Hugh Jackman is no stranger to the charity scene, but his latest effort to help make a difference is a few steps beyond your average PSA or short-lived campaign. The 43-year-old star of both film and theater marked his birthday today with the launch of Laughing Man Worldwide, a new business that uses 100 percent of profits to benefit those in need around the world.
In a video for the new brand, Jackman says that he had his light bulb moment for the company while performing charity work for the organization World Vision in Ethiopia.
"I met a man who changed the way I looked at the world. As Dukale and I planted coffee trees together, I began to see the potential for one man’s hard work to transform an entire community … While working with Dukale that day, I was so inspired by what I learned from him and his community. I made Dukale a promise to do my bit to help. Laughing Man Worldwide is the fulfillment of that promise.”
The first company incubated by Laughing Man Worldwide is Laughing Man Coffee and Tea, featuring a wide array of products made with crops from farms in Ethiopia, Peru, Guatemala, Papua New Guinea and beyond.
In terms of charity, the company plans to first focus on education, believing that it is "the essential foundation for ensuring a peaceful, healthy and prosperous worldwide community."
"We support innovative and effective educational initiatives both here and abroad," they add. "To begin with, we have partnered with Harlem Village Academies and Dr. Deborah Kenny. We have visited these schools and consider them to be a premier example of what education can be and can do."
While you can order all of Laughing Man's products online, Jackman has also partnered with longtime friends Barry and David Steingard to open a café at 184 Duane St. in the Lower Manhattan neighborhood of Tribeca. The 200-square-foot shop is expected to open to the public on Oct. 17.
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