The revolution of Serena Williams began with the unparalleled intensity she brought to the tennis court at the age of 4. She has won numerous rankings during her illustrious career. She became a four-time Olympic medalist, six-time US Open champion, and the second African American woman to win a grand slam at 17 years old, ending with 23 grand slam titles. Serena Williams has proven to be one of the greatest players on the tennis court for this generation. But her impact does not stop there; the influence Williams has had off the court for women across the world is unprecedented.
She defines herself as powerful, with an impactful voice, that she is not afraid to use. Williams has a venture capitalist company, Serena Ventures, where she invests in a multitude of people, more specifically in women. Two percent of all venture capital funding goes to companies led by women. This start-up launched several years ago back in 2014. The investment firm led by Serena is already an angel investor with over 60 companies, where three-quarters of its repertoire of business founders are from historically underrepresented backgrounds.
Serena Ventures disclosed its first raise of $111 million in early March, counting 16 startups with full funding (Impossible Foods, Nude Barre, Masterclass). The essence of Serena's investments is imperative to the women's financial empowerment movement. This is only the start of her actualized potential for the next course of years, in which her next expenditure will supersede her first one.
Venture capitalists play a condemning role in determining whose ideas, products, and inventions come to life in shaping our modern-day economy and social structure. In a time where the gender gap in venture capital is leading to major inequalities, Serena Ventures' mission is to empower those underrepresented voices and change that narrative. The core of her business strategy is to empower founders to change the world through a champion mindset with an unprecedented network. This lines firmly to her persona, which embodies her determination in changing women's impact beyond tennis.
Throughout Williams' career, she has redefined the status quo of how champions look like. Ambition and individualism are the driving forces behind her business model with its core values and decisions. From time, Serena has been using her influence for the greater good, as a medium for representation. She emphasizes when companies have a wide array of diverse leadership profitability increase tremendously. Startups with at least one female co-founder perform 63 percent better than those which do not. With her worldwide status, she continues to be an advocate for women and diverse leaders to carry out their goals. Although her tennis career has come to an end, this is only the beginning of her advocacy towards a new movement for women’s wealth. Inclusive to all on a global scale, to follow in her footsteps. She has spent the last 26+ years showcasing her champion mobility on the court and is now ready to take on the world off the court.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/01/business/serena-williams-venture-fund.html
https://wappp.hks.harvard.edu/venture-capital-and-entrepreneurship
