In the summer of 2005, shortly after launching Reddit, Alexis Ohanian received devastating news: his mother, Anke Ohanian, was diagnosed with Glioblastoma, a highly aggressive brain cancer with a stark five percent typical survival rate. Three years later, at just 54, she passed away. Nearly two decades have passed, yet the cherished memories of his mother remain vivid for Ohanian. Last year, on the anniversary of her death, he acknowledged it as “the hardest day of the year for me.” Recently, a Nordic experience evoked a wave of nostalgia for Ohanian, bringing his late mother, Anke, to mind. What triggered this poignant reflection?

On April 9, Serena Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian, shared a video clip from his recent trip to Sweden, featuring an assortment of Nordic licorice, on his X handle. Nordic licorice, especially the distinctly flavored “salty licorice” or Finnish “salmiakki,” is a beloved treat across Nordic nations, and also found in Benelux and northern Germany. Its signature salty-sweet taste often comes from ammonium chloride.

“This Nordic licorice reminds me of my mom, she loved the stuff — it’s not for the weak — but I love it too NGL. Tack Sweden! see ya again soon,” Ohanian captioned the tweet.

Alexis Ohanian has both Armenian and German roots. His mother, Anke, was born and raised in Hamburg, Germany. She had met her husband, Christopher J. Ohanian, a pharmacy technician, in Armenia, Ireland. Two years later, she immigrated to the U.S. two years later. The couple got married in 1980.

Anke was a brave woman, said a family friend at her funeral. “I’m thinking of you at this time and remembering Anke — lots of great memories of a very courageous woman.” How much bigger was her role in Ohanian’s growing up?

Such was Anke’s influence on Alexis Ohanian while growing up that she used to converse in German at home when he was a child. Well, how was Ohanian’s relationship with his parents, especially with his mother, who helped him grow professionally and personally? While detailing on that in Jay Shetty’s podcast, he once shared a story. Ohanian said,

“I told this woman I wanted to be a professional waiter in high school cause I was so good serving at Pizza Hut. My Boss, Tony, he was like, ‘Hey you know, instead of going to college I think, you could do this full time. Like you’re really good.’ And I was like, ‘I could move to New York and he’s like, ‘You could move to New York. You can make a great career out of this. And so I remember going home and telling my parents, ‘I was thinking going not to college.’ And the last thing you would tell an Armenian dad is that you’re not going to go to college.” Perhaps his parents scolded him hearing that, right?

But that wasn’t the case here. “And my dad, to his credit, didn’t say anything. My mom, though, so sweet. She was like, ‘Look, whatever you do, I know you’re going to be best at it. I know you’re going to work your hardest. Why don’t you start with a budget and figure out what it would cost to live there and then how much you will get paid and see if that’s something you want to accomplish.” Anke’s little gesture towards her son portrayed a mother’s pure affection for her kid, balancing with practicality.

His mother was extremely supportive of his career choice, and she was the one who had indeed encouraged him to turn the negative emotions into something positive. But how?

Serena Williams’ husband revealed how his mother’s tragic death inspired him to greatness

If we take a look back at his inspirational journey, Serena Williams‘ husband, founded Reddit in 2005, shortly after graduating from the University of Virginia. However, later on, he and his partner, Steve Huffman, had to sell that company to Conde Nast in 2006 for around $20 million. Reflecting on his decision, he said he felt surreal about making money for 16 months, equivalent to his parents’ earnings in their entire work lives. “It felt like I’d gotten away with something.”

Shortly after that realization, Ohanian added how the money helped him to take care of his mother, who was then going through extensive treatments, including chemotherapy. He believes that money that then brought him the financial security to offer the best possible treatment for his mother.

Later on, after the demise of his mother, he felt a bit dejected, but soon he managed to turn those negative emotions into something positive by establishing the 776 Foundation. Recalling that moment, Ohanian wrote, “My mom died 16 years ago today. This used to be the hardest day of the year for me (Ides of March, go figure) and then 3 years ago I started my family foundation — and found a new meaning to this day — one that I know she’d have been proud of,” in a post from March 16, 2024.

Even on Mother’s Day a couple of years ago, he highlighted his mother’s part in helping him become a successful businessman through a tweet. Ohanian wrote, “Love your mama every day! After I sold @Reddit, my mom passed, + I had enough to dedicate a chair at @UVA for her (Front of the class! Where she’d have sat if she’d gone to college). I think she’d be so excited for the @776Foundation + she’d have LOVED being a grandma (2x!).”

Even on their marriage day, Serena Williams was seen making a wish by saying, “Obviously, we wish that she (Anke) could be here for this, but choosing her birthday as our wedding date was a nice way of making sure she’s still involved and made us feel more connected to her on our day.” Picking the birthday of his mother as their wedding day was just one way of paying tribute to the woman who has contributed so much to his life.