There are a lot of similarities when comparing where Rural Shoes first planted roots on the Asian continent to where its American cousin plans to build its second center in the United States.
The day after Thanksgiving, Jon Levingston was traveling from the Mississippi Delta to rural India on a fact-finding and information-gathering session as he prepared to welcome People Shores to Clarksdale and Coahoma County in less than a month’s time.
Levingston, who serves as the executive director of the Clarksdale/Coahoma Chamber of Commerce, wasn’t quite sure what he would find when he finally landed in a foreign land 12 time zones from home.
The revelations would prove to be eye-opening and only confirm Levingston’s belief that People Shores and Coahoma County are a good fit for each other.
“The amount of impact they had on the communities in which they located a center was so great and so positive that it reaffirmed the value of bringing them to Clarksdale,” Levingston said. “It really reenergized me in my commitment to doing whatever I could possibly do to help them succeed in our community.”
Clarksdale will be the second People Shores center in America when they begin operations here in January.
In May, People Shores opened its first U.S. location in San Jose, Calif.
“We’ll be the second center in the United States. It’s a big, big deal,” said Levingston, who was on hand for the San Jose ceremony and also toured several Rural Shores centers during his weeklong trip to India.
He said one thing that struck him the most during his trip was the “industry of the people.”
“Their commitment to hard work, to doing whatever it takes to get something done. That same ethic forms these people,” Levingston said. “There is a certain work ethic that I witnessed in the Rural Shores centers in India that formed everything they do. It’s so impressive.”
Rural Shores formed in October 2008 with the objective to provide sustainable employment to 1 million rural youth by establishing Rural Shores centers in each of the 500 rural districts in India. Currently, there are 16 centers in eight Indian states.
The company’s vision is to transform rural youth into confident and caring knowledgeable professionals through impact sourcing.
The People Shores charter fits with what needs to happen in Clarksdale, Levingston said.
He pointed out that when he first moved here in 1983, there were four automobile dealerships. Now, there is one.
“Those are retail stores. Retail follows industry. The primary economic foundation of a community is the type of business that brings new money into the community. Typically, that is an industry,” Levingston said.
With People Shores coming here and bringing new jobs, he believes that will create a base for retail businesses, such as furniture stores, restaurants, automobile dealerships and clothing stores.
“All of these things come about as a result of having a velocity of jobs,” Levingston said.
And Clarksdale is an example of what happens when industry closes. The community starts losing population and retail businesses close.
He says People Shores will help stem that flow of people leaving the county to look for other jobs, while also providing educational tech training and jobs.
He said the community he visited in India that has a Rural Shores center now has a motorcycle dealership (which he said is a “huge deal in India”) as well as another new business.
“When you have something like this happen, you’re going to create an opportunity for retail to come into a community and that creates more jobs and more financial stability,” Levingston said.
The social commitment is a big part of the People Shores mission and it’s something Levingston also embraces.
“It’s a big deal and it moves me,” he said. “It rocks my soul and the reason it does is that what they’re trying to do is something that our community needs.
“We need educational opportunity here. We need the opportunity to train people and not send them off to work in Memphis, Jackson or somewhere. Let’s put them to work, right here in Clarksdale.”
Levingston hopes the People Shores announcement and the connections through its leadership team will help attract additional tech companies to Clarksdale and Coahoma County.
“Without any question, our question is to continue to build bridges to the tech industry,” he said. “And with the generosity of the people from People Shores, we must assuredly have that opportunity.”
Levingston said the People Shores announcement is “one of the sexiest things I’ve seen in my life coming to Clarksdale.”
Professionally, it’s also been one of the most exciting things Levingston says he’s been involved with. And that primarily is because of the people involved, mainly CEO and founder Murali Vullaganti and co-founder David Moxam.
“In addition to being accomplished and extraordinarily intelligent, committed people, they are also humane and decent,” Levingston said. “They are a unique combination and we are so blessed to have them interested in our community and we want to welcome them with the most gracious hospitality and let them know how grateful we are to them for having an interest in Clarksdale and the Mississippi Delta.”
