LeeandLo was created in a scheme by Melissa to con Jina to work together again on a favorite subject. Ever since meeting and working at TOMS Shoes together, the two of us became friends with a shared interest in social entrepreneurship, product design and business leadership. We went on to both take on positions at Belkin International, leading teams to develop the latest products in mobile tech accessories. Though at one point in distant history Jina had actually reported into Melissa, it’s well known around the office that it’s really Jina who calls the shots and keeps Melissa in line. From TOMS to Belkin, Los Angeles to China to Amsterdam, from joining the same church and fellowship, and now both based on the African continent, we have found our careerpaths and dreams intimately bound together in a shared faith.
The Socient Life concept was a natural outgrowth of trends we were seeing within the social entrepreneurship space. We were moved by the passionate response of hundreds of thousands of college students in over 30 countries to join in the TOMS One Day Without Shoes movement. The burgeoning of so many businesses with a social mission showed that the time was ripening for a new brand of business leader, one lead by the heart and delivered bottom line results. We also realized that despite the huge interest in social entrepreneurship, most people were in quandary on how to participate practically on a daily basis.
We believe that people can and will make big impact wherever they are at, if living the mindset of a social entrepreneur. Product design, conscious management decisions, logistics, marketing and supply chain- literally every part of every organization can positively or negatively impact the lives of many. And we think doing good, should look good too. Fashion, art, products are all ways of expressing individuality and investing towards causes and a way of business you believe in. Our mission is to inspire, educate and highlight the interconnectedness each of us share, from what we buy and wear to the decisions we make and how we operate at work. Thus, the Socient Life.
The Social Entrepreneur Lifestyle 