Alison Rapaport is a Partner at Serena Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund founded by tennis superstar Serena Williams in 2014. The latest Tweets from Alison Stillman (@alison_stillman). Im still able to see the opportunity and help the company grow. Wharton School, with a Bachelor of Science in Economics with concentrations in Finance and Operations & Information Management and a minor in Psychology. She makes you feel comfortable, as if youre not talking to the greatest athlete of all time. WebAlison Rapaport Stillman is a Founding General Partner at Serena Ventures, overseeing portfolio management and sourcing new investments. Thus, Marc bought Dan a golf set on his fourth birthday. This isnt new for me, she says. One recent investment they made is Fiveable, a woman-led Milwaukie ed-tech startup helping students prepare for AP exams by offering free online resources. Dan and Marc enjoying golf during dusk in Cabot Cliffs, July 2019 ( Source : instagram ). Im more on the analytical side, the portfolio-construction side. WebThe General partner is Alison Rapport Stillman. Serena Williams founded Serena Ventures in 2014. One recent investment they made is Fiveable, a woman-led Milwaukie edtech startup helping students prepare for AP exams by offering free online resources. WebAllison Stillman is the director of Aroma Blue, bringing aromatherapy to people in recovery. The same goes for actor Michael Rapaport. WebVisit Alison Rapaport Stillman and Stillman Stillmans Baby Registry on Babylist. Alison Rapaport is a Partner at Serena Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund founded by tennis superstar Serena Williams in 2014. Management subcat: '', They are innovators who understand what goes into building companies. ABOUT WebVisit Alison Rapaport Stillman and Stillman Stillmans Baby Registry on Babylist. Pavan is an Associate at Serena Ventures where he researches market trends, dives into emerging sectors, and sources new investment opportunities. Veronica is a proud Alumna of Howard University and holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management. Early Stage Venture Investors Female Founded Venture Capital Investors, Western US Venture Capital Female Founded Companies, San Francisco Bay Area Female Founded Companies, San Francisco Bay Area Female Founded Micro VCs, Female Founded Early Stage Venture Investors with Investments in San Francisco, California, Finance Companies With Fewer Than 10 Employees (Top 10K), United States Investors with Funds Raised in 2022, San Francisco Bay Area Female Founded Investors. Insider chatted with Stillman about how to land a spot in the Serena Ventures portfolio. Try not to control everything. Alison: 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. Dan does not have a brother and Alison is his only sibling. Nacho lover 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? "It's hard. Veronica has dedicated her career to supporting founders who work to democratize access to a better life, and her unique perspective is informed by 10 years of experience as a strategy consultant, founder, and investor. Williams was heavily involved in her firms decision-making process well before she announced her retirement. She can get an amazing read on a person and see the big picture really quickly, whereas it takes me longer. The founding partners of Serena Ventures are Ms. Williams and Alison Rapaport Stillman. You can also reach out to them oninfo@aysasia.com, Your email address will not be published. The couple had been to many beautiful locations throughout the globe, the nuances of which Emma has captured in photographs. Clayton, who landed on Venture Capital Journals 2023 list of Rising Stars, talks about his journey and shares some advice for founders. Alison Stillman has been with Serena Ventures for a few months and is in Owner What is Alison Stillman's role in Serena Ventures? I was talking about investments. Ms. Williamss husband is the Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. The move underscores 500 Globals multi-stage initiatives. 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. 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. 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. Abena Anim-Somuah is a contributing writer at All Raise. By highlighting this behaviour and offering support, we are drawing awareness to the systemic issues at hand and showing people in the industry how it can be done. She has been actively investing in a portfolio worth at least $10 million in more than 50 startups through Serena Ventures over the past 6 years. Alison graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania. Serena Williams, founding and managing partner at Serena Ventures and Alison Rapaport Stillman, founding and managing partner at Serena Ventures. The food we eat, the space we live in, and the tools we use at home are all getting a second look. Learn more about the 20+ companies we've invested in and what's next. 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 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. But it is important to have a founder who can be self-aware, handle feedback, and build a team to help them be successful. Administration); By: April White, Re: Sherrese Clarke Soares (MBA2004); By: Jen McFarland Flint, Re: Ali Stillman (MBA2018); Anita Elberse (Lincoln Filene Professor of Business Administration); Founded in 2014 by tennis legend Serena Williams, Serena Ventures is an early-stage fund that embraces diverse founders and the ideas theyre serving up. She is a founding partner at Serena Ventures after joining the capital fund company in 2018. While writing for her CNN Business Perspective column, she mentions the challenges black women entrepreneurs face while raising funds for their startups in the white and male predominant venture capital industry. Another way Alison recommends sourcing diverse deal flow is by not requiring a warm intro. divId: 'div-gpt-ad-rightrail-3', Many recommendations they now get come from current portfolio companies. They had one problem: their brand didnt reflect who they were as a firm- or as people. She is also disarmingly authentic. The podcaster at Barstool Sports dedicated a tweet in April 2020 to appreciate Marc for everything he had done for Dan and a special gratification for introducing him to this beautiful game. Abena: What advice would you give your younger self? div_id: 'div-gpt-ad-rightrail-3', 500 Startups Management Company, L.L.C. Partner @Serenaventures. She has persevered to become one of the top tennis players in history with 23 Grand Slam titles. Dan Rapaport father Marc Rapaport is a real estate agent from Los Angeles. Under no circumstances should any content in this post be construed as investment, legal, tax or accounting advice by 500 Startups, or an offer to sell or solicitation of interest to purchase any securities advised by 500 Startups. Serena Ventures was about to announce a historic $111 million raise that would change the world. Serena Ventures, the venture capital fund backed and founded in 2017 by Serena Williams. Web2,862 Followers, 1,028 Following, 315 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Ali Jo Rapaport Stillman (@ali_jo_rap_stillman) Business partners. For me success is when you dont have to have the quota, said Alison. tude.cmd.push(function() { This post is intended solely for general informational or educational purposes only. Alison's role is Manager: Serena Ventures partner Alison Rapaport Stillman thinks VCs need to get out of their comfort zones. Alison's role is Manager: It can be hard for founders to delegate. 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. If you have a cold inbound, you can find great opportunities, she says. But a number of news outlets also noted her involvement in early-stage investing and the key role played by Serena Ventures General Partner Alison Rapaport Stillman (MBA 2018), who joined forces with Williams in 2018. Thanks for being part of ours! 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. WebAlison Rapaport Stillman, Serena Ventures. They had one problem: their brand didnt reflect who they were as a firm- or as people. 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. page_type: 'article', 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. According to the National Venture Capital Association data, only 4% of the people who work in venture capital are Black. I legit thought she misspoke because 98% is a huge number, Williams says. And that needs to happen across the board.. Emma posted their first picture online on Valentine's in 2020. According to her Linkedin profile, Alison is a financial expert and analyst whose job is to provide vast arrays of specualtions and predictions of the money market and help the company accordingly. In a December 2020 interview with the HBS Alumni Bulletin, Stillman describes the duos skill sets as different and super complementary. Lets just be honest, you know I couldnt just say Oh Im going to do this and have fun with it. WebAllison Stillman is the director of Aroma Blue, bringing aromatherapy to people in recovery. Dan Rapaport girlfriend Emma Light is engaged in October 2021. We think its important to look beyond where traditional venture is focusing because there are a ton of opportunities that theyre not funding products and services for, said Alison. In March, Serena Ventures announced it had raised an inaugural fund of $111 million from outside investors including Alphabet, Norwest, LionTree, and Kapor Center. That includes companies that focus on issues from mobility to menopause to deathtech, Stillman said. August 10, 2022, 5:31 AM PDT. Amongst the portfolio of more than 50 companies, 60% of the founders are women or people of color. Since 1970, BLACK ENTERPRISE has provided essential business information and advice to professionals, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, and decision makers. To take a closer look at how Serena Ventures developed its diverse portfolio and pipeline, Alison recently joined 500 Startups CEO Christine Tsai for a fireside chat at the 2021 Unity and Inclusion Summit. She is the first athlete ever to hit Forbes list of the Worlds Richest Self-Made Women. page_type: 'article', Even with her success and her privilege, she knows shes held to a different standard as a Black woman. Serena Ventures has made investments in over 30 companies across multiple industries, including Coinbase, Daily Harvest, and Billie to name a few. My fianc and I have had her for about two months. } She is a founding partner at Serena Ventures after joining the capital fund company in 2018. My path to Serena Ventures started with another sports superstar, ten-time NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony. The former world no one tennis player and winner of 23 grand slam singles titles, Serena Williams, has her name written in golden words in the history of world tennis. However, we need to acknowledge there is a problem and strive to fix it. baseDivId: 'pb-slot-right-1', Ive been on a bit of a skincare kick so I have been trying a lot of Kate Somervilles products. Just to be clear, you dont have to be a person of color or a woman to be in our fund, Williams says. Learn more about the 20+ companies we've invested in and what's next. aid: '782078', Looking at the VC industry more broadly, Alison doesnt see a diverse pipeline problem, but a networking issue. Serena Ventures Serena Williams launched Serena Ventures in 2014 and has invested in over 60 companies. As a world-class athlete, businesswoman, philanthropist and mother, Serena Williams knows what it takes to win. Serena Ventures doesnt require that its founders come from historically underrepresented backgrounds, though it says about three-quarters of its portfolio company founders do. "You want to do something that's going to make it easy for us to understand your business," Stillman said. Entrepreneurs Summit aid: '782078', Managing partner Serena Williams and general partner Alison Rapaport Stillman have backed about 20 companies with Serena Ventures' first fund. Like, look at what we have done.. For fans of Williams, this year's US Open was likely a bittersweet moment. }); window.tude = window.tude || { cmd: [] }; The views expressed herein are as at the date of this summary and are subject to change without notice. However, just like in tennis, Serena does not believe in following the herd mentality while taking on investments. Alison Stillman is a Managing Partner at Serena Ventures based in Sugar Land, Texas. He has been in the industry for four decades. During my time at Harvard Business School, I had the opportunity to work with Melo7 Tech Partners, where I was exposed to the world of VC. SERENA VENTURES. 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. We also think about products that are creative, fun, and make life more enjoyable. } Sep 10, 2022, 7:00 AM Serena Williams and Alison Rapaport Stillman. The firm is headquartered in San Francisco Bay Area, West Coast, and the Western US. BLACK ENTERPRISE is the premier business, investing, and wealth-building resource for African Americans. This post includes the views and opinions of independent third parties that are not related to or controlled by 500 Startups. My puppy Zoe. Also, invest in a few good people and dont try to please everyone. ]); She has brought so much joy to our family and is a living reminder that there is a world beyond my screen. ]); When I met my husband, that was our first conversation. Alison Rapaport Stillman, General Partner, Serena Ventures (Image: Courtesy of Serena Ventures) For Williams, surrounding herself with other smart women was a no-brainer. Alison Rapaport is a Partner at Serena Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund founded by tennis superstar Serena Williams in 2014. She is so much more than just the worlds best tennis player. Ive been watching a lot of reruns of reality shows. }).render('5eec50a0f683429ca3814da74bd486aa'); After graduating from Brentwood school, Alison studied psychology for a while before enrolling at the Wharton School. Prior to joining Serena Ventures, Olivia launched her first startup, SevenSkin Beauty, a skincare company that combines science with technology and education. The FDA nears final approval on vaccines for young kids, women feel unprepared for menopause, and Zola adds a co-CEO. WebThe General partner is Alison Rapport Stillman. Nacho lover Alison Stillman has 1+ years experience as Partner. pos: 'right_rail_3', The stats about the fund received by black women entrepreneurs in the recent years highlights the problem. WebDiscover any aliases as well as possible relatives and associates of Alison Rapaport Stillman. The firm, which announced an $111 million fund in March, already included a portfolio of 60 firms from Williams earliest investment activity; she wrote one of the first checks for Masterclass, and was also an early backer of }); EVENTS A team thats all women and from very different backgrounds, we see the world differently. Serena Ventures has a market cap of $14 billion and 29 active investments. She eventually widened the criteria and today Serena Ventures will fund anyone with a good idea. I knew that I wanted to do a fund, but I worked backward, by using my own capital and then creating a track record and getting to know everyone.. Even though Marc frequently played golf with Dan, it wasn't until August 2020 that his father attended one of his games at Quaker Ridge Golf Club in New York and watched him as an audience. Serena Ventures Serena Williams launched Serena Ventures in 2014 and has invested in over 60 companies. Serena Williams, founding and managing partner at Serena Ventures and Alison Rapaport Stillman, founding and managing partner at Serena Ventures. Dan does not have a brother and Alison is his only sibling. url: 'serena,williams,venture,capital,firm,raises,111,million', Onstage at an event, Ms. Seidman-Becker said less than 2 percent of venture money went to women. The pair hiked along rugged coastlines, through thick forests admiring all the beauty they witnessed. The founding partners of Serena Ventures are Ms. Williams and Alison Rapaport Stillman. General Partner Alison Rapaport Stillman, who majored in finance and operations at Wharton as an undergrad, has said people have finally realized that inequity exists in all aspects of life. Before starting her stint at Serena Ventures, Stillman worked as a board member at Wasserman for three months and The SpringHill Company for almost three years. Every quarter, the team brainstorms sectors it wants to dive deeper into. Dan Rapaport sister is named Alison Rapaport Stillman. So I spent the week practicing my pitch with friends. Subscribe to Newsletter Right now, the firm is excited about companies that address aging. Venture is one of the most inequitable places to work. I think celebrities dont always experience pushback, but I give that, which she respects, and she does it with me., Two years later, that hasnt changed. Stillman said long emails and 10-page business plans, on the other hand, were not welcome. The FDA nears final approval on vaccines for young kids, women feel unprepared for menopause, and Zola adds a co-CEO. But as Serena Ventures is proving, it doesnt have to be this way. Plenty of its portfolio companies come from Silicon Valley, but two of its most recent investments came from North Carolina and Wisconsin. By: Julia Hanna, Demographics-Race-African American, Black, Alumna-Led Reproductive Health Startup Raises $4.7 Million. targeting: { The FDA nears final approval on vaccines for young kids, women feel unprepared for menopause, and Zola adds a co-CEO. After graduating from Harvard, Alison joined the Jefferies & Company as an banking analyst in June 2009. Quoting its founder, Serena, I am by no means alone in my mission to build an inclusive venture capital landscape. Dan posted a congratulations tweet in August 2022 as she represented the company in the New York Stock Exchange. Thats my job, to make the unfamiliar familiar she said. Produces a new generation of meats and cheeses made entirely from plants. Economic Equity & Racial Justice Townhall Series, Elevate Black Podcast sponsored by Fifth Third Bank, 100 Founders of Change by American Express, Chasing Success Podcast by JP Morgan Chase, Black Business Month Sponsored by Nationwide, 2022 Registry Of Corporate Directors Listing, 2021 BE Registry Of Corporate Directors Listing, finding companies that solve bigger consumer problems. The team also scores each prospective investment that makes it past the introductory rounds. But she still finds that VCs ignore products and services made for audiences theyre not familiar with, even those representing massive markets with loyal customers. We dont fit the mold of venture.. Stillman said it's especially important for founders to be self-aware enough to know when they need to hire employees. }); window.tude = window.tude || { cmd: [] }; The founder should find people with experience or a particular skill set to offer advice to prepare them for the ups and downs. Dog mom . div_id: 'div-gpt-ad-rightrail-2', When Serena Williams first launched the firm, she explicitly wanted to provide funding for more women. That includes looking at digital learning as a supplement and a way to attack inequities in traditional education systems. August 10, 2022, 5:31 AM PDT. Serena Ventures Serena Williams launched Serena Ventures in 2014 and has invested in over 60 companies. Women of Power Summit Stay up to date with what you want to know. 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. Then to further intensify her business knowledge, she attended Harvard Buisness School in Boston, Massachusetts. 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. page_type: 'article', Serena Ventures. Alison Stillman has been with Serena Ventures for a few months and is in Owner What is Alison Stillman's role in Serena Ventures? We made our founders feel like we are partners who can help them grow, she said. Previously, Alison worked at J.P. Morgan Asset Management in Multi- Asset Solutions and led the development of the firms Alternative Beta offering. Williams first started investing a little over nine years ago because of what she calls a natural draw to technology and a desire to be involved with all of the startups she was seeing pop up in the space. Serena Ventures partner Alison Rapaport Stillman finds that VCs still ignore products and services made for audiences theyre not familiar with, even those representing massive markets. Alison Rapaport Stillman, General Partner, Serena Ventures (Image: Courtesy of Serena Ventures) For Williams, surrounding herself with other smart women was a no-brainer. Have a great Thursday. Some of Alison Stillman's colleagues are Alison Rapaport, Amy Berliner, Kyra Mccarty, Alison Rapapaort, Olivia Griffian, Serena Williams, Jair Bobbitt, Veronica Reaves.