Our Mission

ACTIVE Life’s mission is to make healthy the norm by generating a persistent demand for healthy living among all sectors of society. We envision and are committed to creating an American culture which values, demands and supports healthy for all. To accomplish this goal, we are organizing the movement for healthy change by enlisting and equipping people and places to build and sustain healthy communities.

Our History

ACTIVE Life, founded in August 2009 by current CEO Baker Harrell, evolved from another non-profit organization called Youth InterACTIVE quickly established itself as an innovative leader in the provision of health-and-fitness-based after school programming in communities across Texas. Over its five-year run from 2004-2009, Youth InterACTIVE impacted the lives of hundreds of thousands of Texas youth and families.

But Baker knew more could be done.

Bolstered by his studies as an interdisciplinary PhD student specializing in health marketing, new media and social movement theory, Baker became convinced that the alarming overweight, obesity and diabetes rates across the country were the symptoms of a societal crisis fueled by unhealthy norms and obesigenic environments. He knew, too, that while Youth InterACTIVE was a worthwhile endeavor, it represented yet another traditional small-scale intervention effort that was incapable of driving the necessary societal demand and impetus for grassroots change. And so, with the backing of his Board and staff, Baker founded ACTIVE Life – an organization with the bold mission to help orchestrate and accelerate a national health movement.