Gary Vaynerchuk is known on social media as Gary Vee, a serial entrepreneur value over 200 million dollarsNow it’s launching a four-month accelerator that goals to rework founders from the inside out — for a fee.
The accelerator, called vYve (clear “vive” like the number “five”), operates inside Vaynerchuk’s group of corporations, VaynerX. It provides a small group of 12 founders and corporate leaders with a personalized development program in several areas — personally and in business.
“We felt like there was a moment in time, and there still is a moment in time in the business world, where people needed a significant elevation both spiritually and in business,” Vaynerchuk said. “I think that’s a very important thing for us.”
It includes 14 hours of live sessions with big names including Deepak Chopra and Bobbi Brown, a three-day summit in Santa Fe, executive coaching and peer-to-peer sessions. The program has welcomed an initial group of about a dozen founders three months ago in hidden mode.
The cost of participating in the program is $50,000, and the waiting list is already open.
Andrea Sullivan, Gary Vaynerchuk, and VaynerX President of Startup Operations James Orsini. Source: VaynerX
Vaynerchuk says vYve was founded on “external demand and internal journey.” As he grew his businesses, he noticed that the interactions between VaynerX and its founding corporate and startup clients went beyond tactics or marketing strategy.
“There was a lot more empathy, a lot more emotional intelligence, a lot more of what modern people would call spirituality,” Vaynerchuk said. “And there was just more heart to him, which was great.”
From what he saw, he identified an opportunity to “elevate” leaders each emotionally and tactically. vYve focuses on mental and emotional health, which are a part of getting on the path to greater skilled success, Vaynerchuk explained.
Part of the appeal of the show is access to Vaynerchuk himself. He has 10.2 million Instagram followers and built his fortune on ventures like restaurant reservation app Resy, taken over by American Express in 2019 and the Empathy Wines winery, acquired by Constellation Brands in 2020. The vYve program includes a two-day inaugural session with Vaynerchuk and an additional individual session.
During a recent one-on-one with someone currently going through the accelerator, Vaynerchuk said the person desired to do right by her team on an issue they were struggling with because of their superiors. Vaynerchuk reminded her that her team was “not six-year-olds in kindergarten.” They were in their 40s and 50s, making over half a million dollars a yr, and could handle what she was talking about.
Other vYvers may struggle with uncertainty and fear, which affects their management style.
“One of the things that excites me most about this show is that for some people, self-esteem is an issue, even though they’ve reached the highest level,” Vaynerchuk said. “And we need to talk about that.”
Andrea Sullivan, CEO of vYve, also said Entrepreneur that despite the $50,000 price tag, they “had no problem getting interested.” She said the program has a waiting list and the first group of vYvers felt it was a “worthwhile investment.”
“They come back with a vengeance,” Sullivan said.