Serena Williams Becomes Mentor To Health And Hygiene Startups
Serena Williams has joined an initiative created by Reckitt to support up to 200 health and hygiene start-ups founded by women and under-represented entrepreneurs. The initiative, called Reckitt Catalyst, is a five-year commitment with up to £10 million ($13.7 million) to provide entrepreneurs with funding, mentorship, and expertise from Reckitt leaders and Serena Williams.
Since 2020, the company has helped 60 entrepreneurs across 13 countries, allowing business owners to unlock access to health, clean water, and sanitation for one million people, as stated in a press release.
What is Reckitt Catalyst?
Reckitt Catalyst aims to help entrepreneurs find solutions that will improve access to health and hygiene for five million people. It is partnering with Yunus Social Innovation, Acumen America, and the Health Innovation Exchange (HIEX) to support up to 200 founders over the next five years in more than 15 countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Several Reckitt’s entrepreneurs attended the global call for entries at Cannes and highlighted the importance of Reckitt’s efforts. Nida Sheikh, CEO and co-founder of Tayaba, has distributed half a billion liters of clean water in Pakistan by installing solar-powered water facilities and water rollers.
Serena Williams mentoring health and hygiene startups
Williams will be Reckitt’s first Entrepreneur-in-Residence, mentoring and supporting women behind these startups. Williams’ portfolio includes over 85 companies, including healthcare startup HUED and Parfait, led by Black women. Remarkably, 14 companies in her portfolio have achieved unicorn status, each valued at over $1 billion.
Some notable investments include Masterclass, an online education platform featuring expert-led classes; Impossible Foods, a plant-based meat alternative company; and Wave, a $1.7 billion fintech company bringing mobile payments to Africa.
Image: Amy Sussman/Getty
