Social Entrepreneurship Presentation by Co-Founder of Tegu Wooden Toy Company - Will Haughey
Will and his brother founded Tegu, a toy company that specializes in wooden blocks with embedded magnets. They were inspired to start a company to help the economy of Honduras, where they now employ 150 people in their factory. They started in 2009 with $1.5 Million in funding and have consistently increased funding year after year. Revenues last year were $5 million. This year their ‘pocket pack’ was the #1 item on the NY Times Gift Guide.
His talk was very inspiring because he shared the ups and downs of his experiences, the real world of being an entrepreneur.
He has come to realize that his primary job is to hold on to the vision and help remove obstacles along the way.
One statement that I really liked was, " Businesses exist because people determine that they should. Somebody at some point said ''I'm going to make that thing.' It's not mysterious."
They wanted innovate the wooden toy industry and improve the economy in Honduras. It's been a 3.5 year roller coaster and he is proudest for sticking through the ups and downs.
The company has a bright future with growing sales, high visibility in their markets, and the satisfaction of improving the economic outlook for their employees
This event was sponsored by The New Canaan Society and Bittersweet Creative.
