Spreading KINDness
On November 12, John Leahy ‘75 VSB, president and COO of KIND Healthy Snacks, visited VSB to deliver a classroom lesson aimed to inspire young students interested in entering the financial field. He graduated from Villanova with a degree in business administration and used his experiences from VSB to enter the world of sales, marketing, and supply chain management.
Leahy has visited Villanova each semester for the past five years to help demonstrate what it takes to create a successful business. He said, “Besides being a VSB alum, Philadelphia is my hometown. Nothing is more important than giving back as well as providing real-world discussion relative to today’s business environment.”
Before joining KIND in 2009, Leahy worked for more than 30 years, becoming well known in big corporations such as Playtex, Nestle, Johnson & Johnson, and NBTY. Even though he was living the corporate dream, he wanted something more. When he discovered KIND, Leahy was inspired by their philanthropic focus and philosophy of creating great and healthy food that customers want to put in their bodies.
Leahy informed students how crucial it is to have a mission statement that everyone enjoys following. KIND’s mission is to spread and celebrate kindness, which is why Villanova celebrated World KINDness Day on November 13 to align with KIND’s mission with help from KIND University Ambassador (KUA) Madeline Shiley ‘17 VSB.
Through Madeline’s ambassadorship, VSB has been able to work with KIND. “Being a KUA is about bringing KIND to life on Villanova’s campus,” Madeline said. “I have seen the spirit of KIND being embraced every day at Villanova. I love sharing what it means to do the KIND thing for your body, your taste buds, and your world with all the students at Villanova!”
Leahy then explained that there is more to business than just making profit and let the students in on KIND’s strategic marketing sampling approach. “Sampling,” Leahy said, “is a way to interact with customers while allowing them to try delicious KIND snacks.” He sampled KIND’s new breakfast bars to the students and asked them for feedback about these new products.
Originally published in the Winter 2016 Issue of Villanova Business magazine.
John Leahy ‘75 VSB
“Nothing is more important than giving back as well as providing real-world discussion relative to today’s business environment.”