Serena Williams just added another title to her long list of wins. She’s now making history as the first athlete to appear on Forbes’ Richest Self-Made Women List in America.
You may have heard about the list before — Kylie Jenner was named on the list last year, causing many to question Forbes’ definition of “self-made.” This year, Williams is on the list after securing multiple partnerships, investing in tech companies, starting her own venture capital firm and joining the board of some growing startup companies.
Williams announced her VC firm Serena Ventures in April, quietly funding over 30 companies led by women and underrepresented groups since 2014. The companies range across the beauty, food, and retail industries.
“I launched Serena Ventures with the mission of giving opportunities to founders across an array of industries,” Williams said in an Instagram post. “Serena Ventures invests in companies that embrace diverse leadership, individual empowerment, creativity and opportunity.”
Mayvenn Hair, an online hair extension company, and women-focused co-working space, The Wing, are on the list of Serena Ventures-funded companies. She also invests in tech companies like photo-sharing app, Mobli; food delivery service, Daily Harvest; SurveyMonkey, PoshMark, and Bumble Fund.
Williams serves on the board of directors for SurveyMonkey and PoshMark. In addition to her position at PoshMark, Williams sells her clothes through the platform to help fund her non-profit Yetunde Price Resource Center, which serves emotional and physical trauma victims throughout Compton and surrounding areas.
This is just a small glimpse of Serena’s portfolio. The tennis star has invested in at least 34 startups in the last five years with no signs of slowing down or quitting her day job.
