Please join The Canadian Club of Toronto on Friday, June 3rd when Michael Budman, Co-Founder of Roots Canada, in conversation with Amanda Lang, Senior Business Correspondent for CBC News, discusses the importance of manufacturing in Canada; why Canada is increasingly marketable at home and abroad and how Roots has contributed to it; how companies can – and must – remain relevant; why the heritage of a company (such as Roots and Algonquin Park) can be critical to a company’s future; and the values that have made Roots such a successful Canadian company in North America and Asia.
Born in the United States in 1946, Michael attended public and high school in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan. In 1968, he graduated from Michigan State University with a B.A. in Communications.
In 1956, while still living in Detroit, he began attending Camp Tamakwa in Canada’s world famous Algonquin Park, north of Toronto. It marked the start of his lifelong love for Algonquin Park, celebrated for its unspoiled wilderness and natural beauty. Over a 13-year period, Michael spent his summers at Tamakwa as a camper, counselor, canoeing instructor and boys camp director. It had a strong influence on Michael, contributing greatly to his attraction to Canada. In 1970, he moved to Toronto where he first taught history at a local high school.
In 1973, Michael and fellow Tamakwan and former Detroiter Don Green founded Roots Canada. They first thought of the idea and did the initial planning for Roots in Algonquin Park in 1972. They began with a small store in downtown Toronto selling a single product: the Roots negative heel shoe. It was an overnight success. Since then, Roots has grown into an internationally recognized contemporary lifestyle brand producing a wide range of high-quality leather goods, apparel, yogawear, bags, and accessories. Today, Roots employs nearly 2,000 people in Canada and has 120 stores in North America and 50 in Asia, a state-of-the art leather factory, design and research centre and distribution centre in Toronto and numerous licensees.
In 1981, while living in France where he was then overseeing the European operations of Roots, Michael co-founded Paris Passion, the acclaimed city magazine that was published until 1991. He was Executive Publisher of Passion, which covered contemporary Paris life, French culture, the arts, entertainment, literature, design, architecture, style, fashion and politics.
In addition, Michael has been involved in numerous cultural projects and entertainment events. He has served as an advisor on several films and music productions while Roots has sponsored many arts-oriented initiatives in Canada and the United States including the Toronto International Film Festival (for which he was a former board member) and the Comedy Festival in Aspen.
Under Michael’s guidance, Roots achieved extraordinary worldwide prominence outfitting the Olympic teams of several countries. In 1998, the Canadian Olympic team in Nagano, Japan showed the world Roots style with the Canadian poorboy cap, which also proved a massive retail success. In 2002 at the Salt Lake City Winter Games, the beret Roots made for the US Olympic team became one of its all-time bestsellers. In 2004 in Athens, Roots was the official outfitter of Canada, the US, Great Britain and Barbados. In 2006, Roots outfitted the US Olympic team competing in Turin, Italy.
Through both Roots and personally, Michael has long supported many community-related causes, charities and organizations, especially those involved in helping the environment and children. Among his most recent contributions, Michael is an active supporter and Board Member of Right to Play, an organization founded by Olympic Gold Medalist Johann Koss dedicated to improving the lives of underprivileged children around the world through sport. Michael is also a Board Member of Waterkeeper Alliance, founded by Bobby Kennedy Jr. to protect rivers and lakes in Canada and the United States. Over the years, Roots has been a leader in the retail industry in Canada with its commitment to environmental matters, literacy campaigns and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle.
Michael is an avid athlete, active in many sports. He is married to Diane Bald, a highly successful Toronto-born architect who is also Creative Director at Roots. They have two children, live in Toronto and maintain a cabin in Algonquin Park.
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