Wayne Elsey
Founder

About Wayne

Transforming Business Through Purpose-Driven Entrepreneurship

Wayne Elsey has spent his career proving business can do more than make a profit—it can change lives. As founder and CEO of Elsey Enterprises, he leads companies like Funds2Orgs and Sneakers4Good that give shoes and sneakers a second life and communities a chance to thrive.

His journey started after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Seeing people in need, Wayne acted quickly to collect shoes. That simple response grew into a movement. Today, his companies have helped redistribute over 37 million pairs of shoes, keep them out of landfills, support micro-entrepreneurs in 24 countries, and create jobs across the U.S.

Wayne works with an execution-first philosophy: act boldly, measure results and build teams that get things done. This approach has been featured on NBC Nightly News, Good Morning America, the Today Show and Fox News.

He’s also a Forbes Business Development Council member, a contributor to Brainz Magazine and the author of books including Tied Together: A Pathway to Hope, the Not Your Father’s Charity series, and

Almost Isn’t Good Enough. Through coaching and speaking, Wayne encourages entrepreneurs and leaders to see they already have the tools to make impact—they just need to take the first step.

At the end of the day, Wayne believes sustainability is about people as much as the planet. Every reused pair of sneakers tells a story of dignity, opportunity and a better future.

Wayne's latest articles

Team Dynamics: 5 Ways to Create The Best Team

  You’ve hired the best talent possible. Moreover, you compensate your team members well. Because of it, they all seem happy with their jobs. Still, performance is not where it should be, nor are results, and growth is slow. What’s missing? You think you have the right talent and all the resources for ensuring success... READ MORE

Leadership Development Means Not Denying the Truth

It has been a year none of us will soon forget. However, it’s also an opportunity for those interested in leadership development to hone their skills. Many times this year, I told my team that they needed to rise. If nothing else, this year demonstrated to managers that tough conversations have to happen with their... READ MORE

Executive Director: 3 New Nonprofit Leader Must-Haves

We know that we have to rebuild our communities. And, while things are difficult and nonprofits have started cutting staff, there’s a lot to do. Meaning, executive director and board leadership are essential for many reasons. For instance, directors have to lead their teams as donors get more choosy regarding where they give. And, leadership... READ MORE

Personal Questions to Ask Yourself: 25 to Get Started

I think everyone could agree that this isn’t an easy year. However, despite the hardships, there’s something to remember. You could always be a better version of yourself. For instance, in my work with our social enterprise, it was touch and go for a bit. Nevertheless, with determined focus and a little luck created, we... READ MORE

Salary Transparency May Be Coming to You

For many years, there’s been a debate about salary transparency. For decades, pay was something that was negotiated and kept behind the scenes. However, in the years since the 2008 recession, there’s a more significant push to make pay transparent. Recently, I read Buffer’s blog post about salary transparency and wanted to share it with... READ MORE

7 Keys to Success for Business People

As with every business, we’ve recently had changes happening in our social enterprise. Some changes involved staffing, and a significant development is our transition to a new CRM, which is affecting processes within our suite of brands. Needless to say, these changes have caused some stress, which is inevitable. Humans prefer to operate with what... READ MORE

Causes of Employee Turnover and How to Fix It

I’ve been an entrepreneur for many years. And, although managers and workers now speak about the transition of work to artificial intelligence, I think it’s going to be a partnership. In other words, I don’t believe that AI is coming to take “all of the jobs.” Sure, artificial intelligence will take jobs, but others will... READ MORE

What Is a Social Enterprise Company?

As I’ve been writing for a while, the global population no longer believes that things can’t change. In other words, for years, nonprofits suggested they can make a difference. Fortunately, many have done it to scale. But, people have gotten used to continued appeals and urgency. As a result, it suggests the problem continues to... READ MORE

Gratitude is the Key to Happiness and Joy

We find ourselves at the close of another year. And, as I do every December, I want to share my thoughts on peace and joy for the future. Our world and country are in the midst of a lot of strife, disruption, and change. However, I have to think that kindness and joy always win... READ MORE

The Power of Patience: 4 Tips for Self-Development

Take a guess what’s happening to many of us in an on-demand world. Do you have the answer yet? If you said to yourself that we’re less patient as a society, you would be correct. Unfortunately, when we have everything “now” and “on demand,” we quickly start to believe that everything has to be that... READ MORE

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