Jeff Webb is a well-known Shelby County, Tennessee-based entrepreneur, author, and business leader. Webb is the creator and former CEO of Varsity Brands and the president of the International Cheer Union. In addition, the renowned entrepreneur serves as a senior editor for the Washington, D.C.-based news and commentary website Human Events.
The entrepreneur has appeared in several renowned magazines, including Entrepreneur, Forbes, and the Wall Street Journal. He authorizes several best-selling books, including American Restoration: How to Unshackle the Great Middle Class.
Webb is an avid conservationist and philanthropist outside of work. He also has a variety of hobbies and interests, such as sailing, duck hunting, and one-wheeling.
Current Positions in the International Cheer UnionWebb is the International Cheer Union's founder and president. The International Cheer Union is the world's governing body for cheerleading. In 2016, the organization was named the sport's global governing body.
The International Cheer Union, sometimes known simply as Cheer, was founded in 2004. Jeff, the organization's founder, became president three years later in 2007, having previously worked with the National Cheerleaders Association and the Universal Cheerleading Association.
Cheer supports over 7.5 million athletes globally. The organization is a proud member of the Association for International Sports for Everyone member, led by president and founder Webb. The International Cheer Union is a non-profit worldwide governing body. Its objective and purpose are to improve the sport of Cheer.
Human OccurrencesJeff Webb is the Human Events website's senior news editor. Human Events is a long-running news and analysis publication in Washington, D.C. It gets its name from the opening line of the Declaration of Independence of the United States. In 2020, Webb, an entrepreneur, author, and business leader, will join Human Events as senior news editor.
According to its creators, Human Events began as a print publication in 1944. In 2013, it became a digital-only newspaper. Webb co-publishes the website with executive opinion editor Will Chamberlain in addition to being its senior news editor.
Webb oversaw Human Events' purchase of The Post Millennial, a Canadian online news magazine, in 2022.
Work Experience at Varsity BrandsVarsity Brands founder and former CEO Webb founded the company's precursor, Varsity Spirit, in 1974. Varsity Spirit is currently a subsidiary of Varsity Brands. Webb was the CEO of Varsity Brands until 2018. He then served as the company's chairman until 2020.
Based in Memphis, Tennessee, Varsity Spirit is a global innovator in cheering, dance teams, and the performing arts. Over a million athletes connect with Varsity Spirit annually through educational camps, contests, and other activities.
Webb resigned from Varsity Spirit and its parent business, Varsity Brands, to focus on the International Cheer Union and other projects, including Human Events.
Herff Jones Webb served as Herff Jones' chairman until 2020. The Indianapolis-based corporation is heavily involved in top-tier collegiate and professional sports, including Cheer. It is primarily recognized for producing and distributing educational recognition items and achievement-based motivating materials.
Webb, the chairman, took over in 2014, following Varsity Brands' acquisition of the firm the previous year.
Academic BackgroundJeff Webb attended the University of Oklahoma, a prestigious public research institution located south of Oklahoma City in Norman, the state's third-largest city. Established in 1890, it offers a substantial university experience in a private college atmosphere. The institution has three Oklahoma sites and offers study-abroad options at various international universities.
Webb graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a bachelor's degree in political science and government. Throughout his time at the school, he became an active campus leader and was heavily involved with the cheer squad. As a result of his engagement, he began working for the National Cheerleaders Association while still a university student.
Webb stayed active in the National Cheerleaders Association after finishing his studies at the University of Oklahoma. His continued collaboration with the association would eventually establish his business career. He then left the National Cheerleaders Association to found the International Cheerleading Association and the forerunner of Varsity Brands, Varsity Spirit.
Volunteering for CharitiesWebb, an avid philanthropist, is a well-known entrepreneur, author, and business leader. He has collaborated with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital for almost a decade. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is changing how the world thinks about, treats, and fights children's cancers and other life-threatening illnesses.
He has also contributed significantly to the Special Olympics organization. The Special Olympics movement is the world's largest athletic organization. It provides year-round training and activities for disabled children and adults. It presently serves over 5 million people in over 170 countries worldwide.
Webb was formerly a long-time sponsor of the now-defunct Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon. The Muscular Dystrophy Society benefited greatly from the yearly telethon. The Muscular Dystrophy Association, a non-profit organization, is dedicated to helping people with neuromuscular illnesses.
AccomplishmentsJeff Webb, more than any other individual, is recognized for advancing and developing cheering as a sport. He is also in charge of making cheerleading an official Olympic sport. He is still largely acknowledged as a worldwide cheering leader and credited with establishing an international reputation for the sport.
Webb is the best-selling author of American Restoration: How to Unshackle the Great Middle Class. The 192-page book details the author's efforts to make cheering a globally recognized sport. It also identifies several actions the author believes are necessary to unlock the potential of the American middle class.
Personal PassionsJeff has diverse hobbies and interests outside of his profession as an entrepreneur, author, business leader, and philanthropist. Boating, conservation, duck hunting, and one-wheeling are hobbies and interests.
Father-of-two Webb spends as much time with his close friends and family. Shelby County, Tennessee, is where he was born and reared. He is still in Tennessee, where he lives in Memphis on the Mississippi River with his Labrador Retriever dog.
Portfolio of Webb