Josh Turner: From Dyslexic School Troublemaker to B-Corp Entrepreneur Donating Socks to the Homeless

Josh Turner grew up in the UK with a difficult relationship with education. Diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of 8, many of his teachers dismissed his struggles as laziness. "I was always bombing my classes," he recalls. Throughout school, he routinely found himself in the headmaster's office — not for academic achievements, but for selling fake IDs and various other schemes. "I was always getting in trouble. Luckily, I was never expelled, but I was very close to being kicked out multiple times."

His headmaster, however, saw something different. He recognized Turner's entrepreneurial spirit and his ability to problem-solve his way out of any obstacle, urging him to channel those skills toward a more noble aim.

Turner eventually did just that. After being laid off from a corporate job at the age of 23, he launched Stand4 Socks — a company that would use colorful socks as a platform to "change the world." The business initially supported various charitable causes, from gender equality in Afghanistan to child mortality reduction. But it wasn't until a failed product design led to a visit to a homeless shelter that Turner found his true mission.

"We'd lost loads of money, and I was really fed up," Turner recalls. "So I decided to take them to a homeless shelter to see if I could donate them there." He discovered that socks are one of the most-requested items at homeless shelters, as they are wear-through garments that are discarded rather than donated. "Homeless people can walk as many as 10 miles a day without fresh, clean socks, which can lead to a number of very serious foot health issues," he explains.

Stand4 Socks developed specialized antibacterial, thick socks for homeless individuals and adopted a buy-one-give-one model. The company has donated more than 850,000 socks globally and is on track to cross the 1 million mark by the end of 2026.

As a certified B-Corp, Stand4 Socks produces in a solar-powered factory using sustainably sourced materials and FSC-certified packaging. "It's not just a greenwash," Turner says proudly.

In many ways, Turner attributes his success to the very trait his teachers believed would hold him back. "I genuinely always say dyslexia is my superpower," he says. "Creativity, problem-solving and the other skills that make me a good entrepreneur stem from my dyslexia."

Since launching Stand4 Socks, Turner has returned to his childhood school many times to speak with students about being a successful entrepreneur. "It's funny to go back, and they're celebrating and shouting about my dyslexia. It's more of an inspiring thing, versus a negative, which is amazing to see."

Source: ASI Central — 'Dyslexia Is My Superpower': How Josh Turner of Stand4 Socks Found Success (https://members.asicentral.com/news/strategy/may-2026/dyslexia-is-my-superpower-how-josh-turner-of-stand4-socks-found-success/)