Alexis Ohanian sure knows how to make an impact! Whether it’s as an entrepreneurial powerhouse, Serena Williams’ number-one cheerleader, or a champion for social causes, the Reddit co-founder has a knack for making waves. From advocating for women’s representation in sports to championing employees’ rights, Ohanian has become a voice that resonates far beyond the boardroom. And guess what? He’s back at it again! This time, Ohanian has made headlines with a bold and remarkable plea—directed straight at U.S. Vice President JD Vance.

Vance attended March for Life on Friday, January 24, which is an annual march around the time of the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Speaking at the event, Vance, who is known for his pro-life stance, said that he wants “more babies in the United States of America.” While his focus was on the Trump government’s fight back against unrestrained abortion access, Ohanian was quick to convert it to flag a major challenge in the fulfillment of this dream.

Taking to his X account, Ohanian shared a clip of the Vice President as he made his speech. Captioning it, he wrote, “I got you! Paid Family Leave! I worked with @IvankaTrump to get 12 weeks for Fed employees and congress and POTUS made it happen. Expand it to all Americans!! 🇺🇸.” He further took to the comment section of the original video and wrote, “#PAidFamilyLeave.” Remember, Ohanian has been long vocal about the need for paid leave in the United States. 

In 2019, Ohanian met with President Donald Trump’s daughter and adviser Ivanka Trump at the White House to discuss and promote paid family leave. Notably, in October 2020, the government decided to grant a 12-week paid parental leave to all its employees if and when they become parents. Interestingly, this is not the first time when Ohanian has voiced himself for the cause on social media. 

In 2023, the Reddit co-founder took to X and wrote, “I won’t stop this fight until every American has the same opportunity I had — and doesn’t need to choose between their family and their career when welcoming a new child. If we believe that the family unit is the foundation of a society, we owe it to every American to set them up for success during these crucial first weeks.” And now, it seems that he is back at bringing the attention to the cause yet again. But what motivated the 41-year-old to voice out for a paid family leave scheme? Well, it’s something (or let’s say someone) very close to him.

When Alexis Ohanian opened up about what led him to demand Paid Family Leave

Alexis Ohanian is definitely a proven family man. And when it comes to his daughters, his love knows no boundaries. Interestingly, it was the birth of his first daughter Olympia that motivated Ohanian to take up the cause. However, it was fueled further after Adira was welcomed by the couple in 2023. 

Revealing the same, Serena Williams’ husband took to his X and wrote, “One month into my #PaternityLeave, as grateful as I am that Adira’s birth was smooth & Serena has been recovering well; this leave has been vital for our family.” Continuing further, he added how important it was for him and his family to have a paid parental leave. “With Olympia, watching my wife fight for her life, I realized not having paid leave was unconscionable. Sure, all my employees had it, but the vast majority of Americans don’t — and that includes new moms (1 in 4 women in the US return to work within 2 weeks of childbirth). Adding ahead, Ohanian shared how happy he was at the initial decisions that were taken by the government. 

“I started this fight when Olympia was born because I realized how lucky I was and we took the fight to Congress and did get 12 weeks of parental leave for all federal employees (and recently including military!) — we have much more to do.” Now, with Ohanian expressing his desire yet again, it will be interesting to see if the US government acknowledges his plea and takes some crucial steps in this regard.