Todd Carmichael facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Todd Carmichael
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Todd Carmichael, co-founder and CEO of La Colombe Torrefaction
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| Born | August 30, 1963 Spokane, Washington, U.S.
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| Alma mater | University of Washington |
| Known for | CEO and Co-Founder of La Colombe, Host of Travel Channel's Dangerous Grounds, Antarctic Solo Exploration/World Speed Record, Philanthropist |
| Spouse(s) | Lauren Hart |
Todd Carmichael, born on August 30, 1963, is an American businessman, explorer, and author. He is well-known as the CEO and co-founder of La Colombe, a popular coffee company based in Philadelphia.
Carmichael is famous for being the first American to travel alone across Antarctica to the South Pole. He completed this amazing journey on foot without any help, setting a world speed record. His trip took 39 days, 7 hours, and 49 minutes. A documentary called Race to the Bottom of the Earth (2010) was made about his adventure and shown on the National Geographic Channel. After this, he helped raise a lot of money for the Orangutan Foundation International, which is one of his many charity projects.
He was also named the most influential person in the coffee world by Food Republic. Today, he hosts the TV shows Dangerous Grounds and Uncommon Grounds on the Travel Channel.
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Early Life and Education
Todd Carmichael was born near Spokane, Washington, on August 30, 1963. He grew up with three sisters. When he was 15, he completed his first marathon, which is a very long running race. His mother moved the family so he could attend Joel E. Ferris High School in Spokane.
From 1981 to 1982, he was part of his high school's state championship running team. After graduating in 1982, he received a scholarship to run at the University of Washington. There, he studied business. He also ran his first ultramarathon, an even longer race than a marathon, when he was 20 years old.
Career in Coffee and Travel
While traveling to find coffee beans, Todd Carmichael visited a farm that made him want to help improve coffee farming in Haiti. Later, he worked with the Clinton Foundation on a coffee project there.
Carmichael has written many articles for Esquire magazine's "Eat Like a Man" blog. He wrote about coffee, the coffee industry, and his travels, especially in Haiti. He also wrote for Huffington Post about protecting the environment and animal rights. He continues to host the Travel Channel's show Dangerous Grounds.
Philanthropy and Giving Back
Todd Carmichael is involved in many charity efforts. He worked with actor Leonardo DiCaprio to create La Colombe's Lyon coffee blend. The money from selling this blend helps fund the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, which supports environmental causes.
He also helped create Project Afrique, working with organizations like ECHOES Around the World in Uganda and Wide Horizons For Children in Ethiopia. This project was supported by sales from La Colombe and extra funding from the company and his business partner, J.P. Iberti. Carmichael also teamed up with an organization called Coffee For Water to help bring clean drinking water to areas where coffee is grown.
Achievements and Recognition
In 2014, Todd Carmichael entered the U.S. Brewers Cup competition, which is part of the Specialty Coffee Association of America. During this competition, he showed off a new coffee brewing machine he invented, which he called "The Dragon." In the same year, Food Republic magazine recognized his influence by ranking him as the number one person in their "Coffee Power Ranking."
