"You're not gonna make it" – Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian hilariously revisits his "green-hair phase," likens it with his CEO journey
Serena Williams' husband, Alexis Ohanian, reminisced about his "green hair" days, suggesting that if a company CEO had a similar unconventional phase, their employees would likely thrive. Ohanian, along with his University of Virginia classmate Steve Huffman, co-founded Reddit. During the company's early days, Ohanian served as CEO.
Ohanian, a history and business student at the University of Virginia, teamed up with his computer science classmate, Huffman, to pitch MyMobileMenu to the Y Coordinator as a potential business idea in 2005. After receiving encouragement from the technology startup accelerator, Ohanian and Huffman co-founded Reddit, with the goal of making it the "front page of the internet."
Besides focusing on business during his UVA days, the 41-year-old had a passion for music and video games. Sporting green-dyed hair reminiscent of Billie Joe Armstrong from the legendary rock band Green Day, Ohanian recently shared a throwback photo on X, showcasing his "green hair phase."
Ohanian also added a humorous caption, suggesting that employees are more likely to thrive under a CEO who has experienced a "green hair phase" at least once in their life.
"If your CEO never had a Green Hair phase, you're not gonna make it," he wrote.
In 2006, Ohanian and Huffman sold Reddit, their brainchild, to Condé Nast. After stepping down from their leadership roles in 2009, Huffman returned as CEO in 2015 and continues to hold the position.
Serena Williams' husband, Alexis Ohanian, serves as the CEO of 776
In 2021, Alexis Ohanian founded Seven Seven Six, a technology venture capital firm with over $1 billion in assets under management. As the current CEO, Ohanian utilizes the platform to invest in seed-stage companies and support determined founders.
Recently, he announced that Seven Seven Six venture capital will sponsor the first women-only track event, 776 Invitational. In a statement, he shared that the move would improve the profile of women athletes and promote impartiality. Over the years, Ohanian has been a staunch advocate for women's sports.
"At 776, we believe in the power of sports to drive positive change and inspire future generations. By investing in women’s track, we aim to build a best-in-class event that elevates the profile of top women athletes and creates a more equitable sporting landscape," he said (via Sportico).
The 776 Invitational will offer six times the prize money awarded to Diamond League gold medalists.