Reading through my morning online mail, I was overjoyed to see Lance Kawaguchi (above) standing at the podium for the opening bell of Nasdaq. Seeing him on that stage is both inspiring and reassuring. It sums up everything about the man that he has become.
A few short years but a lifetime ago, he
would have been at that podium to tout his perpetually booming
investment banking business. But
that was then. This is now.
He was indeed wearing a grin of accomplishment and
optimism today, but not about anything to do with his personal wealth. This was about helping others. Namely,
people with cancer.
Kawaguchi is now the CEO of the Cure Brain Cancer Foundation, and a senior Board Member of several other global cancer organizations. He didn't bring the finance folks onto that stage today. He brought new friends, co-workers, cancer patients and
others who now inhabit his new life.
Of course the real stars of this show today were the children, who pretty much took over the proceedings, which is just what Lance expected and wanted.
He
was on that podium to celebrate the courage of cancer patients and to
spread the word that he has our back. He is intensely focused on finding new
treatments and cures for cancer. He has dedicated his life to this
cause.
As a survivor of stage IV cancer myself, I am a believer in Lance's vision. The
image at Nasdaq speaks volumes. Instead of a bunch of stock and investment folks
surrounding him, today it was young people with cancer and their
families, as well as some brilliant scientific minds who are helping
Lance get to the Promised Land, which in cancer parlance means "A
Cure".
Thankfully,
Lance still has a lot of that investment banker mentality in terms of
going big, cutting to the chase and getting stuff done. But now, it's
not about him, it's about the people who happily surround him. Even The
Grinch would smile if he saw Lance's beaming face today.
Lance's mother, the beloved school teacher who sadly died of cancer, is the reason why Lance is now working in the not-for-profit sector. He has dedicated this amazing new life to his mom. And I'm sure she is looking down at her son today with great pride.