Back in October 2017, Oofos co-founder and CEO Lou Panaccione stood next to marketing director Duncan Finigan and other Oofos colleagues at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and presented the Boston-based cancer treatment and research center a check for $81,680.
It was the brand’s first big donation to Dana-Farber as part of its now decade-old Project Pink initiative, a philanthropic effort spawned by Finigan’s own 2014 diagnosis of stage-four metastatic breast cancer. And that day, Panaccione made Finigan a promise.
“Someday,” he said, “we’ll get this to $1 million.”
It seemed a wild, overly ambitious pledge from Panaccione and Oofos, then a fledgling company clawing for brand recognition and shelf space in run specialty doors and other retailers. But Finigan, optimistic and loyal, responded with a smile.
“She totally believed in Oofos and knew we were committed to these programs,” Panaccione says of Finigan.
Since launching Project Pink in 2015 and donating a portion of sales from Oofos.com and Project Pink-specific styles to Dana-Farber and its Jimmy Fund, Oofos has raised more than $5 million for breast cancer research at Dana-Farber, honoring Finigan’s life and sharpening an integral part of its brand story.
‘The cause chose us’
Finigan was a central figure in Oofos’ early years. She began working at Oofos in November 2011, the same year Panaccione founded the company alongside Paul Brown, Juan Diaz and Steve Liggett. Panaccione describes Finigan as an energetic, outgoing soul who was passionate about Oofos and eager to discuss the brand with anyone she met.
“We had to hold her back at times because she wanted to do everything,” Panaccione says.
After receiving her life-altering breast cancer diagnosis in 2014, Finigan remained a lively force at the upstart company and continued championing Oofos in the marketplace. When leadership asked Finigan what they might do to help, she suggested raising money for Dana-Farber. Panaccione and his colleagues immediately agreed and an inspired Finigan spearheaded the creation of Project Pink.
In addition to the product sales piece, Finigan sparked Oofos’ involvement with the Pan-Mass Challenge, a two-day cycling event raising money for Dana-Farber. In August 2015, she and Panaccione participated in the bike-a-thon and raised approximately $10,000 for Project Pink.
By 2017, Oofos had cobbled together enough product sales to warrant a check presentation to Dana-Farber. That first $81,680 donation, however, was just the beginning.
Philanthropy with purpose
On May 26, 2019, Finigan, a mother of four boys, passed away. Project Pink, however, endured and, in fact, accelerated as Oofos blossomed as a company.
In January 2021, Project Pink crossed $1 million in donations to Dana-Farber. A year later, fueled by sales of the Project Pink-specific Pink Camo Pack, the initiative reached $2 million. In the coming months, Panaccione expects lifetime donations from the brand’s e-commerce sales alone to eclipse $5 million.
At the same time, Oofos’ presence and fundraising efforts at the Pan-Mass Challenge have soared as well. Last year, Team Duncan featured more than 100 of Finigan’s family, friends and colleagues, including 21 Oofos employees. Together, the team raised more than $1 million.
While Panaccione says Oofos’ corporate mission “to make people feel better” begins with its technology and products, it also extends to how Oofos “operates and lives as a company.” He calls Project Pink a core component of the brand’s livelihood – today and moving forward.
“Even though we’ve made it this far, we’re going to grow it even more,” Panaccione says. “We’ll hit $10 million a lot quicker than we hit $5 million.”
And Panaccione can’t help but wonder what Finigan would think of that.
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This summer, Running Insight will publish its third annual Anniversary issue recognizing milestone anniversaries across the running industry. If you are a running retailer or brand celebrating a notable milestone anniversary in 2025 of at least 10 years, please share details with Running Insight senior writer Danny Smith at [email protected].
