Tennis ace Serena Williams has joined Indian actress Priyanka Chopra as an investor for the dating application Bumble. The actress welcomed the tennis star and tweeted, “Welcome to The Bumble Fund, Serena Williams! We’re very lucky to have you on board… Bumble.”
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Bumble on Wednesday announced that Williams is joining the Bumble Fund team. The app was launched in 2018. The tennis star had earlier teamed up with the company for an ad campaign #InHerCourt.
The dating app’s fund primarily focuses on startups led by women of colour.
Bumble announced on Wednesday, “I’ve learned how impactful one woman’s voice can be when given a platform to speak and be heard. I am passionate about building on this progress and opening doors for women of all backgrounds, especially women of color, to share their message and trust in their potential to accomplish great things,” Williams said in a statement, Fortune reported. “By joining forces with the Bumble Fund, we will continue amplifying female entrepreneurs and creating a place for them to personally and professionally champion their growth.”
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This is not the first time that the tennis superstar has invested in a company. She has shares in around 30 companies through her own platform, Serena Ventures, including Brandless, The Wing, and Billie. In addition, she serves as a board member of Silicon Valley companies Poshmark and SurveyMonkey.
The 36-year-old American missed most of the 2017 WTA season due to her pregnancy. The tennis ace has often spoken about the complications she suffered after giving birth to her daughter. During her pregnancy, she was ranked No 1 in the world and won the Australian Open in her first trimester.
While Williams is working with the Bumble Fund, the dating app Bumble has been in the news because Priyanka Chopra in October had also invested in the company. She also advised the app on its expansion to India. Williams will judge a Bumble Fund pitch competition next month alongside Bumble founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd.
“With empowering women, you’re also empowering men, so this is not just a girls’ club,” founder Whitney Wolfe had said in an interview to Bustle.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Wolfe had said that Bumble is “the first feminist, or first attempt at a feminist dating app.”
“When we launched our #InHerCourt campaign with Serena Williams this past January, we were amazed by the overwhelming response we received from women globally who felt empowered by our message,” Wolfe Herd said in a statement. “In teaming up with Williams for the Bumble Fund, we want women everywhere to know that we are here, we are listening and we believe in you. We are giving women more keys to success, while encouraging them to push their ideas forward and keep thinking big when it comes to their business ventures.”
Picture Credit: Mid-Day
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