# Mandy Cabot

> Mandy Cabot co-founded Dansko in 1990 from the back of a station wagon and built it into a $140M comfort footwear empire - then gave the whole company to her employees. Now she's running Silk Grass Farms in Belize, a vertically integrated agribusiness sitting atop 24,500 acres of protected rainforest. Chapter three of an already remarkable life.

- **Role:** Co-Founder & Director at Silk Grass Farms
- **Organizations:** Silk Grass Farms, Cabot Kjellerup Foundation, Dansko (Co-Founder, retired)
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** BA, Harvard University, M.Ed., University of Virginia
- **Known for:** Co-founded Dansko in 1990, growing it to approximately $140M in annual revenue and 175 employees, Executed one of the most celebrated ESOP transitions in U.S. footwear history, making Dansko 100% employee-owned in 2012, Made Dansko one of the first B Corporation certified companies

## Career timeline

- **1976** — Graduated from Harvard University with a BA
- **1980s** — Operated Five Star Farm as professional horse trainer with partner Peter Kjellerup in Chester County, PA
- **1990** — Co-founded Dansko with Peter Kjellerup after discovering Danish clogs on a trip to Denmark to buy a horse
- **1990-1992** — Sold clogs out of the back of their station wagon to the equestrian community
- **2003** — Established the Dansko Foundation, which would go on to award over $500,000 to more than 80 charitable groups
- **2012** — Transitioned Dansko to 100% employee ownership through an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan)
- **2013** — Received the T. Kenyon Holly Memorial Award for Outstanding Humanitarian Achievement from Two Ten Foundation
- **2016** — Featured in Footwear Plus Magazine's 'Mother of All CEOs' profile
- **2018** — Retired from Dansko after nearly 30 years; company had reached approximately $140M in annual revenue
- **2018** — Co-founded Silk Grass Farms in Belize with Peter Kjellerup
- **2019** — Silk Grass Farms became Belize's first B Corporation certified company
- **2020** — Featured in Philadelphia Inquirer profile on Silk Grass Farms and Belize conservation efforts
- **2024** — Received Hal Taussig Award from UnTours Foundation for socially responsible business practices

## Achievements

- Co-founded Dansko in 1990, growing it to approximately $140M in annual revenue and 175 employees
- Executed one of the most celebrated ESOP transitions in U.S. footwear history, making Dansko 100% employee-owned in 2012
- Made Dansko one of the first B Corporation certified companies
- Established Dansko Foundation which awarded over $500,000 to more than 80 charitable organizations
- Built two LEED-certified campuses for Dansko
- Co-founded Silk Grass Farms covering nearly 8,500 acres in Belize
- Helped establish Silk Grass Wildlife Preserve protecting 24,500 acres of Belizean rainforest
- Achieved Belize's first B Corporation certification for Silk Grass Farms
- Won 2013 T. Kenyon Holly Memorial Award for Outstanding Humanitarian Achievement
- Received Hal Taussig Award from UnTours Foundation
- Served on boards of Pennsylvania-Delaware chapter of The Nature Conservancy, Penn Medicine Chester County Hospital, and Longwood Gardens

## Latest updates

- **2024-09** — Received Hal Taussig Award from UnTours Foundation recognizing socially responsible business leadership
- **2020-01** — Philadelphia Inquirer profile on Silk Grass Farms and Belize conservation work published
- **2019** — Silk Grass Farms achieved Belize's first B Corporation certification

## Links

- Website: https://www.silkgrassfarms.com
- LinkedIn: https://bz.linkedin.com/in/mandy-amanda-cabot-56b96b9
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mandy.cabot/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mandy.cabot/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/mandy-cabot
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-04-29