Todd Carmichael

Todd Carmichael is an American entrepreneur, adventure traveler, philanthropist, television personality, author, and inventor. Carmichael is the CEO and co-founder for Philadelphia-based La Colombe. He is the first American to complete a solo trek across Antarctica to the South Pole, on foot with no assistance, claiming the World Speed Record with a total travel time of 39 days, 7 hours and 49 minutes. Recorded footage of his trek later became an award-winning documentary entitled Race to the Bottom of the Earth (2010) that was aired on the National Geographic Channel. With his World Record accomplishment, he then went on to raise thousands for one of his numerous philanthropic projects.
Carmichael was ranked #1 by Food Republic for the most influential figure in its Coffee Power Ranking. He is currently the host of Travel Channel's 'Dangerous Grounds and Uncommon Grounds'.
Early life and education
Todd Carmichael was born on August 30, 1963, outside Spokane, Washington. He has three sisters. Carmichael completed his first marathon at age 15. His mother eventually moved the family to Spokane's South Hill so that he could attend Joel E. Ferris High School, which was home, at the time, to the region's best cross-country team. From 1981 to 1982, he was part of Ferris' state championship squad. He graduated from the high school in 1982, and received a distance running scholarship to the University of Washington, where he studied business and went on to work in accounting for Ernst & Young. He also ran his first ultramarathon at age 20.
Career
Haiti Coffee Academy
While hunting for his elusive Haitian bean, he came upon a farm that inspired him to want to help Haiti improve its coffee farming methods. He was later approached by the Clinton Foundation to collaborate on a coffee project to aid in the revitalization of Haiti's ailing economy.
Philanthropy
Todd Carmichael claims he has always been an advocate for social change. "It's not so much about being a philanthropist; it's simply about being a good neighbor," proclaimed Carmichael. On his World Record-breaking adventure to the South Pole, he raised more than $250,000 for Orangutan Foundation International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of wild orangutans and their rainforest habitat. He has collaborated with actor Leonardo DiCaprio to create La Colombe's Lyon blend, with proceeds going to the funding of wildlife protection, forest preservation, clean-water projects, disaster relief and climate-change research around the globe via the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation.
Working with ECHOES Around the World in Uganda and Wide Horizons For Children in Ethiopia, he has actively engaged in bettering the lives of hundreds of orphaned children living in Africa through Project Afrique, a natural extension of his coffee work, made possible through the sales of La Colombe's Afrique blend and additional funding from the coffee-roasting company and his partner, J.P. Iberti. Carmichael is also assisting to bring safe drinking water into coffee-growing regions and throughout the world, in collaboration with the organizations Coffee For Water and charity: water.
Writing
Carmichael was a prolific contributor to Esquire Magazine "Eat Like a Man" blog, where he covered subjects mainly related to coffee, its industry, and his travels in Haiti and the country's issues. He has also written for Huffington Post regarding topics about the environment and animal rights.
Accolades and praise
He is currently the host of Travel Channel's Dangerous Grounds. In 2014, he entered the Specialty Coffee Association of America and the Barista Guild of America's U.S. Brewers Cup competition, where he unveiled and used the prototype of his experimental brewing contraption, called "The Dragon." That same year, Food Republic ranked him #1 in its "Coffee Power Ranking."
References
External links
Todd Carmichael Home Page
La Colombe Home Page
Todd Carmichael's Expedition Earth Blog
Race to the Bottom of the Earth
Todd Carmichael Interview After Reaching South Pole
Pacific Northwest Inlander Article by Jacob H. Fries
Todd Carmichael, American
Food Republic Coffee Power Ranking
American explorers
Living people
1963 births
Businesspeople from Spokane, Washington
American expatriates in Haiti