Serena Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian, has been a devoted father to their daughters, Olympia and Adira. While Adira is still young, Olympia is already a growing child, and Ohanian has been dedicated to being the best possible father for both. But let’s not forget, when his now-elder daughter was just 3 years old, Ohanian, stepped down from the Reddit’s board of directors. In a heartfelt letter to his daughters, he explained his decision and framed it as a chapter in his career dedicated to family.
On November 8th, Alexis Ohanian and the American Sports journalist, Jemele Hill, discussed women’s sports and business. And the conversation turned towards Ohanian’s personal life as a dad and husband and professional journey since his resignation. Hill asked, “..being the father and husband of black women, what are some of the lessons or realities that you have been able to unearth here?” For the unversed, Ohanian resigned from the Reddit board back in June 2020 and went on to start the organization 776.
Ohanian started with, “I’ve really tried, really from when I resigned in protest from board of Reddit back in 2020. Started 776, that was the start of I don’t know, like a letter to my daughter, now I guess two daughters. But at that time, only one. Where I wanted her to see her dad doing the best work of his career, but doing in a way she would be very proud of.” But the question that lingers in one’s mind is: why did he resign after building Reddit?
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Ohanian reasoned his resignation from the board as a support for the community of color in the wake of George Floys’s passing. He said, “In the wake of George Floyd, you know a lot of companies were saying that they were standing in solidarity with communities of color, and black folks in particular and I was having a lot of trouble reconciling the company’s public statement (This is reddit’s ), around those things with the fact that there were thousands of very racist hateful communities that I believed should have been banned a long time ago. The rest of yeti board did not agree.”
“So I resigned and asked them to do it. To finally ban these communities, hate communities, and also replace me with a black director. And, I said that I can;t keep being a party to it and I think just philosophically, there were other things in the past, that I didn’t agree with on the platform around violence, and all that stuff. And thank fully, around a month later they did. And I think the public pressure had a lot to do with it.”
Serena Williams’ husband has time and again proved why he deserves the father of the year award. But this decision to step back and start a letter for his daughter, with the world as their witness, undoubtedly top everything. And the Reddit co founder has just one motivation behind his every step in profession and personal life: “to impress his two little girls!”
Serena Williams’ husband opened up about his motivation and competition
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
What’s your perspective on:
Did Alexis Ohanian's resignation from Reddit set a new standard for corporate responsibility and fatherhood?
Have an interesting take?
After his resignation and a new beginning with the 776 foundations, Ohanian had just one thing as the ultimate goal in his mind: “I just wanted to make sure that I was doing it in a way that my daughters would be proud of.” And things have gone insanely amazing for the Business dad.
He went on to buy the women’s soccer team, Angel City FC, in 2019. However, what’s more striking about this is the fact that Olympia was the youngest owner in the history of pro sports. Furthermore, the valuation of the team has increased by a massive $250 Mn in just a few years, making Olympia and her sister a millionaire already! However, this all motivation came from the competition.
While Serena Williams is already a well-established legend with the world singing her praises, Ohanian wants his daughter to be equally proud of him, as they would be of their mother. He further added, “So, I have these two little girls whom I deeply, deeply want to impress… I want them to be unreasonably proud of me too. So I’ve tried to build with that in mind.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Things have certainly worked out for the proud business dad. He has been able to expand his business and views and become a proud dad for his daughters!
Have something to say?
Let the world know your perspective.
Debate
Did Alexis Ohanian's resignation from Reddit set a new standard for corporate responsibility and fatherhood?