Birkenstock Americas President David Kahan to Receive A.A. Bloom Memorial Award at 2025 Two Ten Gala
David Kahan, president of Birkenstock Americas, will be honored by Two Ten Footwear Foundation later this year with the A.A. Bloom Memorial Award.
The honor, which recognizes extraordinary service to advance the Foundation’s mission of lifting lives in footwear, will be presented to Kahan at the Two Ten Annual Gala on June 3 at The Glasshouse in New York City.
According to Shawn Osborne, president and CEO of Two Ten, dubbed Kahan a “transformational leader” of the storied German footwear brand.
“What many in the industry do not know is how deeply impactful [Kahan’s] decade of service on Two Ten’s board of directors has been,” Osborne said. “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.”
Watch on FN
Kahan served as Two Ten board chair from 2021 through 2023, a period when Two Ten noted that it awarded a record number of disaster and hardship relief grants to footwear employees, as the industry emerged from the pandemic and faced the devastation of hurricanes Fiona and Ian. More than 3,500 footwear families were directly impacted by Two Ten’s relief and education programs in this period, Two Ten stated.
“David led the way as we planned for a post-Covid world,” Osborne added. “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.”
For Kahan, he acknowledged what an “incredible honor” it is to receive the A.A. Bloom Award, which serves as a tribute to the late Abe Bloom, one of the original founders of the Two Ten Footwear Foundation.
“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,” Kahan said. “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.”
