Student Spotlight: Sneakerhead, Kenneth Anand

Founder of 3 8 0 Group, Author, and former Yeezy General Counsel, Kenneth Anand, always ran full speed towards his goals. Besides his great love for hip hop and pop culture, that’s probably why he has an affection for sneakers and is even a self-proclaimed “Sneakerhead.” His drive and passion have always led him throughout his life and so far, he has been victorious in every race. 

After fifteen years of a successful law career, Kenneth realized that he wanted to leave his private practice and pursue his passion. “It was a wake up call for me,” says Anand. “I realized if there was any time to pivot, it was now. I could stay a partner and have a fine life, or I could try to find something that really ignited me.”  

He started pursuing his excitement for sneakers and focused on clients that were in the fashion and entertainment industries. It wasn’t long before an opportunity presented itself with one of his well-known clients, Yeezy Apparel. Kanye West’s sneaker and clothing brand wanted to hire Kenneth’s firm, but he had a better offer. “I used the opportunity to say, ‘Instead of hiring my law firm, why don’t you just hire me and I’ll come work for you guys full time.’”

Kenneth then became head of business development and general counsel to Yeezy, the leader in the multibillion-dollar global footwear industry. “When I left private practice to go to Yeezy, I didnt even think about the business world and I wasn’t anticipating making that transition. I was just trying to be the best lawyer for Kanye and Yeezy. I soon realized that every facet of my life, whether it was sneakers, fashion, hip hop, pop culture… everything that was interesting to me was rolled up into this one job. It’s so unique to find that sweet spot in your career and I felt like my life was coming full-circle.”

This inspired Kenneth to focus on the business side of the sneaker industry and pursue his MBA with Quantic. “I already knew everything there was to know about sneakers, so it was just very natural for me. What inspired me to go to Quantic was that there were terms being thrown around in business meetings by my CFO and it was like any foreign language that I needed to learn. I looked at many schools and at this phase in my life, it was less about where it was than the information itself and the quality of the learning. It was the perfect style of this learning for me. I could fly and do it on the plane, or do it in the morning before my kids got up, or after they went to bed.” 

He put these business tools to use in his daily life and knew the sneaker industry was his calling. “I knew that when Yeezy was over I needed to continue this. I didn’t want to go back to the practice of law, so I set myself up with the perfect segway.” 

In walks Sneaker Law, a bible for the sneaker industry. Kenneth and his partner, Jared Goldstein, decided to write a book that combines the legal and business side to the footwear world. “The topic of Sneaker Law came about even before I went to Yeezy,” says Anand. “The sneaker business is a 90-billion dollar industry, but most people think you can just buy a pair of sneakers and sell them for money. The goal was to introduce them to all these topics that would otherwise be daunting and standoffish, like business and law, and offer it in a way that was digestible and exciting.” 

Now, Sneaker Law goes far beyond the pages of a book. Anand and Goldstein recently lectured on the topic at Harvard Law School in January. “This is more than a book. We can go teach this, have an online course, there could be a podcast. Having that experience of making a business plan from start to finish at Quantic was extremely useful and now I have the needed confidence. All the things that I learned at Quantic were put to the test and used practically.” 

What is the latest goal that Kenneth is confidently chasing? He and former Yeezy CEO, Cristiano Minchio, have founded 3 8 0 Group, a fashion licensing company that helps celebrities, creatives, and rising brands grow and develop. “We have this bleeding heart for creatives and we just want to see creative people thrive. We set out to create a holding company that would help brands grow and develop in all ways. We take brands and we provide the infrastructure to grow. We’ve aligned with brands like Will Smith’s brand, Bel-Air Athletics, and will be debuting the first collection at our showroom in Milan.” 

Sneaker Law will hit shelves this December. Hardcover pre-orders are available now on sneakerlaw.com and e-book versions will be available on Amazon by mid-October. “As soon as you start doing what you love on a regular basis, you’re just compelled to do more to solidify your position. That’s what drives me,” Says Anand. “It’s a testament to where life can take you if you just go after what you’re most passionate about and give it your all.”