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Gary Vaynerchuk is known across social media as Gary Vee, a serial entrepreneur worth over $200 million. He's launching a new four-month accelerator to transform founders from within — for a price.
The accelerator is called vYve (pronounced "vive" like the number "five"), and it's running through Vaynerchuk's creative and media agency, VaynerX, he tells Entrepreneur. It gives a small batch of 12 founders and corporate leaders a personalized program to grow in all areas — in their business, on a personal scale, and as a leader.
"We felt like there was a moment in time, and there continues to be a moment in time in the business world where people need a substantial leveling up both in their spirit," Vaynerchuk said. "I think that is a very big deal for us."
There are 14 hours of live sessions with notable names, including Deepak Chopra and Bobbi Brown, a three-day summit in Santa Fe, executive coaching, and peer-to-peer sessions. The program accepted its first batch of about a dozen founders three months ago in stealth mode.
The program costs $50,000 to attend, and there's already a waitlist.
Andrea Sullivan, Gary Vaynerchuk, and the VaynerX president of startup operations James Orsini. Credit: VaynerX
Vaynerchuk says that vYve arose because of "demand from the outside and journeys from the inside." While growing his businesses, he observed that interactions between VaynerX and its corporate and startup founder clients went beyond just tactics or marketing strategy.
Related: The World According To Gary Vaynerchuk
"It had a lot more empathy, a lot more emotional intelligence, a lot more of what modern people call spirituality to it," Vaynerchuk said. "And so it just had more heart to it, which was wonderful."
Based on what he saw, he identified an opportunity to "level up" leaders both emotionally and tactically. vYve focuses on mental and emotional health, which are part of stepping up to higher professional success, Vaynerchuk explained.
Related: Stop Doing These 3 Things on Social Media, says Gary Vaynerchuk
Part of the program's appeal is access to Vaynerchuk himself. He has 10.2 million followers on Instagram and built his fortune through endeavors such as the restaurant booking app Resy, acquired by American Express in 2019, and the winery Empathy Wines, acquired by Constellation Brands in 2020. The vYve program features a two-day in-person kickoff session with Vaynerchuk and an additional 1:1 session.
In a recent one-on-one session with someone currently going through the accelerator, Vaynerchuk said the person wanted to do right by her team for an issue she's struggling with from higher-ups. Vaynerchuk reminded her that her team was "not 6-year-olds at kindergarten." They were in their forties and fifties making over half a million dollars per year in salary and they could handle what she was talking about.
Other vYvers could be dealing with insecurity and fear that affect their management styles.
"One of the things I'm most excited about this program is that for some people self-esteem is their issue, even though they've gotten to the highest levels," Vaynerchuk said. "And we need to talk about that."
VaynerX chief marketing officer Andrea Sullivan also told Entrepreneur that despite the $50,000 price tag, they "haven't had an issue in terms of interest." She stated that the program has a waiting list and the first group of vYvers felt as if it was a "worthwhile investment."
"They make it back in spades," Sullivan said.
Related: Gary Vaynerchuk on the Power of Authenticity and Accountability
