About Us

Renee Hanson

Renee Krieg
CEO Vertical Athletics INC

For over 10 years, Vertical Athletics has been a leader in creating high-performance and functional products made with world-class athletes in mind but suitable for consumers of all fitness levels. Female- and Veteran-Owned, VA is owned by Renee Krieg. Vertical Athletics started in 2008 as a tall-sized athletic apparel company and evolved to focus on headbands, gaiters, and face coverings.  

 The brand introduced the first-ever adjustable-strap, non slip headband to the market back in 2009. They were the first to create fashion headbands with animal prints and sequins. Renee believed in the product so much that she hit the road in an RV and exhibited at volleyball tournaments across the country creating great exposure and success for the brand. In 2012, VA became an official headband licensee of Major League Baseball but it wasn’t until Outfielder Bryce Harper wore their Philly Phanatics headband in a 2019 game that the brand started to see unprecedented growth. They sold 30,000 units in 6 weeks due to the company’s ability to produce the headbands at their US-based factory and meet the demand of the fans at lightning speed. In March 2020, just as most sports leagues around the world shut down due to Covid-19, Renee went to work creating face masks and sending them to MLB teams. Once again, her ability to quickly turn around the product led to VA receiving official on-field rights with MLB - a first for any brand.