIGHT NOW, WHERE THERE ARE A LOT OF

LEMS THAT AIL SOCIETY, IN A DIFFERENT WAY THAN IN THE

5

There are a lot of brands, Patagonia being one of them, that are really about travel and exploring. We’re not a pioneer in that space. But I do think where we are pioneers, and what my lifestyle embodies, is traveling with a purpose. One of these quotes that I've had on my notebook for a while is “Not All Who Wander Are Lost,” supporting this idea that you can wander and travel, but with a real purpose, with a desire to make change.

We deal with that challenge every day with the imagery we put out there, so if you take off a TOMS flag, someone will say, “that's an image from TOMS.” That is someone who is deep in the field in Africa working with the coffee farmers or helping them get clean water, or figuring out how to get the most disadvantaged children shoes for school, or the intimacy that’s so important of placing a pair of shoes on a child's foot. It’s such a beautiful symbolism of being on your knees to do that. It's almost physically impossible to put a shoe on a child's foot without completely humbling yourself and being on your knees. And regardless of how you feel about God or spirituality, there's something deeply spiritual and intimate

DISCOVERY (noun): the act of finding or learning something for the first time.

TOMS WORKS WITH A LOT OF GIVING PARTNERS—WHAT MAKES A GREAT PARTNER?

A great Giving Partner has a lot of experience, time, and credibility in the field. They understand the community's needs as well as what the best practice is in development, in these countries. They ask a lot of good questions, they're good listeners, but most importantly they're really trusted and integrated into the community. They're not just coming in and saying, “This is what we think will make your town or your community or your children thrive.” They’re really listening and they're using our shoes, or eyesight services for solutions.

DO YOU HAVE ANY ONE PARTICULAR STORY THAT HAS IMPACTED YOU FROM YOUR TIME WORKING IN THE FIELD?

The one that is most impactful to me was the very first time a mom explained to me that her children were sharing a pair of shoes, and that her children in school required shoes as part of the uniform. What that meant was her children had to trade off days that they would go to school, and they would share the shoes. One child would go to school on Monday, then give his brother the shoes to go to school on Tuesday, and then he would have to stay at home and not get educated. Now because of TOMS, all of her children go to school every day.

WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR DOWN TIME, IF YOU HAVE ANY?

Surprisingly I do take quite a bit of time to not work, because I feel that is part of innovating and being creative.

Thinking about the future requires time to recharge and relax. I'm a big surfer, I like to take lots of surfing trips and I do a lot of fly fishing.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE PLACE TO SURF?

The Maldives. I just got back actually. I took about eight of my buddies and we all went to the Maldives for 10 days, it was fantastic.

HOW WERE THE WAVES?

They were perfect, just over head, every day, perfect, glass.

No one in the water, just me and my buddies, it was amazing. I didn't even take my phone or my computer really, I just totally unplugged. Then hopefully that gives me more energy to the work that’s important when I get home.

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE FROM TOMS IN THE FUTURE?

Right now we are really focused on growing the coffee business, and expanding our shoe line as well. We recognize that there are a lot of people that identify with our mission and One for One®, but maybe our original canvas shoe wasn't their style. So we're trying to create more shoes for men and women. There are different types of styles, so people can wear their values on their feet and be part of the TOMS movement with these new styles.

Couples who travel together have reported increased feelings of INTIMACY.

6

JOIN THE CON V ERS ATION: TOMS.COM / @TOMS

TH E D ISCOV ER IS T PICTURES Adam Garone, CEO and co-founder of The Movember Foundation.

Made in Movember. Photos: The Movember Foundation.

INTERVIEW

Men's Health Advocate and Moustache Mobilizer

the strong man

the wisp

the special delivery

the musketeer

the rock star

the lazer loop

the abracadabra

the after eight

the fu manchu

the blind jack

the imperial

the connoisseur

While the moustache has been around as long as mans' ability to grow one, Adam Garone, an Aussie on a mission, has revolutionized what this bit of facial hair can do for men's health. As a joke in 2003, Garone and three other founders rallied 30 friends to grow a 'Mo for the month of November. The next year they attached their efforts to raising funds for prostate cancer, and the global movement "Movember" was born. Today, over 4 million moustaches in 21 countries have been grown, with millions of dollars raised.

We spoke with Garone about transforming the face of men's health, redefining charity, and some less serious stuff—like his TOMS/Movember shoe collaboration.

WHEN YOU STARTED MOVEMBER, YOU APPROACHED THE PROSTATE CANCER FOUNDATION IN AUSTRALIA WITH THE IDEA. THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH YOU. DID THAT FUEL OR DETER YOU FROM PUSHING YOUR MISSION FORWARD INITIALLY?

It fueled our motivation because we knew this could work. We thought getting men to change their appearance was no different to doing a 10K run for breast cancer. When you look at prostate cancer—men's health in general—there's been no other organization able to engage men en masse to the extent that Movember has. I think it's because we've approached it in a really fun and irreverent way and made it easy for guys to get involved.

HOW HAS MOVEMBER REDEFINED CHARITY AND WHAT CAN OTHER PHILANTHROPIC BUSINESSES LEARN FROM THE MODEL?

When we started Movember back in 2004 we were certainly pioneering online fundraising. 90% of all funds we raise comes from online. In America, if you look at the charity sector as a broad group, it's still well below 50% coming through online. Our online model is highly efficient, highly scalable, so there's that.

Also, we operate the organization like a for-profit entity. Out of the 125 employees

we have, I think two come from the charity sector. That’s because we want business-savvy marketers and sales-oriented people to come to the organization with that sort of attitude.

We want to do things differently. We never go to charity conferences and seminars because they're so behind in the way businesses should be operating. So we send a crew to things like SXSW to see what the emerging technologies are, how we can leverage those, and what brands are doing in this space.

HAVE YOU HAD ANY PUSH BACK FROM THE MENTAL HEALTH SECTOR OR FROM LAWMAK-

to shoulder, where they're standing beside each other and something else is going on, whether it's growing a mustache, working, fixing something. That nuance becomes really important in how we approach men.

Movember is a perfect example of that. It's initially about growing a mustache and guys love comparing styles. Pretty quickly that conversation transcends into why they're doing it, and that gives guys this bridge to explain they may be suffering from some sort of health issue; they may be depressed and taking medication, and have never had the right environment to tell their friends about that.

ERS OR POLITICIANS WHO WANT TO CONTINUE WITH THE STATUS QUO IN TERMS OF HOW

WE WERE GOING TO ASK HOW YOU MARRY

THINGS OPERATE?

THE SILLY AND SERIOUS SIDES OF MOVEM-

We have the single biggest voice in the male health space, and governments look at us and go, “Okay, how have you done that?” because they've spent enormous amounts of money and effort trying to engage men in their health. We use the fun of growing a mustache as a Trojan horse. In all our marketing materials we never use fear-based messaging. We never say, one in six men will get prostate cancer, or one in four men will experience a mental health issue—therefore grow a mustache. So we've never had any push back, it's more intrigue as to how we've gone about this.

One thing we really enjoy is politicians participating in Movember, for a conservative politician to change their appearance for thirty days. Because in every instance of your life, you're walking into a social situation, walking down the street, explaining why you're doing this, and by virtue of that it gets you engaged.

BER BUT IT MAKES SENSE—YOU HAVE THIS POINT OF ENTRY WHICH IS SILLY, AND THAT IN TURN LEADS TO THE SERIOUS ISSUES, WHICH IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT.

I always say to someone who's on the fence about doing Movember, I guarantee every guy, that they will have one conversation that will make it worthwhile. I've been doing this for 12 years now and every year there is one conversation that is created because of Movember that makes it all worthwhile.

Last year it was a friend, and it was the exact shoulder-to-shoulder conversation. We started out talking about Movember and he goes, “You know, I've known you for 10 years but I've never had the opportunity to tell you that I suffered from some quite severe anxiety,” and he had just come off medication.

That for him was so important, to be able to tell someone about that versus thinking that he had to hide it.

complaining that we'd dramatically impacted weddings occurring in November. They thought the brides-to-be didn't want to have the groom having a moustache in the photos, so they would all delay the weddings until December.

WHO HAS THE BEST MOUSTACHES—AUSSIES OR AMERICANS?

I've gotta say Australians, because I'm from there.

WHAT ARE YOUR TIPS ON HOW TO GROW AN AMAZING MOUSTACHE?

It takes about three years of growing to figure it out. It gets itchy and annoying, but what's most important is that you groom it everyday. Trim it and style it and don't just let it grow.

ASIDE FROM AUSTRALIA, ARE THERE ANY COUNTRIES OR CITIES YOU'VE SEEN WITH THE BEST MOUSTACHES?

Yeah, Brooklyn, Manhattan—that's our biggest region in the US, followed by LA. Chicago is a huge supporter of Movember, as is San Francisco, and then you’ve got Austin.

HOW

WHY DO YOU THINK MEN HAVE SUCH A HARD TIME TALKING ABOUT MEN'S HEALTH?

Men don't like to say they're struggling and they need help. We find that to be universal across all the countries we're in. I'm speaking generally, but men would rather ignore a health concern, hope it will go away, and not seek help.

We did some research recently about how the medical community approaches men and it's done in a very feminine way. A lot of the health services that we looked at are built primarily for women, and men are put off by that. We need a more gendered approach to the way we engage men.

One really basic thing that came out of the research was that women are quite good at fitting in and discussing things face to face. Men generally don't like that: they're much better at talking about whatever topic it is shoulder

AFRICA is home to anywhere from 800 TO 1,500 of the world’s languages, making it possibly the most linguistically diverse continent in the world.

DID

MOVEMBER’S

COLLABORATION

WITH TOMS COME ABOUT?

TOMS /Movember shoes SO I GUESS THE ONLY DOWNSIDE TO GROWING A MOUSTACHE IS FOR ALL THE PARTNERS AND GIRLFRIENDS AND FRIENDS AND WIVES WHO HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT, RIGHT?

(Laughs) Some love it, some hate it, but some love that the guys are getting engaged in their health, and they all accept that for a month they're walking, talking ambassadors for men's health, so they all love that. There are certainly many partners who can't wait to see it go and will make quite significant donations so they don't grow moustaches.

I do remember back in Australia in the early days, that November's the peak wedding season, and so we got a letter from the wedding institution or the governing body,

I really admired what Blake was doing, and we were just talking about how we both had a social purpose at the heart of what we both were trying to achieve, and then we talked about doing a shoe collaboration, where both organizations would have a really cool talking point around the product.

This year we’ve done several styles—four men’s and three women’s designs. The Movember shoe has gone on to become one of the better selling male shoes this year.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT BLAKE'S MOUSTACHE?

It's good. Blake is obviously a very stylish guy. He owns it, rocks it, and of course he's out there having these conversations, so it's very stylish.

AUSTRALIA is the most generous country on earth; in a typical month, more than 2/3's of Australians donate money and help a stranger.

2014/15

A G LOBA L MOV E M ENT

7

OPINION

Rallying for World Sight Day

Seva Foundation's Shwetha Sridharan

World Sight Day (WSD) is October 9.

This year’s call to action:

“NO MORE AVOIDABLE BLINDNESS” Avoidable blindness results from the conditions that could have been prevented or controlled if the available knowledge and interventions had been timely applied (e.g. trachoma and river blindness); or it can be successfully treated with the sight restored (e.g. cataract).

In 1978, a strong-willed French-Swiss doctor named Nicole Grasset made a big move. Nicole wanted to save the lives of Nepali children whose eyes were unhealthy, yet completely treatable. Her previous work on smallpox eradication throughout Southeast Asia took her to small villages where the epidemic was surging. Now, she was tackling something a little more elusive, something harder to identify — needless blindness and visual impairment.

She co-led the Nepal Blindness Survey in 14 zones across almost 40,000 people, the results of which are still being utilized by public health experts today. Nicole’s dream catapulted a public health movement to find and treat people who could not see clearly, but did not know they could be helped. Someone who has a visual acuity of 20/400 or less is considered blind by the World Health Organization— right now that accounts for 39 million people on our planet, 80% of whom could see again with help. These are people who may not have access to basic health or eye care, are unaware of the causes of blindness, and are sometimes very far from the nearest eye hospital and cannot afford to travel or leave their work for an eye exam. As a result, they needlessly go blind or remain visually impaired.

For the rural farmer in Nepal, being blind means not being able to tend his crops, chop wood for the cold winter, or pick up his grandchildren. He is faced with a debilitation that affects not only his health and his livelihood, but most importantly his happiness. He is entirely dependent on his family because he can only see cloudiness, a symptom of cataract. While a rural farmer in Nepal may have the good fortune of an able son to take care of him and lead him down steep Nepali hillsides, a seamstress in India is entirely helpless. Being a woman, she is less likely to receive care and more likely to unnecessarily go blind.

She can no longer thread her needle or match the seams to construct a blouse. Her sharp vision has deteriorated so much that she may prick herself many times before she realizes that it is cataract that clouds her eyes. A 15-minute cataract surgery can save the eyesight of both the farmer and the seamstress.

When TOMS and Seva Foundation connected in 2010, we knew that this gap needed to be filled. Both TOMS and

Seva understood that the potential to serve blind and visually impaired people was imminent. As a Program Coordinator for Seva, I have seen the result of TOMS support in four countries, and understand how crucial TOMS’ decision to send employees on in-country trips to see Sight Giving work has been. The moment we hear the joy of the woman who belts out a patriotic song when her eye patch is removed, we realize why we are there. It is to be present and to celebrate the renewed life of people who can now live independently. It is a gift to receive sight back, and a gift to be witness to that.

Cantero Baez, a soft-spoken man in Paraguay, exemplified this experience one afternoon in June this year. He is over 70 years old, and had been blind in both eyes for 12 years. When we asked why his kin had not taken him to the hospital, we learned that they had assumed his blindness was unavoidable. When TOMS Sight Giving Partner, Fundación Visión, met Cantero in a rural village during an outreach activity to identify people who are blind, his eyes had rolled up to reveal just the whites. The driver of the mobile outreach van, a trained vision technician, brought him to the clinic. He had cataracts, and within days, his first eye was operated on. Cataract—the leading cause of blindness—is treatable.

When we met him, he had just received surgery on his second eye. He was about to see properly for the first time in 12 years. “After my first eye was operated on,” Cantero said, “I enjoyed seeing the sunrise again.”

We have learned that we can all be a part of Cantero’s story. Partnerships like TOMS and Seva Foundation— with your support—make it possible to help another person receive eye care, to give them the chance to see the sunrise again.

When you give back, the reward center of your BRAIN pumps out the neurotransmitter dopamine, which researchers call the HELPER’S HIGH.

WSD hopes to influence governments / Ministers of Health to participate in and designate funds for national blindness prevention programs.

Help us reduce avoidable blindness by 25% by 2019.

Shwetha Sridharan is the Strategic Partnerships Program Coordinator for Seva Foundation, and has worked with TOMS to restore sight in 13 countries with 17 Sight Giving Partners to fulfill their One for One® promise. Since 1978, Seva has been a leading innovator in the delivery of vital eye care services to the world’s most vulnerable communities.

Together, TOMS and Seva Foundation have helped to restore sight for over 250,000 people.

To learn more, go to: TOMS WSD CAMPAIGN: toms.com/worldsight-day TOMS ONE FOR ONE® PROGRAM: toms.com/gift-of-sight

TOMS One for One® eyewear has helped restore sight to hundreds of thousands.

(Thank you for helping us)! It takes 10-15 minutes to complete a procedure that restores sight to someone.

285 million people are visually impaired worldwide—80% of these cases are curable/preventable.

YAY: The One for One® program has helped restore sight to people in 13 countries. and we’re just getting started.

"Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." —Ralph Waldo Emerson

8

JOIN THE CON V ERS ATION: TOMS.COM / @TOMS BEHIND THE LENS

Photographer Stefan Wigand in Nicaragua

TH E D ISCOV ER IS T

2014/15

A G LOBA L MOV E M ENT

9

PICTURES

NICARAGUA, OR AS SOME SAY, “THE LITTLE BROTHER OF COSTA RICA,” with a not too distant difficult past, has emerged today as a thriving hub of Central America, with the spirit of change and entrepreneurship hanging contently in the air. A mix of the old with the new, from the city life to the remote, Nicaraguan culture is vast and rich, and it is the perfect spot to base an adventure.

For me, the country always seemed like a land of opportunity because it was more or less “untouched.” Culturally, there seemed to be a new generation of young people returning to Nicaragua to rebuild after having left during the Contra War to get educated in the US or Europe. I had a connection with some friends who started a hotel and furniture business down there, so I knew I’d be taken care of on my journey. And so I took off, camera in hand.

1. Volcano Cowboys: These fellas will take you on horseback to within feet of the cauldron of one of Nicaragua’s many still active volcanoes. It’s a reminder of the rugged nature that thrives around every corner here.

2. Guitarras Zepeda: This artisan crafts beautiful musical instruments from local tropical wood. We took a tuk-tuk up to Mirador de Catarina to listen to a local play one while taking in the view of Apoyo Lagoon.

3. Masaya markets are a central hub of commerce for the Nicaraguan people.

You can get anything you want from seafood to Barbie dolls.

4. Maderas Collective is a program in Managua where local wood workers are taught skills to produce fine furniture. Local, naturally sourced wood is then turned into beautiful pieces of art. maderascollective.com 5. Casa Xalteva is a program that houses and looks after kids from the streets, kids from abusive families, and those with drug problems. The project is funded through their Spanish teaching program for eager tourists. casaxalteva.org 6. Ometepe is the second-largest lake island in the world formed by two volcanoes. Deep on the backside of the island down a treacherous road, you'll find true Nicaraguan farming families tilling the rich volcanic soil.

10

JOIN THE CON V ERS ATION: TOMS.COM / @TOMS INTERVIEW

WORDS Maxwell Williams

TH E D ISCOV ER IS T PICTURES John Whitledge, Nepal. Photo: Justin Herber.

INTERVIEW

Kevin Poon on Fashion and Philanthropy Bouncing from business to design to event production with the flexibility of a yogi, Kevin Poon is the co-founder of Clot, a Hong Kong—based clothing and lifestyle label massively popular with urban kids around the world. He’s also started several businesses around Hong Kong, including an apparel shop (Juice), an eyewear store (Waow!), and a cafe (Elephant Grounds). He organizes large-scale events, like last year’s popular BLOHK PARTY concert which featured Pharrell Williams, DJs from Ed Banger Records, and local talent. If that weren’t enough, as a designer, Poon has collaborated with everyone from Disney to J.Crew to Casio.

YOU’VE BEEN DOING CLOT FOR 10 YEARS NOW. WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR HIGHLIGHTS?

Ten years goes by so quickly. Highlights include doing our own stamp set with the Hong Kong government, opening stores around Asia and a pop-up in LA, and working with some of the best entertainers around the world like Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, DJ AM, and John Mayer.

Portugal.

The Man FALL playlist Despite the name, the foursome in psych-rock band Portugal. The Man are from Wasilla, AK. That's where we tracked down long-time friend of TOMS, frontman John Gourley, to come up with this epic fall playlist for your listening enjoyment.

TOMS' Eyewear Designer on Travel, Surf, and Creativity

my fave TOMS product:

YOUR WORK IS VARIED, FROM APPAREL TO EVENT PRODUCTION TO EYEWEAR. WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING IT DIVERSE?

I think being diverse is part of my DNA. [I was] born in Hong

Maxwell Grey Crystal

Kong, lived in Canada and Los Angeles, and now [I make] monthly trips around the world. It never stops. I think keeping it diverse makes my day-to-day interesting, and enables me to push the boundaries and try different things.

WE’VE HEARD YOU DO YOGA. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF RELAXATION IN A HECTIC WORLD?

Yoga helps me get clarity, and gives me a moment to think and to stretch my mind, body, and soul. For the most part, my schedule is non-stop, and it really helps to fit in that hour to myself, without distraction, and get in the zone. It has proven to enhance my moods, and it helps me to think clearly. I think it also helps me stay healthy.

WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT LIFE LESSON YOU’VE LEARNED SINCE YOU STARTED CLOT?

In business, it’s not how you do it, it’s what you do, and how you make people feel, that is most important. Stay humble, and work at it day by day.

YOU’VE WORKED WITH TOMS, ORGANIZING A CHARITY AUCTION IN HONG KONG IN 2012. WHY IS PHILANTHROPY IMPORTANT TO YOU?

Having the ability to help people who are in more need than you is a very fulfilling thing, and that’s really what [drew] me towards TOMS in the first place. It’s such a cool concept: staying stylish and at the same time being able to help people in need. I think a lot of [people from] our generation are really down to help people for a good cause, [but] they might not know how to. TOMS provides that platform, enabling us to give back to our community, which I think is very important.

WHAT SORTS OF STEPS DOES YOUR COMPANY TAKE TO BE SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS—ENVIRONMENTALLY, LABOR EQUALITY, ET CETERA?

We are always staying conscious by getting involved in various activities that enable us to do good in our community, from Foodlink Foundation [which fights hunger in Hong Kong] to the Changing Young Lives Foundation [a support program for children in need], and Ebenezer School & Home for the Visually Impaired—we always help out where

YAYAYA

Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Success came early for John Whitledge in the fashion world—Trovata, the company he founded in his dorm room at college, won a prestigious CFDA Fashion Award for Menswear in 2006. But it was his friendship with Blake Mycoskie that changed the way he viewed the purpose of business. These days, he’s focusing his energy on his role as the Creative Director for TOMS Eyewear, which has involved restoring sight to thousands of people in the developing world through a One for One® partnership with the Seva Foundation.

HERO

WHAT WAS IT THAT FIRST

Frank Ocean, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, and Diplo

DESIGN WORK? When I was 16, someone told me that whatever I did

vey the One for One® story with a signature detail

TY SEGALL–THE DRAG

in life, I should do something I was passionate about.

that could become iconic over time. Since polo was

So I made a list of three things I thought would give

one of the things that drew Blake to Argentina, the

me joy in the long term—a career where I could travel,

country where he came up with the idea for TOMS,

surf, and be creative. I thought about going to film

I thought the striping on polo mallets was a sub-

school or studying photography, but I eventually de-

tle way to incorporate the One for One® message

cided to start Trovata, a clothing company that could

into the design of the temples. The first stripe rep-

be the platform for all my creativity. From that point,

resents the wearer, the end stripe represents the

I put on the blinders and eventually launched the

person receiving sight, and the middle stripe is

brand out of my dorm room during my senior year at

TOMS connecting it all together.

STRFKR

I WANNA DANCE (BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW) SKATERS

(SITTIN' ON) THE DOCK OF THE BAY

Gilded Gutter

LOVE LETTER Clairy Browne

MALLRATS (LA LA LA)

friendship grew, we continued to give each other advice and support—so when he was looking to launch a new category, it was natural for him to ask me for some help with design. Now I work on the design of all the eyewear styles, from shapes and materials to colors and details. And I get to collaborate with an insane team—Darin Dennee, Erik Soto, and Gil Moy. WHAT WERE SOME OF THE CUES OR INSPIRATIONS FOR YOUR EYEWEAR DESIGNS? I believe in classic lines that can stand the test of time, but are also unique with tons of character.

And besides placing an emphasis on quality, our biggest challenge was figuring out a way to con-

Claremont McKenna College.

PALM TREES

AND HOW DID YOU COME TO LAND AT TOMS?

DATION, THE LEAD SIGHT GIVING PARTNER?

Flatbush ZOMBiES

When Blake and I first met, he’d just started TOMS

Seva started in 1978, and since they’d already been

out of his apartment in Venice. And although it was

on the ground running clinics, doing cataract sur-

in its infancy, I loved Blake’s idea as well as the pas-

geries, and providing prescription glasses for so

sion and vision he had for it. Since I was already a

many decades, it was a natural fit for us to form a

couple of years into Trovata, where we’d experienced

partnership. They’re an amazing organization, and

some success, I agreed to offer advice where I could,

on our first trip with their team to Nepal we had an

but most importantly my goal was to try to steer him

incredible time. I’ll never forget when we witnessed

away from some of the mistakes that can be made in

a 21-year-old woman getting the bandages removed

the fashion world. A couple of months into our friend-

from her eyes after a successful cataract surgery

ship, I was fortunate enough to go on the first shoe -

and looking down to see her two-month-old baby

giving trip to Argentina, where we gave away 10,000

for the first time. Let me just say there wasn’t a dry

shoes over the course of a week. That trip was abso-

eye around.

CHRYSALIS

conscious, and always try to put our best foot forward in

The Underachievers

humanity and mankind! And also have fun doing so.

UNCHAINED MELODY (THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS COVER) Lykke Li

Canvas Classics Black

I viewed the world and business. After that, as our

The Orwells

we can. I think we need to use our influence to help steer the next generation in the right way, continue to be socially

my fave TOMS product:

DREW YOU INTO

lutely incredible, and it definitely changed the way

CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT SEVA FOUN-

2014/15

A G LOBA L MOV E M ENT

11

PICTURES Jack & Finn outside their office, London, 2013. Photo: Harry Crowder; Our most problematic tuk-tuk out of the three. She was called Victoria, India, 2013. Photo: Ben Brown; One of the families we met on our travels, India, 2013. Photo: Harry Crowder; The entire crew halfway through the trip. We’d just hit our target of $100,000 raised, Taj Mahal, India, 2013. Photo: Ben Brown.

INTERVIEW

JacksGap.com

How Twins Finn and Jack Harries Travel with Purpose [and 4 Million Followers]

my fave TOMS product:

Navy Canvas Men's Classics "I practically live in these."

-Finn Harries

The accidental viral success Finn and Jack Harries experienced while filming their gap year travels has turned into nearly four million YouTube followers, collaborations with everyone from Casey Neistat to TOMS, and partnerships with Skype and Google—all while still teenagers. Here, we talked to them about how their winning formula puts themselves, humor, and helping others at the forefront of their quirky videos, while encouraging their fans to also give back.

FOR SOMEONE WHO HASN'T HEARD OF JACKSGAP,

HOW

WOULD

YOU

YOU GUYS HAVE A CRAZY AMOUNT OF DIG-

You can end up in such a bubble in London, where we grew up. It was refreshing to go out of that bubble and jump into a whole new place. Sometimes those were really good places and sometimes those were quite sad stories. But each time it's a completely new view on the world, and you come back feeling like you understand this crazy planet we live on a little bit better.

DESCRIBE

WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING?

DO YOU HAVE WAYS THAT YOU GIVE BACK

Finn Harries: JacksGap started nearly three years ago as a project Jack launched the first day of our gap year. He wanted to create a place online to record our travels and adventures, where he could connect with an audience, and practice filmmaking. YouTube became a perfect place for that. For the first three months, it was just him—I was working as a freelance graphic designer. As his channel started to grow to more than 10,000 people, he asked if I would jump in and meet his audience.

I very reluctantly—because it wasn't my kind of thing—agreed. That video got more popular than the rest. The “twins” aspect gave it a unique selling point. We were starting to go on trips, make films about them, and the feedback would be awesome. We were just trying to record the world in a positive light, and share our experiences and other people's stories with our audience.

When the first small pay check arrived from Google we used it to buy a better camera.

Over the next eight months we reinvested the money we were earning into creating more adventurous films. Cut to today, it's been this mad extended three-year gap year where we've built this project that's grown far bigger than we ever expected it would.

WHEN YOU TRAVEL?

WHY IS TRAVEL SO IMPORTANT TO YOU?

The more of the world you see, the more you want to see because you realize how much is out there. Every time we go away, especially when we're documenting a place—you listen to the problems there, and try to get your head around it.

Giving back when you travel is massively important to us. If there's a place we want to go, we find out about the serious issues in that area. We find the organizations dealing with those issues, and focus on the positive stories that surround them, rather than the bad ones. In that way people enjoy the video more, and are really engaged with what we're telling them, which makes them more likely to support.

The advantage of having a channel is that we can give people a voice that they wouldn't otherwise have. If you're in an area that doesn't have good access to the internet or much publicity around it, if you have a way to promote something that should be heard by other people, I think you have a certain responsibility to do that.

HOW IS IT WORKING WITH A SIBLING?

It's pretty intense, working and living together. But dividing up our jobs and working out who's strongest at what has been a really successful way to work together. And I quite happily let him be the extrovert and be featured more heavily on the channel, while I take a more quiet role behind the scenes.

ITAL FOLLOWERS ON ALL YOUR SOCIAL CHANNELS. HOW DO YOU HARNESS THIS FOLLOWING FOR GOOD?

There are some really simple, authentic methods of telling a good story that engages someone. That's our mission every time we go out. You've got to make it authentic, engaging, and short—roughly five to ten minutes—so it can be shareable. Check all these boxes and it’ll help put your point across to an audience.

ONE OF YOUR MOST RECENT VIDEOS SHOWED JACK SURPRISING HIS GIRLFRIEND IN AUSTRALIA. IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST PERSONAL VIDEOS WE’VE SEEN. IS THAT A DIRECTION THAT YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING IN?

There’s this unwritten rule for people who are popular influencers online: they don't talk about their girlfriend, because they have this big fan base that might hate the idea they have a girlfriend. Putting up a video like that, of Jack like [saying], “I'm a really normal kid with a girlfriend and this is a story of when I went to surprise her”—we're completely playing with it at the moment.

With online, it's so new that you're constantly innovating. We're mixing it up between personal videos from Jack, which are just stories from him as a filmmaker, to the Shed Sessions—a live acoustic music series where we invite artists who we really love to play acoustically in our back garden shed—to our documentaries, and JacksGap as a brand, showing that rather than just a personal kid's channel, it's got a message behind it. The tagline we give JacksGap is “to document the world around us.”

HAVE THERE BEEN ANY UNEXPECTED MOMENTS ON THE ROAD THAT YOU REMEMBER

HOW DID YOU GET CONNECTED WITH TOMS?

IN PARTICULAR?

Blake Mycoskie has been an inspiration to us, and I read his book about a year and a half ago and made a note to try and meet him at some point. Off the back of helping with their One Day Without Shoes* campaign, I got the option to meet Blake, which I was super excited about.

The channel is so global, where we can be in the middle of nowhere, in a dodgy situation, and we've gotten support just by tweeting and someone comes to find us. For example, we were in Tijuana last year on a road trip with a couple of friends. After spontaneously hoping onto a bus to explore a nearby

* One Day Without Shoes is an annual day started by TOMS, when we take off our shoes to raise global awareness for children’s health and education. It calls attention to three key issues that affect a child’s development around the world—health, education, and empowerment. town, we found ourself lost and slightly out of our depths. We tweeted out and a couple of people came and met us and actually drove us around, took us to a restaurant and then dropped us back off at the border. We were literally saved by these strangers who we connected with through this channel we created and then followed us on Twitter.

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD RECOMMEND TO OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO START SOMETHING CREATIVE IN THE WAY YOU HAVE?

Over the past three years, we've developed rules for ourselves and they're really simple: It's creating more original content. I think far too many people, sadly, look at what's been done already, or what's already successful and try and copy that, in the hopes that they'll grow a channel. Ultimately, if you start something to get popular or famous, you're starting for the wrong reasons. Start with something you're really passionate about, work hard at it and be authentic. Even if it's not the largest one in the world, there's always a group of people that will support you for that kind of authenticity.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE DESTINATION YOU’VE BEEN TO SO FAR?

Probably Sri Lanka. On New Year's Eve we climbed the tallest mountain in Sri Lanka called Adam's Peak. It is a six-hour climb to a temple at the top. Three different religions climb to this temple to pray, you've got Christians, Muslims, and Buddhists, all climbing at the same time.

We did the climb in the middle of the night to watch the first sun of the year rise over the mountains. The whole experience was so moving that we promised ourselves we’d come back as soon as we got the next opportunity.

12

JOIN THE CON V ERS ATION: TOMS.COM / @TOMS ILLUSTRATION Stefan Knecht

TH E D ISCOV ER IS T

Mapping the Future GIVING AND JOBS

ARGENTINA Buenos Aires

34.6033° S, 58.3817° W

In 2006, discoverist Blake Mycoskie traveled to a small village and found the children there lacked shoes to protect their feet. Inspired by their story, and wanting to help, Mycoskie envisioned TOMS, a social organization that would design shoes, and for every pair purchased, another pair would be given to a child in need.

GUATEMALA Guatemala City

14.3648° N, 90.327° W

In Guatemala, TOMS partnered with Water For People to help people gain access to clean water sources and sanitation facilities.

In a school district in the department of El Quiche, for instance, a hand-washing station, sanitation facilities, and a biodigestor for the proper treatment of waste water were constructed. This means the school now has eight toilets kids can use to ensure proper hygiene and sanitation, with teachers educating them on the importance of washing their hands and how to best use water with the environment in mind.

HAITI Port-au-Prince

18.5333° N, 72.3333° W

In a country with one of the highest unemployment rates in the world, TOMS commissioned 30 artists to create limited edition shoes. The initiative provides artisans with jobs and canvas in which to show the spirit of the Haitian culture to people worldwide.

Additionally, TOMS has set up manufacturing facilities in the region.

RWANDA Kigali

1.9403° S, 29.8739° E

Known as the “Land of a Thousand Hills,” with soaring elevations, Rwanda has perfect conditions to harvest premium coffee beans. “Premium” means beans must be fully washed and score 80 points on the quality scale. This aromatic, crisp, and sweet coffee is now sought after by roasters around the world, including TOMS, who gives one week of clean water to a person in need for every bag of Single-Origin Rwanda Coffee sold.

TOMS GLOBAL STORE LOCATIONS:

AUSTIN

VENICE

NEW YORK

PORTLAND

CHICAGO

AMSTERDAM

1401 South Congress Ave. Austin, TX 78704

1344 Abbot Kinney Blvd.

264 Elizabeth St.

1235 W. Burnside Street, Ste 125

1611 N Damen Ave.

Runstraat 13 , 1016 GJ

Venice, CA 90291

New York, NY 10012

Portland, OR 97209

Chicago, IL 60622

The Netherlands

*opening in February 2015

*opening November 2014

*opening November 2014

2014/15

A G LOBA L MOV E M ENT

TOMS not only gives in countries around the world, they've also created initiatives that empower communities through job training and job creation. By setting up factories and programs in the areas they support, local populations have become integral to the future of TOMS' global initiatives.

Below, we've plotted some of the regions you'll find TOMS creating jobs while giving back.

KENYA Nairobi

1.2833° S, 36.8167° E

At our Kenya manufacturing facility, the team recently announced that they have produced over 1 million pairs of TOMS Giving Shoes that have been distributed to local partners in the country. Our business has not only helped create new jobs in Kenya, but has also carried the factory through slower production periods, so that people have access to stable jobs throughout the year with the consistent production of TOMS Giving Shoes.

ETHIOPIA Addis Ababa

9.0300° N, 38.7400° E

In 2008 on a visit to Ethiopia, Blake learned about Podoconiosis, a debilitating disease preventable with basic foot hygiene and shoes. Since that trip, TOMS has joined other passionate people to work toward eliminating podo. TOMS invested over $2 million towards raising international awareness of the disease, supporting treatment for over 11,000 Podoconiosis (podo) patients, and for prevention education. Additionally, local shoe shiners are being trained to make podo shoes (custom boot-like shoes to accommodate swollen feet while they heal).

INDIA New Delhi

28.6139° N, 77.2089° E

Over 2 million shoes have been produced in TOMS' manufacturing facility in India. Here, if you don't have shoes, you can't attend schools, so the shoes made in India are given to boys and girls to get an education. To help some of the most remote, in-need people in India with eyesight issues, TOMS works with Aravind Eye Care System, the leader in sustainable eye care, on restorative surgeries, medical treatment, and prescription glasses. Further, TOMS provides safe water in the West Bengal region of India.

CAMBODIA Phnom Penh

MAP KEY: Indicates what was given and created.

— SHOES

TOKYO

— COFFEE

— SIGHT

— WATER

— JOBS

Amongst the poorest nations in SouthEast Asia, recovering war-torn Cambodia is a place of both hope and poverty. TOMS One for One® eyewear program teams up with Seva Foundation and the Cambodian Children’s Fund to give the gift of sight to children and community members, while also training local residents to provide this quality, professional eye care.

SEOUL

INO5 2F 6-14-6 Jingumae

COEX Mall

Shibuya Tokyo 150-0001

159 Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu

11.5500° N, 104.9167° E

—Blake Mycoskie

13

14

JOIN THE CON V ERS ATION: TOMS.COM / @TOMS

TH E D ISCOV ER IS T

O N TH E ROAD

WORDS Malcolm Johnson PICTURES Malcolm Johnson, Jeremy Koreski, and Kira Hoffman

AK

STIKINE RIVER BC

A Canadian Canoeymoon of Discovery PART ONE. SMITHERS SOME GIRLS WANT A CATHEDRAL AND A LIMOUSINE. But Kira—my sidekick in life and adventure—just wanted a roast pig on a spit. So there we were on a Saturday afternoon, both of us in boots, our hands wrapped around a carving knife while we made the first cut outside a community hall in northern British Columbia. An hour before, we’d said our vows while friends and family watched from hay bales; a few hours later, we’d be spinning across the wood floor to the first dance—“The Weight” by The Band, which might be the greatest song of all time.

It was a country wedding in all the right ways, and as the early hours crept in we curled up on the dance floor and went to sleep. Soon we’d be bound for the Stikine River, where we’d flash our paddles into the water for our 180-mile canoeymoon. We’d decided to go somewhere neither of us had seen before, where we could share that beaming excitement of never knowing what we’d find around the next bend.

PART TWO. TATOGGA TO THE SACRED HEADWATERS THE MAIN AIRPORT TERMINAL AT TATOGGA ISN’T A TERMINAL AS SUCH, but a small log cabin with a freight scale on the porch and a few fuel drums off to the side. The floatplane was moored to a dock out front; Clay, the pilot, was stretched out on the wing, filling the tanks for the flight to the Headwaters. His bird dog, Brook, waited expectantly, hoping for a ride in the back seat.

Clay had been flying here for half his life, and we felt in sure hands as bright rivers and green valleys passed by beneath. We were heading into roadless terrain—an area known as the Sacred Headwaters, where the Stikine, Skeena, and Nass Rivers begin their travels to the sea.

It's one of the last great wildernesses in North America, saved only by its isolation and the tooth-and-claw determination of those who hold the line against the big resource companies. It's a place where the land still speaks, but it's up to you to still your heart and listen.

PART THREE. LASLUI LAKE JESSE, THE HAPPY-GO-LUCKY CHEF AT THE HUNTING CAMP ON LASLUI LAKE, INVITED US IN FOR COFFEE AND COOKIES. We were setting out to hike the nearby Mt. Terraze, and we’d stopped to ask permission to use the trails; he gave us directions, told us stories about mushroom picking and cooking wild game, and we left feeling like we had a new friend. We scrambled up the peak that afternoon, pocketing tufts of mountain goat hair snagged at the side of the trail—it’s good luck to find it, people say, and if you keep it you’ll always find your way home.

Later that evening, our time alone began; we said goodbye at the camp and paddled down the lake with a brisk wind at our backs. Jesse had given us some ptarmigan breasts, and we cooked them over the fire as the cool dusk fell around us. The lake, the mountains, and a mug of red wine—we knew we were the luckiest people in the world.

PART FOUR. DOWN THE STIKINE EVERY DAY, THE SILVER RIVER LED US ON. Starting from alpine tundra, the Stikine wound down into boreal forest, where spruce trees leaned out over the water, wolf tracks were pressed into the sandbars, and little singing rapids formed around the bends. It rained some of the time, and it was cold all the time, but each day brimmed with its own surprise and grace. We portaged around waterfalls, caught trout and grayling, walked an abandoned bridge to nowhere, watched fresh snow appear on the mountains, and lit small fires each evening to dry our feet and warm our hands.

At our favorite campsite, where the aspens were turning yellow and a triad of high peaks were lit by the sun, we read about John Muir's trip to the Stikine. He thought it was as beautiful as Yosemite, and climbed one of the peaks to light a bonfire on the summit. The flames played on the clouds; the local Natives thought it was a bad omen, but for Muir it was just another candle on the altar. Long live mad holy beautiful fools!

PART FIVE. HEADING HOME LET US NOT FORCE THE METAPHOR, but what is life with another person if not a journey by boat down a river, where you must face life's joys, perils, and labors in partnership? If you can be happy in a canoe, I think, you're off to a fine start.

A few more bends, and all of a sudden the highway bridge was there in front of us.

We'd paddled 180 miles together, in a world that felt like our own, and we were a bit heavy-hearted to leave the Stikine's steady and peaceful presence. But another world beckoned, and that first hot shower was going to feel pretty damn fine.

2014/15

A G LOBA L MOV E M ENT

GEAR

WORDS Anna Brones

OPINION

Malcolm and Kira's top five products for From Crop to Cup

What do you need to make a cup of coffee?

Coffee beans and hot water.

WATER ISN’T JUST ESSENTIAL TO BREWING A GREAT CUP OF COFFEE; it's also a key part of coffee production. In fact, it’s estimated that it takes 140 liters of water to produce one cup of coffee. That’s a staggering figure, and as one of the world's largest traded global commodities, that makes coffee’s overall water footprint pretty huge. Factor in that coffee is produced in water-scarce regions, and the connection between water and coffee starts to become even clearer.

CARPE DIEM ESPRESSO

AS A BUSINESS THAT FOCUSES ON A ONE FOR ONE ® STRATEGY, by pairing their new line of coffee with water, TOMS is not only helping communities gain access to clean water, but also helping the rest of us have a better understanding of the serious connection between water and coffee.

The morning ritual in stainless steel mugs.

UNDER ITS ONE FOR ONE ® COFFEE PROGRAM, TOMS supplies people in the same countries that the coffee is farmed—Honduras, Peru, Guatemala, Rwanda, and Malawi—with clean drinking water. For every bag sold, they provide a week’s worth of potable water in the countries where coffee is sourced. Such an initiative has the potential to make a large impact. According to Water.org, around 3.4 million people die each year from water-related diseases, and 780 million people around the globe don’t have access to clean drinking water.

BLACK CANVAS MEN'S PASEO MID LACE UPS Set for rest stop skate sessions or fishing under the bridge.

“WHEN WE HEARD TOMS WAS GOING TO DO A ONE FOR ONE COFFEE THING WE WONDERED WHAT IT WAS GOING TO BE,” says Peter Giuliano of the Specialty Coffee Association of America, the world’s largest coffee association. He works to improve the quality of specialty coffee—from “seed to cup.”

SHOES AND EYEWEAR MAKE SENSE—PEOPLE NEED THOSE THINGS. But a direct One for One® with coffee wouldn’t necessarily make sense—coffee-producing regions aren’t in need of more coffee. They are, however, in need of water. “Water is such a huge thing in coffee,” says Giuliano, who prior to SCAA spent 12 years at Durham, NC’s Counter Culture Coffee. “I have a saying, that we think we are selling coffee, but in fact, we are selling water.”

GIGI SUNGLASSES For sunny mornings in the apple orchard.

THAT MAKES WATER PRETTY MUCH THE SMARTEST ONE FOR ONE ® COFFEE CONNECTION. As for coffee itself, it’s the perfect product to get consumers engaged. As conscious consumers, most of us today have an association, or even direct connection to where our food comes from. Coffee is quite different, as it’s an exotic product coming from far away. “There’s the local food movement, and most thoughtful people are somehow engaged in that,” says Giuliano. He adds that the TOMS strategy with their coffee line “is one manifestation of that approach in coffee.”

DARK GREY SUEDE WOMEN'S ALPA BOOTS Born to ramble, born to roam.

IT’S NOT THE FIRST TIME A COMPANY SELLING COFFEE HAS TRIED TO MAKE THE CONSUMER FEEL LIKE THEY’RE GIVING BACK TO THE PRODUCER COMPANIES. “For the past 15 years or so, the Fair Trade and Direct Trade movements, and other organizations like Coffee Kids and Grounds for Health, have captured an important movement towards equity and generosity among and throughout the coffee

chain,” says Giuliano. But adding the One for One® component makes the TOMS model revolutionary.

“That’s the challenge: how do you take some of those principles and apply them to something that’s a global product,” says Giuliano. “The TOMS approach is a creative way to do that.”

SINCE LAUNCHING IN 2013, TOMS ROASTING COMPANY HAS TAKEN A “CROP TO CUP” APPROACH, playing an active part in every part of the coffee process. TOMS works in direct conjunction with coffee farmers, allowing the company to ensure not only the quality of the product, but also to ensure the quality of life of the coffee workers. The water projects that the sales of coffee support go back to those same countries where beans are sourced.

COFFEE-PRODUCING REGIONS ARE SOME OF THE MOST VULNERABLE WHEN IT COMES TO CLEAN WATER. Africa, for example, where a lot of specialty coffee originates, is home to 345 million people without access to clean water. While TOMS can’t work with every country around the globe, partnering with organizations that help the same communities in which they source their coffee is certainly a proverbial drop in the bucket. For people on the consumer end, allowing someone to buy coffee that has a direct effect on the places that it’s produced is a “creative way to engage in the global economy,” says Giuliano.

THE TOMS APPROACH HELPS US CONSUMERS TO ANSWER THE PREDICAMENT of how “to acknowledge that we live in a global economy while acting ethically within that,” says Giuliano. What he means is that once we’re aware of the impact of our purchases, the next step is figuring out what to do about it.

Coffee is but one product that makes up a long laundry list of products we regularly consume, but it’s an important one.

ONCE THE COFFEE HITS US SOIL, it’s roasted and then available for sale online, as well as used in TOMS cafes in Venice Beach, CA and Austin, TX among others.

The goal isn’t to grow quickly; it’s to do the job well.

“They’ve been very clear that they’re starting in one place working to do better and better,” says Giuliano.

AS THE SPECIALTY COFFEE INDUSTRY GROWS AND MORE AND MORE PEOPLE BECOME AWARE OF THE TRUE IMPACT OF THEIR CUP, there’s a chance that the TOMS One for One® coffee model will inspire others. While it’s hard for most of us to meet and have a direct interaction with the producers, we can hope for more programs that allow us to give back through an everyday product. “Coffee is ubiquitous on every breakfast table in the developed world, but it is produced entirely in the developing one. Coffee has the unique potential to connect these two worlds in a positive and collaborative way, through culture sharing, flavor, and trade. To do that will require creativity and generosity of spirit, but the potential to make the world a little smaller, a little safer, and a little more beautiful is there,” says Giuliano.

JAMES TORTOISE POLARIZED SUNGLASSES Perfect for navigating the afternoon glare.

PUBLISHER:

FRONT- COVER IMAGE:

SPECIAL THANKS:

TOMS / The Usual

John Whitledge, Peru. Photo: Kevin Zacher

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR:

CONTRIBUTORS:

Yasha Wallin

Holly Allenby, Anna Brones, John Gourley, Malcolm Johnson, Zach Slobig, Shwetha Sridharan, Stefan Wigand, Maxwell Williams

Liza Doppelt, Allison Garlick, Carolina Gonzalez, Malcolm Johnson, Phoebe Kiddo, Sarah Lipman, Kimmy Miao, Abbie Rumery, Talley Singer

C REATIVE DIRECTOR / DESIGNER: Emily Anderson DESIGNER:

Stefan Knecht

EXTR A SPECIAL THANKS:

Shelby Meade, Felipe Hernandez, Allie Tsavdarides

COPY EDITOR / PROOFREADER:

The entire contents of The Discoverist are © copyrighted and may not be reproduced, either in whole or in part, without written permission from TOMS and The Usual.

Rachel Sampson INTERN EXTR AORDINAIRE:

Justine Goode

JOIN THE COMMUNIT Y:

@TOMS / TOMS.com @theusualmontauk.com theusualmontauk.com GET IN TOUCH:

© 2014 The Discoverist

info@theusualmontauk.com

15

PU LL TAB FO R E ASY O N AN D O FF FL AN N E L LIN ING TO NG U E G USSE TS K E E P U NWANTE D E LE M E NTS OUT

FU LL- G R AIN LE ATH E R O R COT TO N T WILL

TO MS SU E DE LE ATH E R FOOTB E D TH E R M O PL ASTIC RU B B E R OUTSO LE

[ TOM S S E ARCH ER BOOT ]

WE CROSSED THE SKEENA AT KITWANGA, a tiny First Nations settlement in northern British Columbia. There were billows of smoke lifting skyward from the old smokehouses on the banks of the river; it had been a good season for salmon, and the Gitxsan families were tending to the same work they’d tended to for so many generations, storing away a harvest of red-fleshed fish for the cold winter to come.

The morning’s rain had let up for a moment, so we pulled over past the bridge and stepped out to stretch our legs. The weather was already turning for the season, and we could see our clouds of breath hanging in the air—it would be sweaters and boots on this trip, but we had everything we needed and were happy to be on the move.

From here we still had far to go, headed for the hunting camp where we’d leave our truck and tie our canoe to the pontoon struts of a Cessna 206. The plan was for the pilot to drop us at one of the high plateau lakes, and we’d spend a week and a half paddling back to the road. We wanted to be on our own for a while, to see a land we’d never seen, to travel as lightly as possible through some whole and wild place where time would stand still. For that, we knew north was the only way to go. *Continue reading on page 14

TOMS.COM