Exposing Anti-White Harassment + Discrimination in US Media Companies
FAQs
VaynerMedia
FAIL
vaynermedia.com
TYPE: Global Creative & Media Agency
INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS:
OWNER: VaynerX
SUBSIDIARIES:
REVENUE: $287.7 million
U.S. HEADCOUNT: ~875
GLOBAL HEADCOUNT ~2,000
10 Hudson Yards
New York, NY 10001
Nick Miaritis
+1 212 210 7000
VaynerMedia, under the leadership of CEO Gary Vaynerchuk and VaynerX’s Black female DEI executives Vanessa Hopkins (formerly Vanessa Vining), former Chief Diversity Officer (she lasted 13 months) and Brittany King (current SVP of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion), alongside Chief Heart Officer Claude Silver, implements DEI* initiatives that raise concerns for potential harassment and discrimination against White employees, as viewed through the lens of the EEOC, federal law, and New York State’s Human Rights Law (NYSHRL, § 296). The company’s DEI framework, which emphasizes “empathy” and “diverse backgrounds,” includes employee resource groups (ERGs) for groups like LGBTQ+ and mental health but lacks explicit support for White employees, potentially fostering an environment where they feel marginalized. Vanessa Vining’s focus on her identity as a “Black lesbian woman” and supplier diversity programs could prioritize certain groups, raising questions about equal treatment. Vining's mandate was broad, encompassing the development of a global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion framework. Her key focus areas included employee recruitment and retention, training and education, and supplier diversity. Critically, she was expected to partner closely with VaynerX's Chief Heart Officer (CHO), Claude Silver. She is currently OPEN TO WORK.
Brittany King, who oversees DE&I strategies across global entities, has stated “to be racialized is to be within a hierarchy… the goal should logically be to eliminate race to eliminate racism.” This statement aligns with critical race theory, which frames White people as inherently privileged and culpable, and which views Whiteness as a social construct built to perpetuate inequality. If King were to act on CRT beliefs at work, it could create a hostile work environment under EEOC guidelines and NYSHRL if such perspectives inform mandatory training or policies that implicitly target White employees. King and/or VaynerMedia seems to be distancing herself from the increasingly scrutinized field of DEI: though tasked with overseeing the company's global DE&I strategy, her LinkedIn profile as of May 2025 conspicuously omits any mention of DEI, stating her role merely as “Project Management | CSR & ESG | Impact,” a seemingly significant downplaying of her DEI leadership position (various other sites list her as Senior Vice President, Equity & Inclusion).
Claude Silver, Vaynerchuk’s right-hand woman, states, “There has never been a better time for us to concentrate on bringing humanity, emotional intelligence, equity, and diversity into the workplace.” If Silver implements equity in her role by enforcing equal outcomes and rejecting equality of opportunity, prioritizing or discriminating based on identity as either oppressed or oppressor in areas such as hiring, distribution of benefits, provision of services, awarding of government contracts, or any societal domain where opportunities, resources, and power can be redistributed, this approach fundamentally contradicts the constitutional principle of equality under the law and risks violating federal and state laws by institutionalizing identity-based preferences or penalties. Silver views the world in a Person-of-Color vs White dynamic, segregating humanity into two arbitrary, divisive blocks, as manifested in her statement, “If you are a person of color, you want to walk in here and see other people of color.”
The lack of transparency in the "Diversity & Inclusion" policy, the focus on supplier diversity without clear criteria, and the "culture add" concept in hiring risk discriminatory practices. The emphasis on "out-of-the-norm backgrounds," personal pronoun usage and a focus on identity, partnerships with “diverse” recruiters, and mentorship programs for "underrepresented individuals" may create preferential treatment, excluding qualified White candidates. The agency's proactive recruitment strategies could be interpreted as creating exclusive opportunities for certain demographics. In essence, VaynerMedia's DEI efforts, while well-intentioned, create a legally precarious situation where White employees face potential discrimination and harassment, violating NYSHRL's mandate for equal opportunity.
*DEI "equity" involves prioritizing certain racial, gender, or identity groups with targeted resources or opportunities to ensure equal outcomes at the cost of fairness and individual merit. DEI’s equity focus shares some similarities with communism and socialism in its group-based, redistributive approach, and with totalitarianism in ideological coercion.
**VaynerMedia’s practice of segregating employees into two adversarial racial categories, BIPOC/People of Color vs White, can be seen as problematic under the NYSHRL and may raise concerns under federal law and with the EEOC, as it creates distinctions based on race that could foster division, disparate treatment, and a hostile work environment, potentially violating prohibitions against discriminatory employment practices.
This information is based on publicly available information, including websites, case studies, and news articles from a recent period. To ensure you have the most accurate and current information, please refer to the company's official announcements. The information provided on this website is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice; consult a licensed attorney for specific legal guidance.
DieDEI.co is waiting on internal materials for a fuller picture of VaynerMedia’s DEI program. Follow us on social and subscribe to our newsletter for updates.
NOTE: Client lists are subject to change. This information is based on publicly available information, including websites, case studies, and news articles from a recent period. To ensure you have the most accurate and current information, please refer to the company's official announcements.