Columbia University M.S. in Nonprofit Management Leadership Series Webinar

You’re invited to join Columbia University’s M.S. Nonprofit Management program for an informal professional development webinar with Program Director and Professor of Practice Dr. Basil A. Smikle Jr., in conversation with special guests Founding Head of Culture, The Gersh Agency and Founder and Principal of Adjaycent Consulting LLC, Jayson Council and Founder of TOMS and Lover of Life, Blake Mycoskie.

Speakers:

Blake Mycoskie is best known as the founder of TOMS Shoes and the creator of the One for One movement, which gave over 100 million pairs of shoes to children in need and helped spark a new wave of social entrepreneurship. But behind the global success, he was quietly battling something deeper: the unshakable belief that he was never enough.

After selling TOMS, that internal struggle became impossible to ignore. Despite having everything he once believed would bring fulfillment, family, success, community, and financial security, he found himself in a profound depression. At his lowest point, he came close to ending his life. That breaking point led to a life-altering realization; the wound wasn’t external, it was rooted within. And the only way forward was to heal the original lie that he wasn’t enough.

From that awakening came his next chapter: ENOUGH. A cultural movement designed to challenge the deeply ingrained belief of “not enough” and reframe how we understand mental health at its core. Through simple but powerful symbols, like the green ENOUGH bracelet, sold in pairs, one to keep and one to give, he invites people to reconnect with a truth that has always been there: I am enough. You are enough. We are enough.

Blake is also launching No Magic Pill - a podcast created for those who feel stuck, overwhelmed, or alone. It’s a space for honest, unfiltered conversations about mental health that are both relatable and practical. There’s no agenda, no product to push, and no requirement for a perfect ending. Just truth, shared openly.

This chapter is not just about healing; it’s about rediscovery. Through doing the inner work, Blake reawakened something he thought he had lost - his entrepreneurial spirit. What followed has been a renewed sense of clarity, creativity, and passion. Fueling a level of joy and productivity in his work that surpasses anything he has experienced before.

He is now channeling that energy into new ventures as co-founder of Morning Water and Moovlab - brands rooted in wellness, intentional living, and human performance, each reflecting a more aligned and conscious approach to building.

Beyond business, Blake is a proud father of two, an avid surfer, and a portrait photographer. He is currently working on a 50th birthday project, traveling to photograph and honor the people who have most shaped his life.

Blake lives in Santa Barbara, California, where he continues to build, create, and connect from a place of wholeness rather than lack. His life’s work now sits at the intersection of mental health, creativity, and entrepreneurship, guided by a simple but transformative belief that embracing our inherent enoughness is the foundation for everything that follows.

Jayson Council is a social impact innovator, corporate social responsibility leader, and purpose branding expert whose work sits at the intersection of entertainment, philanthropy, and systemic change.

He is the Founding Head of Culture at The Gersh Agency and the Founder and Principal of Adjaycent Consulting LLC — two platforms through which he has spent more than 20 years driving equity, representation, and lasting institutional repair across the public and private sectors.

At Gersh, Council architected the agency’s culture infrastructure from the ground up, establishing Gersh Gives and Gersh U while serving as the driving force behind the Spike Fellows Program — a landmark partnership with filmmaker Spike Lee supporting HBCU students from Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, and Spelman College.

A proud HBCU graduate, Council holds an MS in Nonprofit Management from Columbia University. He co-hosts the March Forth podcast with CNBC’s Jon Fortt, and his thought leadership has been featured in Forbes and on stages at Sundance, and SXSW.

For questions, please contact us at SPS-Nonprofit [[at]] columbia [[dot]] edu.

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This event is open to individuals irrespective of identity and sex.