VC And Entrepreneur Serena Williams Showcases Her New Beauty Brand, WYN Beauty, At ESSENCE Festival
On July 6, 2024, Serena Williams discussed her journey in founding WYN Beauty at the 2024 ESSENCE Festival of Culture, presented by Coca-Cola.
Participating in Beautycon’s “Passion to Profit” panel series, Williams discussed her journey with the vegan makeup brand she launched this year.
A Journey Rooted in Passion
Williams shared that her interest in beauty began during her childhood in Compton, California. Inspired by her mother’s minimal yet impeccable approach to beauty, Williams developed a fascination with makeup.
“You kind of had to be fabulous growing up in Compton,” Williams joked during the panel.
Her love for beauty only deepened as she navigated wearing makeup on the tennis court, often creating her own skin tints to match her complexion.
“Years and years ago, I didn’t know it was called tinted moisturizer, but that’s kind of what I was doing,” Williams explained.
This early experimentation laid the groundwork for WYN Beauty, which Williams launched in April 2024.
Founded through a joint venture partnership with the Good Glamm Group, known for its tech-enabled beauty brands, WYN Beauty offers 91 shades across 10 products, emphasizing inclusivity and ensuring everyone finds their perfect match.
Building a Brand for Everyone
Williams emphasized that WYN Beauty is built on principles of diversity and representation.
“I wanted something that could represent me — the way I look, my skin color. And everyone out there as well. People that look like me and also people that don’t,” she said.
This vision mirrors her approach with Serena Ventures, her venture capital fund that supports underrepresented founders.
In addition to product diversity, Williams is committed to involving women in the brand’s backend operations, ensuring that the team shares her passion for active beauty.
“For me, it’s super important to have women involved in the backend… and people that share my passion for makeup and people that understand my idea of active beauty,” she stated.
The Essence of WYN Beauty
WYN Beauty is designed for active lifestyles, offering clean, high-performing makeup that is both skin-loving and flexible according to a press release.
Williams describes it as makeup you can move in, staying beautiful and hydrated all day.
Following her retirement from tennis in 2022, Williams has focused on her investment firm, Serena Ventures, which champions diversity in the tech and startup sectors.
Her transition into the beauty industry with WYN Beauty marks another successful venture.
Image Credit: Erika Goldring/Getty Images/ Billboard
