John Cronin, co-founder of John’s Crazy Socks, rose early to attend a networking breakfast held by the Huntington Chamber of Commerce. It was a meet-the-candidate event with elected officials and candidates for Town and County races in attendance.
The breakfast was more than just an idle social event for John. It was an important opportunity to make his voice heard. John spoke with the candidates about his business and about issues affecting people with differing abilities.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 27 percent of the U.S. population has some form of disability. This represents a significant portion of the nation that is too often ignored.
“It is important that people with differing abilities speak up. We need to make our voices heard,” said John. “It is also important that elected officials and businesses recognize the disabled population.”
John Cronin Advocates for the Rights of People with Differing Abilities
Working with his father, Mark X. Cronin, John established John’s Crazy Socks and bootstrapped the business into the world’s largest sock store offering more than 4,000 different socks. Every day, John works to show what people with differing abilities can do if given the opportunity.
John has Down syndrome; that did not stop him from creating his own business and serving as the face of that business. More than half of John's colleagues at John's Crazy Socks have a differing ability.
Hiring people is not enough, we want to show the world what is possible. We host tours of our operation and more than 2,000 people have visited our facility. We host work groups from high schools and social service agencies and more than 1,000 people have participated in that program. We create content that shows what people can do and share that on our social media platforms where we have more than 240,000 Facebook followers and 60,000 Instagram and TikTok followers. John and Mark have recorded two TEDx Talks about hiring people with differing abilities.
The business has created a platform from which John and Mark can speak. They often meet with elected officials advocating for the rights of people with differing abilities. The father and son team have testified twice before the US Congress and have spoken twice at the United Nations. They are sought-after keynote speakers and address meetings of business leaders presenting the argument that hiring people with differing abilities is not altruism, it is good business.
John and Mark work with other businesses to help them hire people with differing abilities. They are active members of the CEO Commission for Disability Employment and the Neurodiversity at Work Business Roundtable.
John attending the candidate breakfast was far from a simple social event, but an important piece in his overall effort to make his voice heard, to speak up for people with differing abilities and to achieve true inclusion.
About John’s Crazy Socks
John’s Crazy Socks was inspired by John Lee Cronin, a young man with Down syndrome, and his love of colorful and fun socks—what he calls his “crazy socks.” He and his father, Mark X. Cronin, started the company as a social enterprise with a mission of Spreading Happiness™. With more than 4,000 socks, John’s Crazy Socks is now the world’s largest sock store. More than half their employees have a differing ability, and their Giving Back program has raised over $640,000 for charity partners like the Special Olympics, the National Down Syndrome Society, and the Autism Society of America. Most of all, they are Spreading Happiness™.
For more information about John’s Crazy Socks, visit our webpage, Facebook page, Instagram account, TikTok or YouTube channel. You can also contact us at 631-760-5625 or via email at service@johnscrazysocks.com.
