@fastcompany: Adidas is no stranger to controversy when it comes to brand collaborations. Take its previous parternship with Kanye West. After widespread backlash following West's more inflammatory comments, the apparel company was forced to pivot. CEO Bjørn Gulden wasn't in charge at the time but that doesn't mean Adidas didn't learn from the fall out. At the 2026 Fast Company Innovation Festival, when asked about the brand's partnership with WNBA player Sophie Cunningham—who has come under fire for comments many have deemed transphobic—Gulden said, "We support each other, but the decision-making process doesn't go through these ten layers."