Lanny Smith launched Actively Black in the wake of George Floyd’s 2020 murder, when he felt big companies’ statements on racism and social justice rang hollow.

The CEO and other senior leaders at Adidas discussed the potential fallout from its relationship with Kanye West as far back as four years ago, one report said.

Adidas giant had faced pressure from the public and its own employees to cut ties with Ye over a series of offensive comments.