April 22 2013
Celebrate Earth Day with Buddy Teaster, CEO of Soles4Souls.org


Buddy Teaster is changing the world—one pair of shoes at time.
As the CEO of Soles4Souls.org, Teaster runs the Nashville-based charity that collects shoes from the warehouses of footwear companies and the closets of people like you. The charity distributes these shoes to people in need, regardless of race, religion, class, or any other criteria.
Since 2005, Soles4Souls has delivered more than 19 million pairs of new and gently worn shoes. The shoes have been distributed to people in more than 125 countries, including Kenya, Nepal, Thailand, and the United States.
“The idea behind gifts of shoes is nothing new to the Soles4Souls team, as they coordinated relief efforts for the Asian Tsunami and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, netting over 1 million pairs donated for these disasters,” explains Teaster, noting that Soles4Souls originally operated as www.katrinashoes.org, with several churches partnering in the collection and distribution of footwear.
So we are thrilled to have met Buddy at the Conscious Capitalism Conference in April 2013, and couldn’t have found a better way to celebrate Earth Day today on the Inkandescent Radio Network.
In this podcast interview, we talk to Teaster about:
- His passion for philanthropy and global change, which led him to take on the role of leading the largest provider of free shoes to children in need around the world.
- How Soles4Souls works—and how you can get involved.
- Some of Soles4Souls’ biggest successes—and its current challenges.
- How Soles4Souls works with social enterprises around the world.
- How Soles4Souls works as a Conscious Capitalism organization.
- And what Soles4Souls will be doing in 2013 and beyond to increase its reach and effectiveness in delivering gently worn shoes to those who need them.
Download our podcast interview, at right (live on April 23).
- Be sure to check out our article on Soles4Souls, which is the Nonprofit of the Month in the May 2013 issue of Be Inkandescent magazine.
- For more information and to get involved in Soles4Souls, visit www.soles4souls.org.