Posted by Actively Black
on September 25, 2026
CNBC Make It profiled Actively Black, the Black-owned sportswear brand founded by former University of Houston basketball player Lanny Smith in 2020, in a February 2023 story titled “Ex-basketball star thought Nike and Adidas weren’t doing enough for Black people—so he built a $30 million competitor.” The piece looks at why Lanny chose to build a brand rather than wait on the industry’s giants, and how reinvestment is built into how we operate. It is one of the clearest outside accounts of our business model.
Key takeaways
- CNBC Make It reported that Actively Black brought in $5.6 million in revenue in 2022.
- CNBC Make It reported that Actively Black reinvests 10% of sales into organizations supporting social justice, mental health, and physical health in U.S. Black communities.
- According to CNBC Make It, the company was reportedly valued at $30 million in 2021.
- CNBC Make It reported that Actively Black donated more than $500,000 in 2022 to programs including the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation, The Liberation Fund, Black Kids Code, Our Own, and Families United.
- CNBC Make It noted a Disney Black Panther collaboration and Nigeria’s official uniforms for the 2022 Winter Olympics among the brand’s milestones.
- CNBC Make It reported that Smith focuses on giving opportunities to Black designers, photographers, and marketers, and on building relationships with college athletes.
In Lanny's words
“A lot of these sports apparel brands have profited off of Black talent,”
— Lanny Smith, founder of Actively Black, to CNBC Make It
“I took the mindset that it was time for us to stop asking for a seat at the table.”
— Lanny Smith, to CNBC Make It
“People see themselves in these advertisements, they see something that represents them and they see something that they haven’t seen before,”
— Lanny Smith, to CNBC Make It
Why it matters
CNBC Make It framed the story against the pledges major sportswear companies made to Black communities, and against the endorsement deals that put Black athletes at the center of those brands. Lanny’s view, as CNBC reported it, is that the value created by Black talent had not been adequately reinvested back. So instead of waiting, he built a company where reinvestment is part of every sale.
That is what we mean when we say we’re not asking for a seat at the table, we’re building our own table. Lanny told CNBC Make It he thinks about what happens when a brand donating at this rate becomes a multibillion-dollar company. Every hoodie and every set is a vote for that future, and for Black designers, photographers, and models who get to see themselves in the work.
Shop the story
Support one of the organizations CNBC named through the Huey P. Newton x Actively Black collection, train in our Performance collection, or start with our best sellers.
Frequently asked questions
What did CNBC say about Actively Black?
CNBC Make It reported that Actively Black earned $5.6 million in revenue in 2022, reinvests 10% of sales into Black communities, and was reportedly valued at $30 million in 2021.
How much does Actively Black give back?
CNBC Make It reported that the company reinvests 10% of sales and donated more than $500,000 in 2022 to organizations such as The Liberation Fund and Black Kids Code.
Who founded Actively Black?
Actively Black was founded in 2020 by Lanny Smith, a former University of Houston basketball player whose NBA career ended due to injury.
Is Actively Black Black-owned?
Yes. Actively Black is a Black-owned athletic apparel brand whose mission is to celebrate Black culture and reinvest in the Black community.
Read the full feature: Ex-basketball star thought Nike and Adidas weren’t doing enough for Black people—so he built a $30 million competitor, CNBC Make It (February 2023)
