She hasn’t quite reached Billie Jean King status (who could, really?), but Venus Williams is doing her best to make sure that women have as many opportunities as men—both on the court and off.
Williams, often credited with leading the way for equal pay at the Grand Slams over the past few years, is among the backers of a financial tech startup called Ellevest. Its goal is to help women invest their money, and it takes into account their lifespan (in particular, the fact that it is five years longer than that of men) and the rate by which their salary peaks.
Listen to Venus and Ellevest founder Sallie Krawcheck discuss the new company.
It’s another notch in the equal-rights belt for the 36-year-old and it also expands her business portfolio. That portfolio includes EleVen, an athletic apparel line, and V Starr Interiors, an interior-design company. The seven-time Grand Slam champion also has an ownership stake in the NFL’s Miami Dolphins.
And then there’s the little matter of being the seventh-ranked tennis player in the world. There’s a lot going on in her life, but she sure does make it look doable. Maybe her next venture should be a company that teaches people how to manage their time.
This week, Williams was the defending champion in Wuhan but fell in the third round to fellow veteran Svetlana Kuznetsova.