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It was never about the money for tennis legend Serena Williams. During an interview on Bloomberg Originals’ “The Deal” podcast hosted by Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly, she recalls forgetting to pick up her award checks after winning tournaments, necessitating friendly reminders from her accountant. “When I started tennis, first of all, I’m from Compton, CA, and I remember playing on these courts, and my life was great. I never felt like I needed anything. So for me, money was never a motivation,” Williams told the hosts. “I remember when I first started, back in the day, they used to write out checks after you won your tournament. And I would always forget to get the checks. And so at the end of the year they would always have to say, ‘Serena, we have all these checks for you.’ I’m like, ‘Oh my God.’ And at the time, I had an accountant who would be like, ‘Serena. They sent me all these checks that you would forget to get from the tournaments.'” Instead, Williams was more focused...
May 13, 2024
Not having a chance to invest in major players in tech ultimately catapulted Serena Williams into the investment ring. During an interview on Bloomberg’s “The Deal,” Williams recalls a time in her tennis journey when she could have faced less pressure to win on the court if she had placed dollars in companies such as Facebook, Airbnb and Google — all companies valued at more than $100 billion today. “Tennis is all sponsor based, and I would see like some of these sponsors come up, but I’m like, ‘Well I have some little cash, like how did I not invest in Facebook? How can I invest in Airbnb or how did I miss Google? Or like, you know, all these companies,'” Williams said on “The Deal.” “ And I started to ask these questions like, ‘Why am I out here breaking my neck and sweating when I could have invested in these companies and I could still be doing the same thing, but it wouldn’t have to be such dire needs, ‘I’ve gotta win this U.S. Open this year. I’ve gotta pay these bills.’ So, I...
May 3, 2024
NBA legend Michael Jordan is enlisting a team of athletic superstars as co-owners of his award-winning tequila company. In a press release shared with AFROTECH™, the NBA Hall of Famer has tapped Serena Williams, Derek Jeter, and a host of other athletes and sports enthusiasts as investors in his award-winning portfolio of luxury tequilas, Cincoro Tequila. “Cincoro has always been special to me because of the authentic friendships we’ve established around enjoying Cincoro and spending time together, designing it, experiencing it, and tasting it. We are constantly striving for greatness,” Jordan, co-founder of Cincoro Tequila, said. “And now that we’re welcoming in some of my closest friends to the business, I’m looking forward to this next era of Cincoro alongside this all-star team.” The company’s new ownership group, Team Cincoro, also includes RedBird Capital Partners Founder and Managing Partner Gerry Cardinale; The Lerner Family, owners of the Washington Nationals; former NFL...
May 2, 2024
Journalist and TV host Elaine Welteroth and tennis-champion-turned-entrepreneur Serena Williams have joined forces to address the alarming maternal mortality crisis in the United States. In April 2024, a Time op-ed from the two mother powerhouses was released in alignment with Black Maternal Health Week. Williams has been open about her first childbirth in 2017 being life-threatening and causing her to undergo four surgeries afterward. Moreover, Welteroth has shared her own experience of feeling unsafe with doctors after becoming pregnant in 2021 — leading her in the direction of midwifery care, which she described as “the best decision I ever made,” per a previous Time piece. Now, the two are taking a step further than just raising awareness. According to the latest Time article, Welteroth has founded Birth Fund, a coalition that works to support families in the U.S. who can’t afford the out-of-pocket costs of midwifery care. The mission behind Birth Fund initially started in...
Apr 12, 2024
Serena Williams’ legacy extends far beyond her greatness on the tennis court. Following her retirement in September 2022, Williams focused more of her attention on the investment arena. With over a decade of investment experience, she took a pivotal step in 2014 by establishing Serena Ventures, a venture capital fund specifically designed to champion women and underrepresented founders, according to its LinkedIn profile. “I invest in a lot of companies, early companies, and I’ve always done this. I’ve actually been investing for over 14 years and just been an entrepreneur while I was playing tennis. It’s super important for me to make a plan B while I was doing my plan A,” Williams explained in a TikTok video. The VC endeavor resulted from Williams discovering the evident absence of venture capital directed toward certain demographics, which prompted her to become a vessel for change. As noted on its website, the company’s portfolio comprises 79% underrepresented founders, 54% women...
Apr 4, 2024
Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian are setting up their children for success!
Aug 23, 2023
Serena Williams’ daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian, Jr. has made history once again!
Jun 9, 2023
While Venus and Serena Williams have made sports history on the tennis court, they’ve also made history beyond it. AfroTech previously reported the sisters were the first Black women to become minority investors in an NFL team after securing a stake in the Miami Dolphins.
Jun 1, 2023
Most people envision how exactly they’re going to spend their first big check once they receive it. In Serena Williams’ case, it was the opposite situation.
May 25, 2023
Serena Williams retired from tennis, but she hasn’t let up on putting fuel to the fire of her ventures.
Apr 18, 2023
SoLo Funds seems to have a lot to celebrate. According to a press release shared with AfroTech, it is now the first Black-owned personal finance platform to reach over one million registered users.
Feb 28, 2023
Naomi Osaka being inspired by Serena Williams, along with the 23 Grand Slam singles champion’s guidance, is coming full circle.
Dec 22, 2022
Who better than Serena Williams to help other athletes through their physical recovery?
Dec 9, 2022
When taking a look at the history of tennis, it’s an unarguable fact that Venus Williams is one of the trailblazers that paved the way. In the words of her fellow legendary sister, Serena Williams: “ I wouldn’t be Serena if there wasn’t Venus.” "I wouldn't be Serena if there wasn't Venus." Serena Williams shows love to her sister, Venus 💗 pic.twitter.com/3exRlhMAZZ — ESPN (@espn) September 3, 2022
Oct 31, 2022
Calling the right shots isn’t hard for Serena Williams.
Oct 20, 2022