# Vicente Fernandez

> Vicente Fernandez is the co-founder and CEO of SportsManias, the Miami company that turned officially licensed sports emojis and augmented reality filters into a fan-passion business. A University of Chicago football player turned media entrepreneur, he started the company at 19 after a phone call from his mother and co-founder, Aymara Del Aguila. He went on to ship the first officially licensed NFL player AR stickers in partnership with TikTok and the NFLPA, land on Forbes 30 Under 30 for Sports, and get invited to the White House as an Emerging Global Entrepreneur.

- **Role:** Co-Founder & CEO at SportsManias
- **Organizations:** SportsManias, Animanias, Falcon Productions Inc., Lionsgate, Accord Productions
- **From:** Miami, Florida, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** High school diploma, Belen Jesuit Preparatory School, BA, Cinema and Media Studies, University of Chicago
- **Known for:** Co-founded and leads SportsManias, billed as the leader in animated sports emojis and augmented reality filters, Shipped the first officially licensed NFL player augmented reality stickers, via partnership with TikTok and the NFLPA, NFLPA Licensee of the Year for Best Digital Breakout Product (2017)

## Career timeline

- **2010** — Graduates Belen Jesuit Preparatory School in Miami after a football season that made a run at a state championship.
- **2010-2014** — Plays football all four years for the University of Chicago Maroons while studying Cinema and Media Studies.
- **2011** — Becomes Sports Editor of The Chicago Maroon within his first year; later co-founds and co-presides over Maroon TV, the school's first television station.
- **2012** — Co-founds SportsManias with his mother, Aymara Del Aguila, after she calls with the idea of a real-time platform for diehard sports fans.
- **2014** — Works in film, including screenwriting at Falcon Productions and shadowing the set of Divergent.
- **2015** — Invited to the White House as an Emerging Global Entrepreneur at an event featuring remarks by President Obama.
- **2016** — SportsManias partners with the NFL Players Association to create real-time animated player emojis.
- **2017** — Named NFLPA Licensee of the Year for Best Digital Breakout Product; SportsManias raises a Series A.
- **2019** — Partners with TikTok and the NFLPA to launch the first officially licensed NFL player AR stickers for Super Bowl fans.

## Achievements

- Co-founded and leads SportsManias, billed as the leader in animated sports emojis and augmented reality filters
- Shipped the first officially licensed NFL player augmented reality stickers, via partnership with TikTok and the NFLPA
- NFLPA Licensee of the Year for Best Digital Breakout Product (2017)
- Forbes 30 Under 30 for Sports
- Named one of the most powerful entrepreneurs under 25 by Richtopia
- Honored at the White House as an Emerging Global Entrepreneur
- Played four years of varsity football for the University of Chicago Maroons
- Founded the first collaborative internship program between the University of Chicago and the Chicago Bulls

## Latest updates

- **2019-01** — SportsManias and TikTok launch the first officially licensed NFL player AR stickers for Super Bowl fans.
- **2017-08** — SportsManias raises a Series A round; total funding reaches roughly $10.5M.

## Links

- Website: https://sportsmanias.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/vicente-fernandez-b9312330
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/vicentesports
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/Sportsmanias

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/vicente-fernandez
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-04