Serena Williams has masterfully transformed from tennis legend to powerhouse entrepreneur. In 2014, she launched Serena Ventures, a venture capital firm dedicated to diverse founders. Impressively, 53% to 68% of its investments back women-led businesses, while 76% support founders from underrepresented groups. Her mission is clear: “We don’t care what you look like, but we hear your story if you’re a woman, we hear your story if you’re a person of color, and a lot of people that look like me don’t even get their story heard.” With 14 unicorns like MasterClass and Impossible Foods, Serena is leveling the playing field—and she’s not stopping anytime soon!

On June 17, Williams joined a session at the Cannes Festival tackling the tough challenges entrepreneurs face when building companies to deliver essential healthcare in under-served areas. Many of these startups struggle with funding and lack the networks and mentorship they desperately need to thrive.

Later, Serena Williams shared her excitement on Instagram with a striking poster that said, “It’s time to empower women entrepreneurs.” She wrote a heartfelt message about her new role: “This isn’t just a title—it’s about real action. Real impact. Real change.” Williams proudly announced she’s joining Reckitt as its first-ever entrepreneur-in-residence. Through the Catalyst program, they’ll mentor 200 female and underrepresented founders, offering up to £10 million in funding and skills-based support to help scale innovations worldwide.

Wondering what Reckitt Catalyst is? Reckitt, the giant behind top health and hygiene brands, launched this global initiative to support health startups led by women and underrepresented entrepreneurs. Their goal? Improve health and hygiene access for five million people over five years with a £10 million commitment in funding, mentorship, and expertise from Reckitt leaders and Serena herself.

As Williams added on Instagram, “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.”

Her role as Reckitt’s first Entrepreneur-in-Residence fits perfectly. As a successful entrepreneur and impact investor, she’ll mentor women leading these ventures. At Cannes, she and Reckitt also announced an open call inviting women-led businesses worldwide to apply for the Catalyst program. It’s a golden chance for founders ready to scale their impact.

This move suits Serena Williams perfectly, right? Since retiring in 2022, she’s outdone herself as an entrepreneur! Since launching Serena Ventures in 2014 to back women and Black founders, she’s supported 20+ companies and made many angel investments. In 2021, she invested in Esusu, a fintech helping renters build credit. Now, she’s partnering with Esusu to give away $25,000 to one lucky person. “Life-changing money to help you breathe easier, dream bigger, and build a better future,” she wrote on Instagram just this week!

Back to her latest venture—this launch didn’t just happen overnight! Serena revealed they’ve been working on it for over two years, hoping it sparks real impact and marks the start of solving big issues. “I have always played a solo sport. This is such a great opportunity to work together,” she said during the Cannes Lions Festival panel. If you know Serena Williams, you know tennis shaped much of her life—including her business ventures, like her beauty brand!

Serena Williams reveals how Wyn Beauty was born from a day at Wimbledon

On April 2, Serena Williams celebrated a big milestone—one year since launching her makeup label, WYN Beauty, in April 2024. To mark the occasion, the brand threw a lively two-day pop-up event in Los Angeles on April 11 and 12. It was a perfect way to celebrate a year of shaking up the beauty world.

Williams shared with Shopify how WYN Beauty was born from a simple moment in the Wimbledon locker room. “I was putting sun cream in my hand and then foundation, mixing it to make my own skin tint. I thought, ‘I need something in my color, something I can use all day—even while playing,’” she said. With seven Wimbledon titles over two decades, Williams was already planning her next big move off the court.

The brand wasn’t a quick decision—it took over six years to bring her vision to life. She wanted a beauty line that reflected her spirit: strong, active, and resilient. Partnering with The Good Glamm Group, WYN Beauty now offers 91 shades across ten high-performance products in the US. Serena called the journey a marathon filled with “lots of dedication, lots of tears and lots of happiness.”

Despite the success, Serena Williams made it clear she’s not expanding WYN Beauty. “I’m done!” she said with finality. But don’t count her out—she’s still pushing forward with other ventures, helping women everywhere chase their dreams with that same unstoppable drive.