April 7th 2024.
Serena Williams is a well-known and highly decorated tennis champion who recently took a break from her busy schedule to share some exciting news with her fans. In a TikTok video that went viral last month, Serena talked about her work as an investor and the groundbreaking achievements of her venture capital fund, Serena Ventures. She thought it would be fun to update her followers on her life after retiring from professional tennis.
Serena has been investing in companies for over 14 years, even while she was busy winning titles on the tennis court. As she applied her makeup, she shared, "One thing that I've been doing for years and years is investments. I invest in a lot of companies, especially early-stage ones." This has been a familiar endeavor for Serena, who explained that she wanted to have a Plan B while pursuing her Plan A as a tennis player.
In the video, Serena breaks down her journey as an investor and the more than 85 companies she has invested in personally. She proudly mentions the 14 unicorn companies in her portfolio, which are companies that have reached a valuation of $1 billion or more. One of these companies is MasterClass, which Serena discovered when they were just a small team working out of a garage in San Francisco. This experience sparked her interest in supporting women and BIPOC-owned businesses through venture capital funding.
Serena was shocked to learn that less than 2% of all VC money goes to women and even less to people of color. She recalls thinking, "They can't be real. How is it possible that only a fraction of funding goes to women and people of color?" This realization inspired her to launch Serena Ventures and make a difference in the industry. Her fund's portfolio includes 79% underrepresented founders, 54% women founders, 47% Black founders, and 11% Latino founders.
One of the companies in Serena's portfolio that stands out is Parfait, a Black-woman-owned wig customization platform. This company uses AI technology to provide all women with a virtual experience and a variety of styles to choose from. Serena's portfolio also includes other diverse and innovative companies, as she believes that true diversity means giving everyone a chance to succeed.
Aside from her work as an investor, Serena also enjoys volunteering at her daughter's school and incubating new companies. She even applies her own makeup, as seen in the TikTok video. Serena is passionate about using her platform and resources to support women, people of color, and diversity in the business world.
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