"Like attracts like; diversify, change who is writing the checks" - Serena Williams reveals why she started her venture

Former World No.1 Serena Williams has always been very vocal about things she believes in. Growing up, not many had expected Williams to become one of the best players of all time. However, she worked hard and rose through the ranks to rule the field for many years.

Similarly, the 40-year-old has been trying to savor the same success in the business field with her company Serena Ventures. Williams founded the capital firm, based in San Francisco, California, back in 2014. The firm's motto is "to ignite change by investing in opportunities that make the everyday lives of everyday people better."

In a recent video, real estate developer Don Peebles, named one of 40 most powerful African Americans in business in American history, was seen talking about the lack of opportunities for black women entrepreneurs.

"Last year, the one group who started the most small businesses of any category were Black Women. 30% of all small businesses in the United States in 2021 were started by Black Women. Black Women get less than 2/10ths of one per cent of Venture Capital of Private Equity. Imagine the unfair advantage, the majority of the country is women. So White Men receive 98.7% of all capital," Don Peebles said.

Responding to the video on social media, Williams revealed that she started her own company to give equal opportunities to Black Women.

"The reason I started @SerenaVentures is because of these numbers. Like attracts like. Diversify. Change who is writing the checks." Williams tweeted.

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Serena Williams to play US Open series for first time since 2015

Serena Williams greets the crowd. Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Serena Williams is all set to play in the US Open series for the first time since 2015. Williams recently returned to the tour from a long hiatus at Wimbledon, where she was knocked out in the opening round by Harmony Tan.

The veteran has been named in the Cincinnati Masters Open draw, with the WTA 1000 tournament set to begin on August 13. The 23-time Grand Slam champion is a two-time champion in Cincinnati, winning the title in 2014 and 2015.