Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian proudly highlights his impact on women's sports since stepping back from Reddit

Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian has embarked on an inspiring journey since stepping away from Reddit in 2020, profoundly impacting women's sports and entertainment. At the upcoming Web Summit Qatar, Ohanian will headline a session titled "Why the creator of Reddit's next big bet is women's sports," reflecting on his remarkable contributions.

In 2020, Ohanian made headlines by resigning from his position at Reddit, leaving behind the platform he co-founded in 2005. However, he quickly pivoted towards championing women's sports, an area he saw as underappreciated and undervalued.

One of Ohanian's first major ventures post-Reddit was becoming a lead investor in Angel City Football Club (ACFC), a Los Angeles-based team in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Founded alongside notable figures like Natalie Portman, Kara Nortman, and Julie Uhrman, ACFC aimed to elevate women's soccer in the U.S.

By July 2024, Disney CEO Bob Iger and his wife Willow Bay had invested $50 million into the club, propelling it to a $250 million valuation and making Angel City the most valuable women's sports team globally.

Expanding his influence in sports entertainment, Ohanian co-produced the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) reality show "The Offseason." Debuting in October 2024, the series provided an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the lives of 11 NWSL players. With over 180 million views, the six-episode series was a resounding success, showcasing the dedication, struggles, and camaraderie of female athletes.

Further demonstrating his commitment, Ohanian founded Athlos, a women's-only track and field event. The inaugural Athlos NYC meet took place on September 26, 2024, at Icahn Stadium in New York, offering a substantial prize purse of over $500,000. Featuring top-tier athletes like Olympic champion Gabby Thomas and world record holder Faith Kipyegon, the event drew 3 million viewers across platforms such as ESPN, DAZN, YouTube, and X (formerly Twitter).

Ahead of the Web Summit Qatar, the 41-year-old took to X to reflect on his journey since 2020, writing:

"I stepped back from Reddit in 2020... And stepped into founding control owner to launch Angel City FC. Then produced Off Season reality show (100M views!). Then set records Athlos (3M viewers for our debut event; record-breaking prize). And still on the starting line."

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Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian drew a parallel between building Reddit and elevating women's sports

In Picture: Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian (Source: Getty)

Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian likened the challenge of growing women's sports to his early struggles with launching Reddit. Earlier this month, Katelin Holloway, founding partner of Ohanian’s early-stage venture capital firm Seven Seven Six, tweeted about how sports fandom fosters a sense of belonging, strengthens relationships, and builds trust and empathy, making it a unifying force in society.

"The more I experience the fandom of sport, the more I understand why this is a critical pillar of culture. Belongingness is a shortcut to friendship and intimacy, which breeds trust and empathy - something the world needs a lot more these days," Holloway wrote.

In response, Ohanian steered the discussion toward women's sports, drawing a parallel to Reddit's early struggles as a startup.

"It's like we're building @reddit all over again in women's soccer, golf, women's track..." Serena Williams' husband wrote.

In other news, Alexis Ohanian revealed why he didn’t invest in a WNBA team despite his wife Serena Williams' enthusiasm.