Entrepreneur Lisa Mosley
Meet CaribDirect’s “Personality of the Week”
By Daniel Mensah
This week, Caribdirect.com brings to you the “Personality of the week”. She is a very simple woman from United States Virgin Islands, a Chief Executive Officer, Designer and Manufacturer at Sandal Sole LLC. She is a manufacturer of National Flags, footwear and accessories for 20 Caribbean Islands.
Also, she provides product designs, curriculum and website content along with instructional guidelines on building company brand image identity for various Virgin Island companies and Non Profit Organizations.
She is Lisa Mosley (Phd), and her goal is to “create an exclusive product to represent Haiti in order to sell globally to continue to build more homes in Haiti through partnership and affiliation with the Haitian Alliance”.
CaribDirect: Can you tell us a bit of yourself?
Lisa Mosley: I’m a mother of two children and a grandmother of one. I was a dancer/choreographer for over 30 years. I am a youth advocate who has taught dance in the public education system in New York, counseled at risk youth for over 25 years. I sit on the board of directors for the “Caribbean Education Foundation” (CEF) www.educatechild.org , the organization that funds scholarships to assist needy students to attend High School in Jamaica. I’m the business advisor for the “Caribbean Union of Canada” (CUC) www.caribbeanunion.ca who assist Caribbean organizations and businesses to unite for the purpose of conducting research while engaging in community development in the areas of economics, technology and business. I’m also an affiliated partner with the “Haitian Alliance” www.transformhaiti.org (Haiti Organization) and “Redefine Life” www.redefinelife.org (Ethiopia Organization). Both are non-profit organizations.
One works on the premise of building homes in Haiti, while adopting schools in Haiti, and implementing academic and leadership programs to educate the leaders who make Haiti green and literate, while the other works on improving the lives of street children in Ethiopia through a sustainable system that empowers them at a young age, while helping them develop a lifelong objective and become productive members of society.
CaribDirect: Can you tell us of your educational background?
Lisa Mosley : Forging a career in the fields of Education and Social Work, over the past 30 years – I have earned a dual Bachelors in Family Counseling & Performing Arts, a dual Masters in General & Special Education (Grades 1-6), a PhD in Educational Leadership, and I’m an accredited Independent License Provider & Trainer for youth/adults employability skills training of Global Courseware Materials
CaribDirect: Tell us about your country Virgin Islands, and what is unique on your Island?
Lisa Mosley: Well besides the fact that it is the only Caribbean Island that is a part of the United States; the USVI is comprised of 4 islands (St. Croix being the capital, St. Thomas, St. John and Water Island). Only 32 square miles in size, St. Thomas has a million miles worth of things to do. Go shopping and sailing, snorkeling and sightseeing, or diving and dining. All can enjoy the island’s world-renowned golf course, picture-perfect beaches and spectacular nightlife. You could take the Sky ride 700 feet above the city or climb the famous 99 Steps of Charlotte Amalie for an incomparable view of the Caribbean. And if you’re interested in culture and history, don’t miss seeing the second-oldest synagogue in the Western Hemisphere, the 1680-built Fort Christian or the childhood home of Camille Pissarro, one of the best-known French Impressionists. I think the most unique thing about our island is the natural vibe you feel when visiting and interacting with the people of St. Thomas. Once you visit you will definitely want to return.
CaribDirect: You are a woman with many talents being academia, design, and manufacturing…can you tells us more?
Lisa Mosley: Well I exhibited a flair for designing and creating at an early age. Influenced by entertainers from the dance world, I studied dance with renowned teachers such as Ronnie Pratt, Chuck Davis, Alvin Ailey and Lorna Mafata (Mafata Dance Company), while performing in videos (Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”, Lionel Ritchie’s “All Night Long”), on Broadway in the “Wiz” and “Timbuktu” to name a few. As a dancer, I learned to appreciate quality, fashionable footwear and after my 2 children were grown I ventured into creating my company “Sandal Solè®”.
CaribDirect: You have a humanitarian foundation in Ethiopia, Haiti and Jamaica….how are you able to sponsor them?
Lisa Mosley: It’s quite simple, being that I have footwear, arts and craft products for “20” Caribbean Islands to include Ethiopia I simply save a portion of the proceeds to go toward my humanitarian initiatives.
CaribDirect: Also, your company has partnered “The Haiti Alliance”, what are you planning to achieve?
Lisa Mosley: Yes we have partnered with the “Haitian Alliance” and our goal is to build “3” homes in Haiti through the sales of our Haitian footwear product. We collaborated with the “Haitian Alliance” organization in 2010 and did not raise the funds at that time to build the homes in December 2010. We have re-strategized by waiting until we have liquidated all of our products and will place the funds needed to build the aforementioned homes in escrow until the developmental process and locations have been identified in Haiti. There will also be an upcoming “World Roots” CD being released in an effort to raise more funds to build more homes in Haiti”
CaribDirect: Can you throw more light on your www.sandalsole.net 1`product?
Lisa Mosley: Sandal Solè® manufactures, designs, creates, and distributes a wide variety of fashionable footwear for the innovative and creative woman, as well as for men and children who like to dress in style. Sandal Solè® products are available for Video/Photo Shoots, Commercials, Model Showcases, Pageants, Tradeshows, Fundraisers, and Independent or Major Productions. We also design/manufacture products for anyone interested in branding their own products as well. Please feel free to contact us by email for any inquiries at [email protected]. Along with my business partner Cleve Stridiron, CEO of “Images by Design”, we have created a company “Sole Images (A model development and training institution based in St. Thomas). Sandal Solè® is also affiliated with “Face Of The Caribbean” ( international competition catering to the beauty, fashion, technology and music industries) www.faceofthecaribbean.net and Wako-Tu (created out of a need to empower and enhance the quality of life for all through promoting, exposing and patronizing men and women entrepreneurs who have a spirit of giving and serving others worldwide) www.wakotu.webs.com
Almost all the proceeds on sandalsole.net products go into your humanitarian work, what really gingers you?
No not all of the proceeds go toward our humanitarian work for my company is part of various streams of sustainability. However, portions of the proceeds are utilized to fund our humanitarian initiatives.
Caribdirect: Recently, I heard you have plans to sell your bigger warehouse in China, can you tell us why?
Lisa Mosley: No, what Sandal Solè® is doing is liquidating our current inventory for the purpose of obtaining the funds required to contribute toward our “3” organizations. Sandal Solè® was originally created as a vending company traveling to various events worldwide to sell our products. Since establishing the company in 2004, we are moving away from vending to branding and manufacturing products for other companies being that we co-own manufacturing plants in China and India. There is no middleman in regard to us manufacturing anything for ourselves or for others therefore we are expanding our capabilities in order to assist others attempting to establish their brand at low affordable costs.
Caribdirect: You have strong sense of generosity, what motives you and who is your role model?
Lisa Mosley: My role models are my own mother, for she has instilled in me my foundational morals, values and the importance of education. My daughter for she is a young woman who has created her own academic/employment paths while adopting my humanitarian spirit of wanting to assist the youth in her own community. However, my greatest role models are youth like YOU, globally who inspire me each and every day to throdd forward in providing hope, for it has been my belief for many years that the “YOUTH ARE OUR GREATEST RESOURCE”.
Caribdirect: You are member of Virgin Island Educational Board…what are some policies you had collectively achieved?
Lisa Mosley: The program “Work Appreciation For Youth” (WAY), provided by “Images by Design” is an endorsed venture, community partnership project between the VI Department of Education, VI Department of Labor and local Virgin Island community businesses. I have not implemented policies but along with my team, we are making great strides in receiving State funding to have the WAY Program incorporated into every JHS in St. Thomas, with the pray of expansion to all 3 islands collectively.
Caribdirect: There are many people out there with funds, skills, knowledge; to what extent will you advise them to help the Caribbean and Africa?
Lisa Mosley: My agenda with youth globally are too provide employability skills training to youth as early as 8 years old, thus allowing them to become productive within society as adults. Therefore, I would initially say to be open to learning more about diversity management. The term “diversity” refers to the way in which people differ from one another.
Since such differences affect the way people interact in the workplace, diversity management is a factor for most organizations. In Cultural Diversity in Organizations, Taylor Cox Jr. explained that “cultural diversity means the representation, in one social system, of people with distinctly different group affiliations of cultural significance.” Differing group affiliations that are likely to affect the workforce generally involve cultural or identity groups based on ethnicity, national origin, race, and religion.
We must first research who we are targeting so that we can be as knowledgeable as we can when soliciting businesses to provide funding. The need for foreign exchange of goods and services will forever occur but we need to incorporate “Civic Engagement” also as an approach to obtaining collaborative funding streams for it is the pursuit of accountability and commitment through a shift in the language and conversation we use to make our Caribbean, African and global communities better.
Caribdirect: How will you tell or encourage people to go for your products?
Lisa Mosley: The first thing I would suggest all to do is to visit our website at www.sandalsole.net and see for yourself what we are all about to include viewing the products that we are currently liquidating. Then in about a week, go back and look at the youth initiative that we will be adding to the website soliciting youth globally to make extra income by assisting us with liquidating our products.
Any secured promotion of our company, by any youth, that lead to sales of our products will be provided a financial compensation. If anyone is interested in being a part of this opportunity please email us at [email protected]
Caribdirect: Any last words?
Lisa Mosley: First I give all honor and praise to Jah, for he is the path that I follow in order to be a vessel and servant to assist others wherever and whenever I can. I want to leave all youth with the following word sound: YOU ARE OUR FUTURE!! You must remain responsible and accountable for your own lives, remain faithful and pray for Jah Love is The Best! Know that no matter how hard your life or circumstances may be there are people around the world who love you and want to see you succeed in life. I give humble thanks to be chosen as the “Personality” feature this week in Carib Direct. Remain Faithful My Youth of the World!, as I leave you with this musical link to a song by the incomparable Singer/Songwriter/Player of instruments “Ras Keith”, native of Jamaica, residing in the UK, entitled “JAH LOVE IS THE BEST” Blessed Love to each and everyone reading this article. http://soundcloud.com/raskeith/02-track-2-jah-love-is-the
I urge all to simply click on sandal sole youtube commercial on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2Cm1PvotD4
ATTENTION READERS:
There are many people playing a vital role in various sectors for God and mankind. Such people are role models and inspirational to many people hence it part of the authoritative www.Caribdirect.com to bring such personalities to the spotlight. If you want to be featured or know of any personality that can be featured on our “Personality” profile you can email his or her update to [email protected], and [email protected]
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