About Zach Weisberg
About
Zach Weisberg is a successful entrepreneur, brand builder, and digital media executive. After receiving his MBA at USC Marshall School of Business, Weisberg pursued his vision of building The Inertia and achieving a successful exit.
At The Inertia, the world’s largest surf and outdoor media outlet, Weisberg served as Founder and CEO where he organically grew traffic from scratch to 16M users and 46M annual page views annually by executing a groundbreaking content and social strategy. He simultaneously secured innovative marketing partnerships with the world’s most influential brands and talent to profitably bootstrap growth. Weisberg led editorial direction where he oversaw production of 32,000 articles, produced hundreds of short films, and launched monumental gatherings like EVOLVE and Hometown Hype as well as direct-to-consumer digital products like Inspire Courses. In 2022, Weisberg sold The Inertia to AllGear Digital, which also owns and operates GearJunkie, Switchback Travel, and a suite of premium outdoor media brands.
After successfully integrating the team and business into AllGear Digital, Weisberg transitioned his focus to sales where he grew revenue 83% in two years. As a benchmark, media properties industry-wide contracted by 30% during this period.
Weisberg is a sharp, approachable, go-getter who understands the power of a positive attitude, persistence, and creativity when leading teams to set and exceed ambitious goals.
MEDIA
Here's How to Turn a Duke University English Degree into a Surfing Career
How Zach Weisberg Quit Surfer Magazine and Became One of Its Biggest Competitors
How Zach Weisberg Quit Surfer Magazine and Became One of Its Biggest Competitors
About halfway through my undergraduate journey at Duke University, I discovered that building a life and livelihood that revolves around the ocean was a distinct, magnetizing possibility.
Traditional? Linear? Safe? On all accounts, no.
Achievable? Very.
How Zach Weisberg Quit Surfer Magazine and Became One of Its Biggest Competitors
How Zach Weisberg Quit Surfer Magazine and Became One of Its Biggest Competitors
How Zach Weisberg Quit Surfer Magazine and Became One of Its Biggest Competitors
In 2010, when Zach Weisberg was the web editor for Surfer Magazine, print publications still struggled to understand how the Internet could play into their business. It was the year of the iPad – Instagram also launched then, Pinterest, too. Social media basically exploded thereafter – but legacy publications undervalued the Internet’s potential. This was also the year Weisberg stood up for himself.
Forbes: Meet the Entrepreneur Who Built A New Media Platform for Surfers
How Zach Weisberg Quit Surfer Magazine and Became One of Its Biggest Competitors
Forbes: Meet the Entrepreneur Who Built A New Media Platform for Surfers
Surfer-turned-journalist-turned-entrepreneur Zach Weisberg noticed that surfers didn’t talk about much of substance in their daily interactions...and certainly there was no news media outlet for ideas and thoughtful conversation around issues within the sport. Thusly, Weisberg created The Inertia, a multimedia platform created for and by surfers around the world.
The Rise of L.A.'s Startup Ecosystem
The Rise of L.A.'s Startup Ecosystem
Forbes: Meet the Entrepreneur Who Built A New Media Platform for Surfers
The outdoor sports website The Inertia has the kind of office space that Silicon Valley tech whizzes dream about. There’s an elevator outfitted with a putting green and mini golf clubs. Surfing and extreme snowboarding video games are scattered around to get the creative juices flowing.
LA Business Journal: 20 in Their 20s
The Rise of L.A.'s Startup Ecosystem
LA Business Journal: 20 in Their 20s
“I recognized a void in publishing in the world of action sports,” said Weisberg. “Nearly all publications were print first. The web was an undervalued element of their business. This was an opportunity to create something meaningful in surfing.”
Catch an Environmental Wave
The Rise of L.A.'s Startup Ecosystem
LA Business Journal: 20 in Their 20s
"Environmental issues that affect the ocean and humanity are not going to resolve themselves," said Weisberg. "Surfers represent the group of people that should theoretically care about them the most. We're canaries in the coal mine. As Sylvia Earle once said, 'Once you know, you can't un-know.'”
