A week later, she asked me to come to her house and present some ideas to her. San Francisco Bay Area, Silicon Valley), This describes the type of investor the person is (e.g. That is exactly what we are going to talk about in this article. View select TechCrunch Disrupt content online today Alison Rapaport is a Partner at Serena Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund founded by tennis superstar Serena Williams in 2014. tude.refreshAdsViaDivMappings([ { he wrote. tude.cmd.push(function() { The two cherished couple, beaming happy in the early morning, enjoyed an excellent breakfast as she held a Veuve Clicquot champagne bottle. Serena Ventures partner Alison Rapaport Stillman thinks VCs need to get out of their comfort zones. Alison graduated magna cum laude from the University of Previously, Alison worked at J.P. Morgan Asset Management in Multi- Asset Solutions and led the development of the firms Alternative Beta offering. Nacho lover } Learn more about the 20+ companies we've invested in and what's next. Alison Rapaport Stillman Marc works as a credit approval principal at Thorofare Capital. Dan does not have a brother and Alison is his only sibling. Her partner Alison Rapaport Stillman backs Serena while stating that VCs ignore products and services made for audiences theyre unfamiliar with, even those representing massive markets with loyal customers. Another way Alison recommends sourcing diverse deal flow is by not requiring a warm intro. WebDiscover any aliases as well as possible relatives and associates of Alison Rapaport Stillman. Subscribe to Newsletter View select TechCrunch Disrupt content online today Alison: Im excited about the refocus on the home. Either Stillman, Williams, or another member of the firm's six-person team will schedule an introductory call with the founder. Serena Ventures was about to announce a historic $111 million raise that would change the world. Investing in people who look like you eventually leads to systemic exclusion. All views and opinions presented herein by such third party participants do not represent those of 500 Startups or any of its affiliates or representatives. Moreover, Dan has a younger sister Robyn Rapaport, founder of Shop Robynro. I was talking about investments. Ms. Williamss husband is the Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. ]); cat: 'entrepreneurship', I felt that it was an opportunity to combine my skill set with a mission and make a difference. tude.refreshAdsViaDivMappings([ { baseDivId: 'pb-slot-right-1', Its time we all play on the same court. Serena Ventures partner Alison Rapaport Stillman thinks VCs need to get out of their comfort zones. Alison Rapaport is a Partner at Serena Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund founded by tennis superstar Serena Williams in 2014. Sep 10, 2022, 7:00 AM Serena Williams and Alison Rapaport Stillman. Serena Ventures Built a Portfolio With Thats my job, to make the unfamiliar familiar she said. Even with her success and her privilege, she knows shes held to a different standard as a Black woman. She makes you feel comfortable, as if youre not talking to the greatest athlete of all time. Dog mom . "Maybe we're so enamored by the founder, but when we actually take the time to dig down into the economics, it might not be the right thing," Stillman said. Stay up to date with what you want to know. Have a great Thursday. The FDA nears final approval on vaccines for young kids, women feel unprepared for menopause, and Zola adds a co-CEO. Dog mom . Serena Williams raises $111 million for new venture fund. Her Instagram feed is overflowing with many images capturing the cherished moments of their romantic love life. Nothings going to replace what tennis was for her, but as shes thinking about whats nextits exciting to see her as passionate about this as you see her on the court., Matching investment wits with a tennis great, Re: Amal Enan (MBA2014); By: Julia Hanna; photographed by Abdelrahman Gabr Koree, Re: David Motley (MBA1988); Rosabeth M. Kanter (Ernest L. Arbuckle Professor of Business Alison: Skincare. aid: '782078', I am excited about companies that are focused on natural ways to get healthier, supporting the postpartum journey, and mental health services for younger women. What motivates me is our mission to make lives better and ensure that others in the venture industry and ecosystem see the value in innovation for all by all. Every quarter, the team brainstorms sectors it wants to dive deeper into. The funds limited partners include Norwest Venture Partners, Capital G (Alphabets growth fund) and LionTree. Thanks for being part of ours! Tennis superstar Serena Williams has just announced that her venture capital firm,Serena Ventures, has raised $111 million dollars in an inaugural fund. The food we eat, the space we live in, and the tools we use at home are all getting a second look. Nacho lover Alison Rapaport Stillman Venture Capital Investing: What It Is and Where Its Headed But as Serena Ventures is proving, it doesnt have to be this way. To conclude, Serena Ventures will continue to invest in companies that embrace diverse leadership, individual empowerment, creativity, and opportunity and achieve its goal of making a difference. Dan does not have a brother and Alison is his only sibling. For example, the general contact email on the Serena Ventures website gets between 10 to 40 emails a daymany of these are autograph requests, but they also include pitches from entrepreneurs, which their team does actually consider. Have a great Thursday. Prior to joining Serena Ventures, Ashel spent time on the programming team at Kauffman Fellows and was a startup founder. Venture is one of the most inequitable places to work. tag: 'mandc,black-venture-capitalists,newsletter-lead,serena-ventures,serena-williams,vc', Doubles Partner - Alumni - Harvard Business School Serena Williams' Venture Capital Firm Raises $111 Million Partner @Serenaventures. Allows traders to buy and sell bitcoin in the cryptocurrency and blockchain space. The tennis stars firm, Serena Ventures, will invest in founders with diverse points of view. In addition to growing the reach and impact of the SV portfolio, Alison is the person founders turn to when they need pointed advice, detailed feedback, and tough love. env: 'prod', Pavan is an Associate at Serena Ventures where he researches market trends, dives into emerging sectors, and sources new investment opportunities. How to Land an Investment From Serena Williams' VC Firm August 10, 2022, 5:31 AM PDT. Emma also posted a picture on her Instagram as they shared a passionate kiss after he popped her the question. Right now, the firm is excited about companies that address aging. Television. This makes a lot of sense invest in what you know! and this attitude has led to White men receiving an overwhelming majority of venture capital funds. ]); That includes companies that focus on issues from mobility to menopause to deathtech, Stillman said. WebAlison Rapaport Stillman, Serena Ventures. Contact Web2,862 Followers, 1,028 Following, 315 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Ali Jo Rapaport Stillman (@ali_jo_rap_stillman) Abena Anim-Somuah: Tell us how you met Serena and what drew you to work with her? However, we need to acknowledge there is a problem and strive to fix it. Alison graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania. They may not be networked to them, and thats something that you can fix. An obvious solution is building a diverse team and creating internal opportunities for people with non-traditional VC backgrounds, which creates access to those wider networks. Masthead. Venture capitalists tend to believe in founders who feel familiar and thereby move forward to fund them. They are finding new sectors to focus on, such as the rise of online education. ', Just like on the court, Williams is all about performance: I really wanted to spend time in creating something for that very reason, so when questions are asked its like, not only do we have answers, but we have exits and we have unicorns. Serena Williams, founding and managing partner at Serena Ventures and Alison Rapaport Stillman, founding and managing partner at Serena Ventures. Dana: The goal of Serena Ventures is to make everyday lives better. How does this manifest in the companies that you choose to invest in? We are in a moment when people have finally realized that inequity exists in all aspects of life what many of us have known for a long time. To raise a child it takes a village. They had one problem: their brand didnt reflect who they were as a firm- or as people. Zola founder Shan-Lyn Ma adds co-CEO Rachel Jarrett | Fortune WebVisit Alison Rapaport Stillman and Stillman Stillmans Baby Registry on Babylist. They are finding new sectors to focus on, such as the rise of online education. We made our founders feel like we are partners who can help them grow, she said. Alison Rapaport is a Partner at Serena Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund founded by tennis superstar Serena Williams in 2014. When it comes to our team, thats what everyone is on board for and theyre really excited to help founders have an opportunity that they probably wouldnt have had before., The firms approach is to build a more inclusive future by investing in overlooked, underestimated, and fledgling markets.. Always ready for a new challenge, she started out by asking a lot of questions, then investing in a fund, and then becoming an angel investor. About 10 to 20% of pitches receive a follow-up from the firm. Required fields are marked *. Serena Ventures - The Serena Williams-backed VC Fund WebThe General partner is Alison Rapport Stillman. The team also scores each prospective investment that makes it past the introductory rounds. At the start of February 2022, Emma and Dan travelled to Hualalai, Kona, in Hawaii. I want to highlight that we do not invest in women and people of color to simply check a box, Rapaport Stillman told the online publication All Raise. Dan Rapaport sister is named Alison Rapaport Stillman. div_id: 'div-gpt-ad-rightrail-3', Alison Stillman has 1+ years experience as Partner. Work | OWG Web2,862 Followers, 1,028 Following, 315 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Ali Jo Rapaport Stillman (@ali_jo_rap_stillman) For aspiring founders, Williams' retirement opens a window of opportunity. Upon learning that just two percent of funding goes to female founders, Williams made a strategic commitment to diversity and inclusion; today, 78 percent of founders backed by Serena Ventures are women or people of color. Not surprisingly, thats a big reason why women and entrepreneurs of color struggle to access venture funding. Serena Ventures' portfolio companies span a variety of industries, but Stillman said there were a few areas it had always been interested in. Dan and Emma strolled in the streets near Three Lakes, Wisconsin, in September 2020 with Bud. Serena agrees that there is a social purpose to that decision. To raise a child it takes a village. Stillman told Insider a core part of the mission of Serena Ventures was to back founders with "incredible potential" who might have been overlooked by other investors. So why cant a man learn about tampons? Alison: We invest early in a market and a founder. Sitting in a room for six months brainstorming to find a white space with a huge market opportunity is not the way to build a company. Founders should send a deck with their pitch even if it's just a "teaser deck." Im a firm believer that success comes from focusing on the skills you want to develop and the people you want to work for rather than fixating on job titles.