Following last week's episode on the great work being done by the Down Syndrome Association of Greater St. Louis, check out the inspiring father-son duo behind John’s Crazy Socks, Mark X. Cronin and his son, John. Together, they share their extraordinary journey of building a multi-million-dollar social enterprise with heart. John, who has Down syndrome, never let it hold him back. From starting their sock venture to now being globally recognized advocates for inclusive hiring, they show us how purpose-driven entrepreneurship changes lives. Get ready for a conversation filled with laughter, touching stories, and powerful insights on why hiring people with differing abilities isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s great for business.
Bio: John and Mark X. Cronin are the father-son team that created John’s Crazy Socks, a social enterprise with a mission to spread happiness. They bootstrapped their business into the world’s largest sock store earning them recognition as EY’s Entrepreneurs of the Year.
John is not only an entrepreneur, but he has also Down syndrome. Every day, John and Mark show what people with differing abilities can do – more than half their colleagues have a differing ability. They are fierce advocates for the rights of people with differing abilities having testified twice before the U.S. Congress, spoken at the United Nations and recorded two TEDx talks. They are members of the CEO Commission on Disability Employment. Their work has been featured on national broadcasts by CBS, ABC, CNBC, PBS, the BBC and Fox News.
They have built a business based on creating customer experiences and spreading happiness. John’s Crazy Socks has 240,000 Facebook followers and over 29,000 five-star reviews. John and Mark show their gratitude through their Giving Back program that has raised nearly $750,000 for their charity partners. Most of all, they are spreading happiness one pair of socks at a time.
Something Extra: "There has to be some purpose, something that is motivating us, that's bigger than ourselves, and it can't just be we're going to go make money."
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