The Boxer Becomes the 9 Million Dollar Man

In 1998, Croatian Zeljko Mavrovic entered the ring against Lennox Lewis for the heavyweight title in the National World Boxing Championship.  One American reporter described him as a “mohawked mystery man with a macrobiotic diet and his own private mantra.”

A decade later, Mavrovic is a successful grain producer and baker, educating Croatians about organic food and sustainability while providing economic opportunity.  According to Mavrovic, he wanted to invest his boxing earnings “in something that would not only allow me to continue to grow personally, but also to bring benefits to a larger community and to planet Earth.”

Mavrovic, who spoke at last week’s Ninth International Conference on Corporate Social Responsibility in Zagreb, explained how what he learned in boxing carries over to building a business that is good for people and the planet:  learning best practices, understanding the system, working through the pain, and reserving your resources.

The former boxer has established a set of organic grain farms, an agricultural cooperative, a bakery, and distribution company.  They are separate businesses, but source from and sell to each other.  Founded with his boxing earnings, Mavrovic’s companies now earn about US$9 million annually in revenues, while respecting workers’ rights and educating farmers on organic farming practices.

Croatia has had a hard run since breaking away from the former Yugoslavia in the early 1990s.  Despite a booming tourist industry, unemployment is high, and there is concern over joining the Euro Zone.  But the country is weathering the global economic crisis better than others, and because of the work of social entrepreneurs like Mavrovic, there is plenty of reason for Croatians to feel optimistic about their future.