OWNERSHIP
José Bautista
Over a 15-year career in Major League Baseball, Bautista was one of the most feared sluggers of his era, with 344 career home runs. He played for eight clubs, most notably the Toronto Blue Jays, who recently awarded him the “Level of Excellence” to recognize his outstanding achievements over his ten seasons in Toronto. He was named an MLB All-Star six years in a row from 2010-15 and twice led the majors in home runs, in 2010 and 2011, the same years he won the Hank Aaron Award.
Born and raised in the Dominican Republic, Bautista represented his home country at the 2020 Summer Olympics (delayed until 2021 due to COVID-19) in Tokyo, Japan. His leadership helped the D.R. earn a bronze medal, punctuated by a walk-off hit and his signature bat flip that sealed the win over Israel to secure the team’s place in the semifinals.
Since his retirement from professional baseball, Bautista has established himself as an active and thoughtful investor, board member, philanthropist and entrepreneur. His on-field prowess and reputation as an ethical businessman has led to partnerships with significant brands, including Audi, Hublot, Coca-Cola, TD Bank, Fanatics, General Mills, The Players Tribune, Silver Jeans, Booster Juice (Canada), Pizza Pizza (Canada) and New Balance.
Bautista was an early equity partner, lead investor, and board member for Marucci Sports, a baseball equipment startup that was sold to Compass Diversified Holdings in 2020. Additional business interests include stakes in Canada Goose, which went public in 2017, and Endy Sleep, which was acquired by Sleep Country in 2018, and currently serves as a Partner and Senior Advisor to Aquilance, a leading household financial management firm that assists successful individuals, entrepreneurs and families to make better-informed financial decisions and save time on administrative tasks.
Bautista is passionate about supporting the community and has committed himself as a resource to athletes around the world. He founded the Bautista Family Education Fund in 2011, which provides support and assistance to student-athletes aspiring to attend university programs in the United States and Canada.
