Serena Williams Joins Reckitt to Lead Hygiene & Maternal Care Startups.
Serena Williams will keep championing women-led startups in her new role at Reckitt.
Serena Williams has stepped into a new role as a mentor, supporting the growth of startups focused on hygiene, maternal care, and health equity.
Building on her history of investing in underrepresented, women-led startups, 23-time Grand Slam champion and four-time Olympic gold medalist Serena Williams has been named Reckitt’s first-ever entrepreneur-in-residence. Reckitt, the British consumer health company behind brands like Lysol, Durex, and Enfamil, will benefit from Williams’ expertise as she mentors and helps scale startups in hygiene, maternal care, and health equity—areas where her commitment to supporting underserved sectors with high demand aligns.
“Bold, innovative ideas can address some of the world’s most urgent healthcare challenges if they receive the right support—mentorship, funding, and strong belief,” Williams shared with Fortune at Cannes Lions.
Women-led startups receive less than 3% of global venture funding, despite studies showing that they often outperform male-led companies. This disparity drives Serena Ventures’ mission to back underfunded startups founded by women and people of color, a mission she explained in a TikTok post last year.
“Somewhere along the line, I learned that less than two percent of VC money went to women,” Williams said on TikTok.
“When I first heard that, I actually thought that was a misquote – I thought that can’t be real. When I first started investing, I learned that that was true, and that was actually something that was happening, and so I knew right then and there that one day I wanted to raise a fund or raise money and invest in women.”
Williams’ appointment at Reckitt aligns with the launch of Reckitt Catalyst, a £10 million initiative designed to support up to 200 underrepresented founders by 2030. The program aims to improve access to health and hygiene for five million people through scalable, community-driven solutions across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
“Hygiene is often overlooked in venture,” she said. “It’s not glamorous, but it’s fundamental, especially for women, mothers, and children. These are critical markets that drive both impact and returns.”
In her new role, Williams will mentor and use her network to support Catalyst entrepreneurs, providing strategic guidance and connections to enhance their impact and credibility.
“Ultimately, venture is about relationships,” she explained. “A 30-minute conversation can open doors to new partnerships or investment opportunities. I want to provide that access to founders who aren’t part of the usual power circles.”
