AJ Vaynerchuk is a seasoned entrepreneur, thought-leader and disruptor in the sports representation industry. As co-founder and co-CEO of VaynerSports, AJ sits at the helm of an operation providing innovative solutions for a high profile collection of the best athletes and brands in the world. 

In 2009, AJ and his brother Gary Vaynerchuk co-founded VaynerMedia, a contemporary global creative and media agency. In his seven-year tenure from 2009 to 2016, AJ served as COO and helped grow the company to $100M in annual revenue, scaled a small team to 750 employees, and expanded the agency’s global footprint and reputation as a trailblazer in modern marketing. In 2016, AJ then pivoted his marketing experience and a lifelong passion for sports into a new endeavor: a first-of-its-kind, full-service athlete representation agency.

After identifying a white space in the sports agency arena, AJ built VaynerSports from the ground-up on the principle of “off the field” brand-building. In addition to negotiating player contracts, AJ curates more robust support for professional and collegiate athletes, including personal brand and network development, business opportunities, and investment education. He is a NFLPA, MLBPA and NBPA certified contract advisor and lead agent for the VaynerSports football division, negotiating players’ contracts and leading clients’ off-the-field endeavors. In 2020, he led VaynerSports’ expansion into baseball, gaming, and combat sports. In 2021, VaynerSports added basketball as a fifth sport for the agency through Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) representation, signing Memphis’ Jalen Duren. 

AJ has been at the forefront of the most successful NIL deals since the launch of the new law in July 2021, allowing student athletes to get paid for their name, image and likeness without losing amateur status. His client, Clemson Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, was the first NCAA student athlete to appear on a national TV commercial with Dr. Pepper. Additionally, AJ paired VaynerSports client, Alabama Defensive Back Ga’Quincy “Kool Aid” McKinstry, with the brand Kool Aid, one of the most newsworthy NIL deals to date. 

AJ sits on the cutting edge of not only the sports world, but business as well. He is an active partner at VaynerFund, a venture capital fund co-funded with his brother Gary Vaynerchuk. Prior to VaynerFund II, AJ was a partner at VaynerRSE, a venture capital fund focused on investments in Web 2.0 emerging platforms and technology. He was also an active angel investor, counting Uber and Venmo among the first successful startups in his portfolio.In addition to being a guest on the Sports Business Journal and Pomp Podcasts, AJ has been featured in Forbes and Business Insider.

AJ is an active advisor to The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to finding cures for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. He is a first-generation American and his family immigrated to the US from Belarus in 1978. AJ is a graduate of Boston University. He is married to his wife, Ali, with 3 young children.