willing experts in any community by connecting a design challenge with local industries, traditions, or issues. "If we were doing this in Maine," he reflected, "we might focus on lobster fishing. In Portland, it's shoes."

D'Wayne Edwards was formerly the footwear design director for Nike's blockbuster Jordan Brand. He had an illustrious career as a designer before opening his one-of-a-kind footwear academy in Portland. Pensole offers an intensive "master class" in shoe design, attracting applicants from across the country who aspire to be the next generation of shoe designers, regardless of socioeconomic background.

Edwards shared his story and insights with Catlin Gabel students, and then hosted their final pitch session at his Pensole headquarters.

Edwards started drawing shoes when he was an 11-year-old growing up in South Central Los Angeles. Hewon his first shoe design contest at 17, beating professionals and college students. The prize was a job offer that he was still too young to accept. After high school, he started working as a file clerk at L.A. Gear but earned his way to a design job by submitting a sketch a day.

The shoe guru peppered his talk with advice and anecdotes. A few highlights:

"Try to become the person you're designing for." In designing a custom basketball shoe for Carmelo Anthony, the NBA all-star, Edwards studied the player's family history, personal likes, playing style, and even the story behind each of his tattoos. For more design inspiration, Edwards went to the local zoo and watched how jaguars (whose dimensions approximate Melo's 6'8", 280 pounds) use their paws