Today, Two Ten Footwear Foundation announced that David Kahan, President, Birkenstock Americas, will be the 2025 recipient of its A.A. Bloom Memorial Award. The honor recognizes extraordinary service in advancing the foundation’s mission to uplift lives in footwear.
Kahan served as Two Ten board chair from 2021–2023, a period where the nonprofit delivered a record number of disaster and hardship relief grants to footwear employees. During this time, the industry emerged from the Covid pandemic and faced devastating hurricanes Fiona and Ian. According to Two Ten President and CEO Shawn Osborn, Kahan lead the way as the organization navigated a post-Covid world. “He pushed us to reimagine how the Foundation operated, to think about what we needed, not just to weather a period of crisis, but to position ourselves to thrive once that crisis had passed,” Osborn says. More than 3,500 footwear families were directly impacted by Two Ten’s relief and education programs during Kahan’s time as chair.
“Those who’ve followed the growth of Birkenstock Americas know David is a transformational leader for a storied brand, but what many in the industry do not know is how deeply impactful his decade of service on Two Ten’s board of directors has been,” Osborne continues. “David not only champions our mission of lifting lives, he also thinks about the long-term advancement of the Foundation. During his tenure as board chair, we completely transformed our fundraising model, raising almost $10 million as we shifted to an approach that emphasized building more meaningful partnerships.”
The A.A. Bloom Award was created to honor the late Abe Bloom, one of the foundation’s original founders. “It is an incredible honor to receive the A.A. Bloom Award from the Two Ten Footwear Foundation, an organization that has been a lifeline for so many in our industry. Over the past decade, I’ve witnessed firsthand the profound impact of Two Ten’s mission— whether through disaster relief, education programs, or financial assistance, the Foundation is there when people need it most,” offers Kahan. “Being part of this journey, especially during some of the industry’s most challenging moments, has been deeply meaningful. I’m proud to have played a role in strengthening Two Ten’s ability to uplift footwear families, and I look forward to seeing its continued impact for years to come.”
Kahan will be given the award at the annual Two Ten Gala, scheduled on June 3, 2025, at The Glass House in New York City.
