Written by Wayne Elsey, Founder and CEO
Wayne Elsey is the founder and CEO of Elsey Enterprises. Among his independent brands, he is also the founder and CEO of Funds2Orgs.
One of the most significant things about the fires in Los Angeles in early 2025 is that they happened in winter. In other words, the dryness of summer extended into winter, and that's a result of climate change. So, what does this have to do with business? A lot. Of course, we hope that everyone affected by those fires will heal. But seeing a catastrophe more than 20 years ago began my story in green entrepreneurship.
A defining moment
During the holidays of 2004, I witnessed, along with the world, the devastation of the Indian Ocean tsunami. If you follow me, then you know the story. I happened to be the president of a shoe-manufacturing company at the time. In the news, as I watched in horror, I saw a show wash ashore, and it hit me. That shoe belonged to someone. Did the person survive the tsunami? It was a thought I couldn't get out of my head.
It was from there that the seeds of green entrepreneurship were planted. Today, I lead the largest social enterprise brands in North America for shoe and sneaker reuse. I didn't fully appreciate it at the time, but the events of the tsunami and then the earthquakes in Haiti led me to do what I could to help in humanitarian crises. As it stands today, one of the most significant crises we face is climate change.
From charity to sustainable business
After the tsunami and the 2010 Haiti earthquake, I mobilized charitable efforts to help survivors. As someone who had been in the shoe business for his entire career, I realized that something like shoes would play a very consequential role in the lives of people who had lost so much. Over the course of some years, it led me to establish a global nonprofit and then ultimately to create companies involved in the green economy.
It took time for me to figure out how to embrace green entrepreneurship, but eventually, my team and I figured out the winning formulas for our brands. And at a time when we see the rise of devastating floods and tragic wildfires, business leaders should know that they can merge profit with the green economy. I'm proof positive that it can happen. And it can also get done at scale to help our American communities and the global population.
Lessons learned on the green business path
Align profit with purpose
Thankfully, the idea that an entrepreneur can only make a profit or be involved in social responsibility is fading. Organizations such as GIIN and B Corporation attest to this. In short, green entrepreneurship means embracing and integrating passion with profit.
Innovate for the green economy
For our brands to profit from the green economy, it's essential to innovate. For our team, this meant transforming shoes and sneakers into vehicles for payments in North America, improving climate outcomes, and supporting people in the Global South and other nations. In short, we innovated for an industry.
Empower communities
In my green entrepreneurship journey, one of the most satisfying aspects of the work has been how we empower communities. We support everything from nonprofits to the Boston Marathon and 4,000 small business partners worldwide. Green brands should think about how to help organizations and people.
Measure impact beyond profit
Going green is not just about profit and sales metrics. It's also about impact. So, determining how a company makes the climate and/or people's lives better is essential in communications. For instance, we have a formula for water usage saved and carbon reduced with our reuse programs.
A call to action for green entrepreneurship
There are enormous social pressures happening in the world, and the climate crisis is a time for social entrepreneurship and profit. In my view, all it takes is a reimagination of business models prioritizing sustainable solutions. Every time there's another fire, flood, or super storm, there's going to be more demands from consumers and B2B companies for answers. In my view, for-profit companies are well-positioned to lead and innovate. It's not on global legislatures. It's on us. I'm proof-positive that we can create significant profits and combine it with going green.
© 2025 Wayne Elsey. All Rights Reserved.
Wayne Elsey, Founder and CEO
Wayne Elsey is the founder and CEO of Elsey Enterprises. Among his independent brands, he is also the founder and CEO of Funds2Orgs. This social enterprise helps nonprofits, schools, churches, civic groups, individuals, and others raise funds while helping to support micro-enterprise (small business) opportunities in developing nations and the environment.
