Retiring from tennis with such a distinguished and award-winning career was not easy for Serena Williams.
Her presence flooded the court every time she stepped on it and she grew up inspiring millions of girls, teenagers and adults. Proud of this, almost three years after hanging up her racquet, she decided to continue to inspire through her personal projects.
In 2014, the 23-time Grand Slam winner launched Serena Ventures, a venture capital firm dedicated to diverse founders. There, her hard-nosed commitment shows strongly, as nearly 68% of her investments back women-led companies and 76% support founders from underrepresented groups.
Now, Serena shared with her followers on her official Instagram account a surprising announcement. With a notorious cheerfulness, the former tennis player commented “I‘m proud to join @thisisreckitt as its first-ever entrepreneur-in-residence“. Her announcement is accompanied by a photograph with the slogan “It’s time to empower women entrepreneurs.“
In the description of the post, she also excitedly wrote: “This isn’t just a title-it’s about real action. Real impact. Real change“. She also commented that “through the Catalyst program” they will provide information and advice to 200 female and underrepresented founders, “providing up to £10m in funding and skills-based support to help their innovations scale and close gaps worldwide“.
All this comes after his participation in the Cannes Film Festival, where he exposed the challenges and issues of providing medical support in underserved areas through entrepreneurial ventures. For this reason, his union with Reckitt, the giant behind the main health and hygiene brands, will seek to make a positive impact in this aspect for five million people in five years. In addition, during the event, she called for women-led businesses that want to join Catalyst.
“We need opportunities for entrepreneurs to thrive, especially women in health innovation. When given the right resources, they drive economic growth, create jobs and deliver social impact that changes lives in health and wellness” Serena concluded in her post.
Undoubtedly, her impact and experience will be key in this project that seeks to improve the living conditions of people living in underserved areas and to continue empowering women around the world.
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