Serena Williams is finding new mentors in the VC chapter of her career—and is learning how to be one herself

Serena Williams is finding new mentors in the venture capital (VC) sector as she embarks on a new chapter in her career, learning not only how to be a mentee but also a mentor herself. In an interview, the tennis star shared her experiences launching her VC firm, Starfire Ventures, and mentoring young founders in the Reckitt Catalyst program as the first entrepreneur-in-residence for the British multinational company.

One of the challenges Williams faced as a celebrity was maintaining the spotlight off herself; thus, she learned to be more accessible and let people reach out to her for shared business success. Williams also sought role models for this phase of her career, turning to her sister Venus, longtime Starfire Ventures partner Beth Ferreira, and even her husband Alexis Ohanian, an entrepreneur and VC co-founder of Reddit.

Williams' ultimate goal for her daughters is for them to witness the hard work their parents put into their endeavors, emphasizing the importance of consistent effort in achieving success.