Venus Williams

Venus Ebony Starr Williams was born on June 17, 1980, in Lynwood, California, United States. She is the older sister of Serena WilliamsSerena WilliamsSerena Williams is a tennis player, entrepreneur, and investor who has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles and four Olympic gold medals. She founded Serena Ventures and has taken part in ownership of sports ventures such as Los Angeles Golf Club. In 2022 she announced a shift in focus toward family and business, and in 2026 she returned to professional competition; that same year she explained in an interview that her investment business had moved to the Starfire Ventures brand.Open the full entry.⁠[1]

In 1994, Williams entered a WTA main draw for the first time with a wildcard at the Oakland event. In 1997 she reached the US Open final, and in 2000 she won the Wimbledon, US Open, and Sydney Olympic women’s singles titles. On February 25, 2002, she reached world No. 1 in women’s singles for the first time; over her career she held that position for a total of 11 weeks.⁠[1]

In 2002, Williams founded the interior design firm V Starr. Based in South Florida, the firm takes on residential, hospitality, and multifamily design projects, with an emphasis on wellness and sustainability. The firm’s official website lists Williams as owner and Sonya Haffey as Chief Executive Officer.⁠[2]

In 2005, Williams presented the case for equal prize money for men and women players to the Grand Slam Committee; in 2006 she continued her advocacy through a newspaper article. Wimbledon introduced equal prize money for men and women in 2007, and Williams won the women’s singles title that year, becoming the first Wimbledon women’s singles champion under this policy to receive the same prize money as the men’s singles champion.⁠[3]

In 2007, Williams launched the apparel brand EleVen in partnership with the retailer Steve & Barry’s and served as its chief designer. The brand later partnered with several apparel and lifestyle brands; for changes to its operations, see the 2024 milestone.⁠[4]

In August 2009, Venus and Serena Williams joined the Miami DolphinsMiami DolphinsThe Miami Dolphins are an NFL professional American football team in the AFC East. Awarded an AFL franchise in 1965, they began play in 1966 and now use Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Under Don Shula, they won Super Bowls VII and VIII, including a 17–0 regular season and postseason in 1972. Stephen M. Ross owns the team, and Jeff Hafley is head coach.Open the full entry’ ownership group. Team owner Stephen RossStephen RossStephen Ross, whose full name is Stephen Michael Ross, is an American real estate developer and investor, the founder of Related Companies, chairman and CEO of Related Ross, and owner of the Miami Dolphins. His work spans affordable housing, large urban mixed-use developments and sports entertainment. He co-founded RSE Ventures and has supported university education and sustainable-city research.Open the full entry introduced the two as limited partners. Their specific investment amounts and ownership percentages were not disclosed.⁠[5]

Come to Win, co-written by Williams and Kelly E. Carter, was published by HarperCollins on June 29, 2010. The book collects the experiences of figures from fields including business, the arts, and sports, and discusses how playing sports affects careers and lives.⁠[6]

In 2015, Williams earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Indiana University East. In a WTA retrospective on players’ academic education, she was listed as the first graduate of the school’s partnership program with the WTA.⁠[7]

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Williams won a silver medal in mixed doubles with Rajeev Ram. Together with her 2000 women’s singles gold and the three women’s doubles golds won with Serena in 2000, 2008, and 2012, she has won five Olympic medals in total. Her seven Grand Slam singles titles include five Wimbledon and two US Open titles; the sisters have also won 14 Grand Slam women’s doubles titles together.⁠[1]

In January 2017, Williams discussed in an interview her investment in Ellevest, an investment platform for women. She met Sallie Krawcheck while building her apparel and design businesses, and later became involved in Ellevest, which Krawcheck founded.⁠[8]

Williams co-founded the plant-based nutrition brand Happy Viking with consumer brand entrepreneur Neel Premkumar, and the brand launched in 2020. In a company announcement, Williams linked this venture to changes in her own diet and her nutritional needs as an athlete.⁠[9][10]

On August 16, 2022, Happy Viking announced that it had completed a $2 million athlete investment round. Participants included Serena Williams, Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman’s 35V, Michelle Wie West, and Megan Rapinoe, among others. The company planned to use the funds to support business growth and new product development; the $2 million was the total size of the round.⁠[10]

On June 8, 2023, the law firm Paul, Weiss announced that Seven Seven Six had formed the Los Angeles Golf Club ownership group together with Venus and Serena Williams to take part in TGL. The announcement did not disclose financial terms. The club’s official website also lists a profile card for Venus.⁠[11][12]

Williams is a part owner and chief brand officer of the personal care brand Asutra; she first used the brand’s products and later joined its ownership group. On August 1, 2023, United Airlines announced that it would use Asutra products in business class amenity kits on some U.S. transcontinental routes. Asutra’s owner and Chief Executive Officer is Stephanie Morimoto.⁠[13][14]

In February 2024, Williams announced in an email to retail partners that EleVen would pause operations in order to adjust its brand strategy and evaluate the brand’s future direction; this was a pause in operations, not an announcement of permanent closure.⁠[4]

On February 29, 2024, Williams, Raffi Holzer, and Edward Lando announced the launch of Palazzo, an artificial intelligence interior design platform. The platform lets users upload photos of rooms, adjust designs through an assistant called Vinci, and save and share their plans. The official website lists the three as co-founders, with Holzer as Chief Executive Officer.⁠[15][16]

Williams’s Strive was published on September 10, 2024. The book organizes her experience with personal habits, rest, exercise, and life balance into eight principles.⁠[17]

In 2025, Williams played events in Washington, Cincinnati, and the US Open, defeating Peyton Stearns in Washington; partnering with Leylah Fernandez, she reached the US Open women’s doubles quarterfinals.⁠[1]

On February 26, 2025, the walking rewards app WeWard announced that Williams had become an investor and brand ambassador. The app combines step tracking, gamified activities, and a rewards system to encourage users to walk.⁠[18]

On the night of September 4, 2026, Venus and Serena Williams lost in three sets to Hao-Ching Chan and Maya Joint in a roughly three-hour first-round women’s doubles match at the US Open.⁠[19]

On September 15, 2026, Crate & Barrel and Crate & Kids launched a home collection created in collaboration with Williams, comprising nearly 200 furniture, decor, and textile products. The designs bring the geometric forms, colors, and sense of motion of tennis into home and children’s spaces.⁠[20]

V Starr: Official website: https://vstarr.com/ (opens in a new window).⁠[2]

Happy Viking: Official website: https://drinkhappyviking.com/ (opens in a new window).⁠[10]

Palazzo: Official website: https://www.palazzo.ai/ (opens in a new window).⁠[16]

Asutra: Official website: https://asutra.com/ (opens in a new window).⁠[13]

Los Angeles Golf Club: Official website: https://www.lagc.com/ (opens in a new window).⁠[12]