Serena Ventures: Playing to Win
As a world-class athlete, businesswoman, philanthropist and mother, Serena Williams has persevered to become one of the top tennis players in history with 23 Grand Slam titles. Serena began actively investing over ten years ago when she saw the impact that startups had on everyday lives. In building Serena Ventures, she has been able to multiply that effort applying her champion mindset and strategies to the world of venture capital.
David Fialkow is Co-Founder and Managing Director of General Catalyst, a venture firm that partners with founders on their journey building world class businesses focused on responsible innovation. David's areas of focus include fintech, digital health and data analytics. David has a film degree from Colgate University and a law degree from Boston College. David and his wife, Nina, produce documentary films focused on social justice. Two of their films, ICARUS and NAVALNY, each won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2018 and 2023, respectively. Their other films include American Symphony, The Great Hack, Beyond Utopia, The Vow, Bending the Arc, Retrograde, Aftershock, The Grab, Citizen Ashe and others. David's philanthropy focus includes raising millions of dollars to support kids' programs by doing biking, running, skiing, climbing and rowing challenges. His non-profit boards include the Pan-Mass Challenge, the Vineyard Youth Foundation and The MIT Corporation. He also chairs the Investment Advisory Committee at The Engine, launched by MIT.