Venus Williams

Venus Williams is famed for her talents as a tennis player, and has also enjoyed a successful entrepreneurial career. The sister of Serena Williams, the pair has dominated women's tennis and collected an impressive number of titles between them. Today, Venus is a popular choice as a speaker for corporate events, booked to speak on her passions for gender equality along with being a champion, hard work and determination.

Best known for her talents as a tennis player, Venus has claimed an impressive number of wins throughout her career. Widely regarded as one of the greatest female players, Venus is a former World number one and has claimed seven Grand Slam titles, five Wimbledon titles, claimed four Olympic Gold and one Olympic Silver medals. She has also claimed 49 WTA singles titles and 22 WTA doubles titles, paving the way and changing attitudes with power and athleticism in women’s tennis. Venus is also known for being the founder of V Starr Interiors and for launching EleVen.

Venus has played tennis for most of her life, first realising her talents for the sport when she was just seven years old. Joined on the tennis courts by her sister Serena, Venus’ training was overseen by her father Richard and she ultimately made her professional debut when she was 14. From her first professional tournament in the Bank of West Classic, Venus has achieved immense success in tennis and was ranked as the World's no.1 female tennis player for 19 weeks. Amongst finding her talents for tennis, Venus was also encouraged to keep up with her education and obtained both an Interior Decorator Certification and an Associate of Science in Fashion, both of which have allowed her to begin her own businesses.

Outside of tennis, Venus’ entrepreneurial spirit has also seen her become one of the first female African-Americans to take a stake in an NFL franchise, becoming a part of the Miami Dolphins ownership group. She has also been honoured in her fight for gender equality, named the very first Promoter of Gender Equality by UNESCO and the United Nations. Throughout her tennis career, Venus has openly championed the right to equal pay and equal prize money for male and female tennis players. She has also claimed recognition as Woman of the Year from Glamour Magazine, awarded the Americanism Award from the Anti-Defamation League and named one of the 100 Most Powerful Celebrities by Forbes.

Today, amongst still playing successfully in her beloved sport, Venus has become a popular choice as a speaker for events. Having founded V Starr Interiors and launched the largest apparel line by a female athlete, EleVen, Venus is often booked to not only speak on her illustrious tennis career but also on her experiences as an entrepreneur. When booked as a speaker, Venus is also hired to speak on being a champion, gender equality, drive, determination and motivation. A truly inspirational woman, Venus Williams is paving the future for female sports.