The world's greatest athlete (arguably) recently announced she's planning to retire from tennis, but her mogul moves are just heating up. Here's some of what she's accomplished as a businesswoman.
Serena Williams has been a dominant force in tennis for more than 20 years, but she’s also a titan in business. So while Tuesday’s news about her retirement from the sport sent shockwaves far and wide, Williams’ plans to expand her empire are a no-brainer.
While simultaneously winning 23-time Grand Slams, she also runs Serena Ventures, which raised $111 million funding round this year among her many other business endeavors. The VC firm funnels investment dollars to startups headed up underrepresented founders (comprised of 76% of its portfolio), which include Black women, a long overlooked group in VC circles.
“I launched Serena Ventures with the mission of giving opportunities to founders across an array of industries,” Williams said in her announcement on Instagram back in 2019.
Now that she’s officially announced she’s evolving away from her life as a full-time athlete, here’s a look at her accomplishments as a businesswoman thus far.
01
She launched a VC firm that’s raised more than $111 Million in funds for diversity
Williams’ private company, Serena Ventures announced in March that it raised $111 million for its new early-stage venture capital firm that aims at amplifying BIPOC and women-owned businesses.
Founded in 2014, it has invested in about 60 startup companies, thirteen of which are unicorns.
02
She’s secured some of the most lucrative endorsement deals of all time
From Nike, Beats by Dre, Gatorade, Delta Air Lines, Audemars Piguet, Cash App, Aston Martin, Pepsi, Mission Athletecare, Berlei bras, OPI Products, OnePiece, IBM, Mini, Intel, Chase Bank, Wheaties, Tempur and Chase Bank among many others, the icon has had brands clamoring to work with her since 1998.
03
She’s built a fashion empire
Over the years, the tennis icon’s on-court outfits inspired almost as much talk as her powerful athleticism, and she took that all the way to the bank. Always a lover of fashion, she launched her sustainable clothing brand S by Serena in 2018, which touts the beauty of inclusivity and body positivity at any size.
She invested $13M to gain ownership of UK Football Club
Essence reported in May that Williams and Formula One star Lewis Hamilton are among the investors aiming to purchase English soccer club Chelsea. Reports estimate that it will take about $3.27 billion to secure ownership of the Football Club.
Between Hamilton and Williams’s investment, their bidding group would be $13.1 million closer to clenching ownership.
05
Her and sister, Venus are the first Black women to have ownership stake in Miami Dolphins
In 2009, Serena and Venus Williams purchased a minority ownership stake in the Miami Dolphins — making them the first Black women to ever have part ownership in the team.
06
She penned a book and launched a digital brand based on her daughter’s doll
What started as a funny series of posts via her Instagram turned into a smart business endeavor. Williams’ daughter’s doll, Qai Qai inspired a children’s book (to be released in the fall), Adventures of Qai Qai and a separate online platform that boasts more than 300k followers.
If you’ve ever been to ESSENCE Hollywood House, you know it’s more than just a series of panels—it’s a gathering of visionaries. A space where Black creatives and leaders come together to share stories, strategies, and solutions. This year’s conversation, Let’s Talk About LA: Preserving Our City, presented by AT&T, was no different.
The discussion brought together three voices, each deeply invested in shaping LA’s future: D. Smoke, the Grammy-nominated rapper and educator; Olympia Auset, founder of SÜPRMRKT, a grocery service tackling food apartheid in LA; and DJ HED, a radio personality and advocate for independent artists. Though their paths differed, their mission was the same—creating opportunities, protecting culture, and ensuring Black spaces in LA don’t just survive but thrive.
For Olympia Ausset, the work she’s doing with SÜPRMRKT goes far beyond providing fresh groceries—it’s about laying the foundation for a stronger, healthier community. “The LA we love, the cultural beacon it’s known as today, was built by people who worked hard to create their own spaces,” she shared. “The reason I do what I do is because it’s essential. We can’t achieve any of the changes I want for my community without being in good health and having access to affordable, organic food. Without places where we can gather, heal, and support each other, none of the other goals will be possible. It starts with taking care of ourselves and building those spaces together.”
From Olympia’s focus on wellness and accessibility to DJ HED’s belief in the power of self-worth, the discussion explored what it means to dream beyond individual success and invest in collective progress. “I see a lot of people who aren’t proud of where they come from, what they look like, or where they’re at in life,” he said. “I had to learn to give myself grace, to grow. I grew up in Inglewood, raised by a single mom. We lived in a car, we were on welfare, but I knew I wanted to be bigger than my circumstances. That’s what dreaming in Black is—believing in something greater and nurturing it until it grows.”
DJ Smoke also touched on this, emphasizing the importance of intention and fulfillment. “You don’t want to climb that ladder and realize you went real high in the wrong direction,” he warned. “A lot of people in LA are ambitious, but if you don’t understand your ‘why,’ you can get to the top and still feel empty. The goal isn’t just to make it—it’s to make it mean something.
Sometimes, as Black creatives, we only dream as far as the next gig or the next check, but dreaming in Black means going beyond that. “It means thinking bigger than what’s right in front of you,” said host Donye Taylor.
This conversation was a call to action – a reminder that preserving LA’s Black culture means investing in community, honoring our history, and building a legacy that lasts.
