She is so much more than just the worlds best tennis player. Like, look at what we have done.. Insider chatted with Stillman about how to land a spot in the Serena Ventures portfolio. However, just like in tennis, Serena does not believe in following the herd mentality while taking on investments. From an early age, Rapaport began swinging his golf club, and because of this, he has an in-depth knowledge of the ins and outs of the sport. Alison Rapaport Stillman BE 100s Dan does not have a brother and Alison is his only sibling. August 10, 2022, 5:31 AM PDT. Moreover, Dan has a younger sister Robyn Rapaport, founder of Shop Robynro. The founding partners of Serena Ventures are Ms. Williams and Alison Rapaport Stillman. 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. Doubles Partner - Alumni - Harvard Business School Alison J Rapaport Stillman Its time we all play on the same court. She is currently on a gap-year and works on the Public Policy and Business Development Team at Tesla. Alison graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania. SV Team | Serena Ventures Also, invest in a few good people and dont try to please everyone. Dan and Michael are unrelated and has never even talked to each other. He has been in the industry for four decades. } Furthermore, he is also one of the founding members of a top soccer league in the US, Major League Soccer (MLS). Serena agrees that there is a social purpose to that decision. The scorecard helps the firm remain objective in its evaluation process. That includes looking at digital learning as a supplement and a way to attack inequities in traditional education systems. Ms. Rapaport Stillman previously worked at JPMorgan, Wasserman and Melo7 Tech. Serena Ventures Built a Portfolio With Managing partner Serena Williams and general partner Alison Rapaport Stillman have backed about 20 companies with Serena Ventures' first fund. Sells personal care, food, and household goods products under the Brandless brand. Now, with funding from limited partners including Norwest, CapitalG, Kapor Foundation, and LionTree, among others, Serena Ventures will be able to take its investments to the next level. 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. tude.refreshAdsViaDivMappings([ { The company is their baby! In hindsight, I did not need to worry about the other people who barely thought of me. In March, Serena Ventures announced it had raised an inaugural fund of $111 million from outside investors including Alphabet, Norwest, LionTree, and Kapor Center. WebVisit Alison Rapaport Stillman and Stillman Stillmans Baby Registry on Babylist. Produces a new generation of meats and cheeses made entirely from plants. Business partners. The former Sports Illustrated writer denied any connection with Ian via a Reddit post in 2018. Serena Ventures' portfolio companies span a variety of industries, but Stillman said there were a few areas it had always been interested in. Dan Rapaport father Marc Rapaport is a real estate agent from Los Angeles. }); window.tude = window.tude || { cmd: [] }; August 10, 2022, 5:31 AM PDT. Alison Stillman Use tab to navigate through the menu items. WebThe General partner is Alison Rapport Stillman. Doubles Partner - Alumni - Harvard Business School The funds limited partners include Norwest Venture Partners, Capital G (Alphabets growth fund) and LionTree. She works alongside the tennis superstar Serena Williams in overseeing the business and sourcing new investments. Alison Rapaport Stillman, General Partner, Serena Ventures (Image: Courtesy of Serena Ventures) For Williams, surrounding herself with other smart women was a no-brainer. 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.. Alison Rapaport Stillman I go up to her afterward and asked, Tell me about this 2 percent I know maybe you misspoke, Ms. Williams recounted. Nacho lover 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. Last week, amid the bright lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium, Serena Williams played what were likely the final matches of her tennis career. Contact For me success is when you dont have to have the quota, said Alison. Required fields are marked *. Besides, Marc stars in the new Netflix docu-series about the PGA golf tour, "Full Swing," which premiered on February 15, 2023. We are focusing not just on the people, but on the market. WebAlison Rapaport Stillman is a Founding General Partner at Serena Ventures, overseeing portfolio management and sourcing new investments. Alison Stillman Serena Ventures - The Serena Williams-backed VC Fund The investment firm led by the tennis star is already an active angel investor with a portfolio of 60 companies that includes SendWave, MasterClass and Daily Harvest. Rapaport Stillman Serena Ventures was about to announce a historic $111 million raise that would change the world. However, we need to acknowledge there is a problem and strive to fix it. Investors claiming they cant find opportunities to invest in women and founders of color probably arent trying hard enough, said Alison. Alison: Dont get bangs it is not worth it! This is something Ive been doing for a really, really, really long time and its something that I absolutely love and Im super passionate about., Despite her busy schedule, Williams spends six or seven hours a day on her investing work: I love looking at new companies, I love talking to founders, I absolutely love passing on the knowledge that Ive been able to get and being able to impact other people.. They make strategic decisions, manage finances and develop business plans. To raise a child it takes a village. She works alongside the tennis superstar Serena Williams in overseeing the business and sourcing new investments. The ability to write bigger checks and the ability to lead seed rounds really enables us to deliver on our mission and to unlock value for our investors and open doors for founders, Williams says. Most notably, she helped launch the African Leadership University, named one of Africas most innovative companies in 2016 by Fast Company, and founded Black Women in Venture Capital, a community of over 200 Black women in venture capital who envision an equitable VC system. Plenty of its portfolio companies come from Silicon Valley, but two of its most recent investments came from North Carolina and Wisconsin. Right now, the firm is excited about companies that address aging. Algorithmic rank assigned to the top 100,000 most active Investors, The organization associated to the person's primary job, Where the person is located (e.g. WebAlison J. Rapaport, CFA, is a Partner at Serena Ventures, overseeing portfolio management and sourcing new investments. SERENA VENTURES. 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. About 10 to 20% of pitches receive a follow-up from the firm. Work | OWG divId: 'div-gpt-ad-rightrail-3', 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 Ive always been fascinated with technology, and Ive always loved how it really shapes our lives, said Ms. Williams, who has been investing for nine years. env: 'prod', Stillman said long emails and 10-page business plans, on the other hand, were not welcome. I want to highlight that we do not invest in women and people of color to simply check a box. Alison married Alec Stillman in October 2020, and they welcomed a daughter named Lucy in February 2023. Its incredible working with founders to help them solve everyday problems as well as find new companies along the way. According to the National Venture Capital Association data, only 4% of the people who work in venture capital are Black. tude.cmd.push(function() { At the start of February 2022, Emma and Dan travelled to Hualalai, Kona, in Hawaii. Marc started his job in 1983 as a banker at Drexel Burnham Lambert. He then introduced me to Chris Lyons at Andreessen Horowitzs Cultural Leadership Fund, who encouraged me to lean into my skill set to support world-class athletes who would like to get into venture but dont have the investment background. Alison J Rapaport Stillman She comes to Serena Ventures from Equitable Advisors, where she worked as an Investment Operations Specialist. tag: 'mandc,black-venture-capitalists,newsletter-lead,serena-ventures,serena-williams,vc', Serena Ventures Built a Portfolio With Serena Ventures partner Alison Rapaport Stillman thinks VCs need to get out of their comfort zones. Alison Stillman has 1+ years experience as Partner. 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. He supports all aspects of existing deals through analysis, market research, competitive landscapes, financial modeling, and deal structuring. 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. Dan Rapaport dad Marc works in real estate and serves as the head of Thorofare Capital, a mercantile real estate pawnbroker entity. pos: 'right_rail_2', Dog mom . Zoe is the best decision that we have made in quarantine. Entrepreneurs Summit WebAlison Rapaport Stillman, Serena Ventures. That is exactly what we are going to talk about in this article. WebAllison Stillman is the director of Aroma Blue, bringing aromatherapy to people in recovery. Dan and Emma enjoying photogenic landscape in Snowmass Village, Colorado, July 2021 ( Source : instagram ). divId: 'div-gpt-ad-rightrail-1', ', 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. To raise a child it takes a village. Stillman said it's especially important for founders to be self-aware enough to know when they need to hire employees. Serena Ventures partner Alison Rapaport Stillman thinks VCs need to get out of their comfort zones. The General partner is Alison Rapport Stillman. Work | OWG And also, its very authentic. This post is intended solely for general informational or educational purposes only. Dan popped the question to Emma in Friday Harbor, Washington in October 2021 ( Source : instagram ). Learn more about the 20+ companies we've invested in and what's next. Web2,862 Followers, 1,028 Following, 315 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Ali Jo Rapaport Stillman (@ali_jo_rap_stillman) Previously, Alison worked at J.P. Morgan Asset Management in Multi- Asset Solutions and led the development of the firms Alternative Beta offering. When she is not working on the Business Development team at Ada Support, she is avidly baking and elevating Black culinary creatives on Instagram , listening to a podcast, or digging into a good book. 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.