“My dad is like a cactus - introverted and tough. I'm a people person, like my mom, but I got my competitiveness from my dad. He came to this country from Belarus with nothing and built a real business. He's my hero for giving me that need to run a business and for having enormous confidence in me.”

American businessman, author, speaker, and internet personality

Gary Vaynerchuk is an American businessman, author, speaker, and internet personality. He first became known as a wine critic who helped grow his family’s wine business, and later built a career around digital marketing and social media. He is the chairman of the New York based communications company VaynerX and the chief executive of its subsidiary VaynerMedia. He is also a co founder of Resy, the restaurant reservation software company, and Empathy Wines. His public work centers on business, branding, and online media, and he has become a prominent voice on how companies use digital platforms to reach audiences.