Livestrong has a new CEO. Chandini Portteus, formerly of The Susan G. Komen Foundation, has a pretty enormous task set out before her. Lance Armstrong, the founder of Livestrong, has had his name dragged through the mud, over the briar bushes, flushed down the toilet and then crushed in that trash disposal unit from Star Wars. As a result of his indiscretions, Lance is no longer part of the non-profits future. But his downfall hurt the non-profit greatly. So much so that it’s now Chandini’s job to make sure there is a future at all.
She recently sat down with the Austin Business Journal to discuss the future of Livestrong as well as the fate of the famous yellow wristband.
On the topic of the wristband, Chandini offered a pretty vague response:
It reminds me of where we’ve come from. It’s iconic. It’s not about what happens to the wristband but it’s more about what happens to the organization, what kind of change we lead and what next steps happen. That is the key of the next three months. People have asked about the brand and how it evolves. That’s something we’ll look at and will talk about. The wristband is part of the history and tradition of the organization and there’s opportunity for many other ways for people to show support and express themselves.
It’s hard to decipher the fate of the yellow wristband from that response. It’s clear Chandini is not running from the wristband and its important role in the non-profit’s past. But she’s not exactly endorsing the silicone bracelet as a major factor in Livestrong moving forward, either.
As quite a large proponent of silicone swag, here’s hoping they keep the bracelet in the fold.
If you’d like to read the rest of the Austin Business Journal’s interview, you can do so here.
