Icons Turned Investors: 14 celebrities & athletes making waves in venture capital

Dominating the charts with hit records, garnering critical acclaim on the big screen, and even ascending to legendary status on the court takes a certain set of skills and characteristics — tenacity, unshakeable work ethic, grit, and talent. However, navigating the somewhat ”mystique world” of venture capital is a different terrain that calls for different rules of the game, like sound judgment, building connections, and forward-thinking. Some high-profile names in sports and entertainment have entered the VC industry and propelled innovative startups in the right direction with critical backing, such as Serena Williams and Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter.

With more celebrities pivoting toward the tech and VC ecosystem, we’ve got our eyes on who’s adding investor and founder to their multi-hyphenate legacies.

Nasir “Nas” Jones | Partner and Co-Founder, Queensbridge Venture Partners

Entering the hip hop scene in the early ’90s, Nasir “Nas” Jones made his presence known in the industry with the success of his debut album Illmatic in 1994. Fast forward 20 years, he helped found Queensbridge Venture Partners, which to date, has made over 125 investments, including Soma Water, Ring, Casper, and Vantage Sports.

Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter | Founder, Marcy Venture Partners

Similarly, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter ascended in the rap game during the early ’90s and has since accumulated a list of other titles, including record label co-founder, author, executive producer, and investor. In 2019, he co-founded Marcy Venture Partners and the firm has made 40 investments thus far, including Altro, Babylist, and Savage x Fenty. According to Crunchbase, Marcy Venture Partners, or MVP, has raised a total of $422.1 million across three different funds.

Serena Williams | Founder, Serena Ventures

She may have hung up her racket after reigning for the past two decades as the greatest tennis player of all time, but Serena Williams is just turning the corner as an investor and founder of Serena Ventures. Launched in 2014, Serena Ventures primarily seeds early-stage startups with a total of 57 investments thus far, according to Crunchbase.

Calvin “Snoop Dogg” Broadus | Founder and General Partner, Casa Verde Capital

Known for bringing his West Coast hip hop flair to any and every space as a musician, actor, and media personality, it was only a matter of time before Calvin “Snoop Dogg” Broadus explored the world of venture capital. In 2015, he became the founder and general partner at Casa Verde Capital, a micro-VC firm that primarily makes seed investments. So far, the Los Angeles-based firm has made 35 investments and raised $145 million.

Kevin Durant | Co-Founder, Thirty Five Ventures

With his talents surpassing the court as the Brooklyn Nets’ power forward, Kevin “KD” Durant is proving that there’s more to his abilities than just brawn and grit. The Washington, D.C. native and NBA star founded his own venture capital firm — Thirty Five Ventures — in 2016 with the hopes of supporting emerging and existing businesses to scale toward success. Thus far, the firm has made 59 investments.

Stephen Curry | Founder, SC30; Anchor Investor, Penny Jar Capital

On top of having his hands full as a father when he’s not shocking the world as a sports phenom for the Golden State Warriors, eight-time NBA all-star Steph Curry is making moves in venture capital as a founder of both SC30 and Penny Jar Capital. While SC30 houses Curry’s off-court business ventures and investments, Penny Jar Capital is an early-stage firm that supports unconventional tech companies; so far, Penny Jar has invested in 7 startups, including Syndio, HiveWatch and Praxis Labs.

Will Smith | Co-Founder, Dreamers VC

A shining example of acting talent on both the small and big screen, Will Smith is one of a few faces in Hollywood who is bringing his reach to the venture capital industry. He is the co-founder of Dreamers VC, which was started in 2018, and has made more than 40 investments in early-stage companies in seed, A or B rounds of fundraising.

Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter | General Partner, Impellent Ventures

While he’s widely known for his poetic lyricism alongside hip-hop band The Roots, Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter is following a new pursuit as the general partner of Impellent Ventures. Trotter announced earlier this year that he would be joining the leadership team of the VC firm, which was founded in 2018 and provides investments to pre-seed, seed, and series A startups.

Rick Ross | Investor

Miami-based rapper Rick Ross didn’t make waves in the mid-2000s with the moniker, “The Boss” just for show; he’s carved out his space in his career to pursue music and business as an investor of several companies. While he may not have an official venture capital firm, he has supported several companies and endeavors, including Luc Belaire, JetDoc, Wingstop, and Verzuz TV.

Pharrell Williams | Founder, Black Ambition

Pharrell’s catalog as an entertainer and innovator is certainly one to marvel at with accolades as a score writer, record producer, musician and philanthropist. While he may not have his own venture capital firm — yet — he has created an avenue to support Black and Latinx entrepreneurs with his non-profit organization called Black Ambition. The accelerator was launched in 2020 to mobilize, support, and fund early-stage startups founded by Black and Brown entrepreneurs in tech, design, healthcare, and consumer products/services.

Earvin “Magic” Johnson Jr. | Founder, Magic Johnson Enterprises

Revered by many as a GOAT in the NBA, Earvin “Magic” Johnson is just as legendary outside of sports, as he owns his own conglomerate, which houses a production company, film studio, promotional company, and chain of movie theaters. Under Magic Johnson Enterprises, the NBA great has invested in numerous widely-known businesses for decades, including Sodexo, Burger King, and T.G.I.Friday’s.

Malcolm Jenkins | Co-Founder and CEO, Malcolm Inc. and Broad Street Ventures

Former NFL safety Malcolm Jenkins transitioned from athlete to investor when he founded Broad Street Ventures in 2020. Funded solely by Black and Brown investors, including a subset of fellow NFL athletes, BSV is the first Black athlete-led venture capital fund and was launched to increase tech investments from people of color. Thus far, the VC firm has invested in late-stage/growth stage companies like AirBnb, Epic Games, Instacart, and Dapper Labs.

Sean “Diddy” Combs | Founder, Combs Enterprises

Making major deals is slight work to Sean “Diddy” Combs, whose reputation as a mogul almost exceeds his notoriety as an artist and producer. Enter Combs Enterprises, which the Bad Boys Records label founder launched in 2013. The portfolio’s most noted investment was for Arc Boats, an electric boat startup, that also received funding from Kevin Durant and Will Smith.

Carmelo Anthony | Co-Founder, Melo7 Tech Partners

Outside of his career as an NBA star, Carmelo Anthony has pursued interests beyond the rim including venture capital. Launched in 2014, Anthony co-founded Melo7 Tech Partners, a New York-based firm that supports early-stage digital media, consumer internet, and tech related ventures. Since inception, the company has made 40 investments including DraftKings, SeatGeek, and Clubhouse.

As venture capital continues to evolve and innovation is supported by investors — like those on our list with reach and capital — the anticipated outcome is not only a more attainable reality for professionals on the rise, but a cultural shift of buying into a network potential of Black, Latinx, and other historically excluded communities.

Interested in moving the venture capital industry forward through social impact and funding founders of color? Apply today for an opportunity to learn the fundamentals of the industry while securing a paid 10-week internship with our partnering host firms through our 2023 Fellowship Program. The 2023 HBCUvc Fellowship Program is a career accelerator program designed for HBCU and BIPOC students along with recent alumni looking to enter the VC, tech, and entrepreneurship spaces. Head over to our site to learn more about this opportunity and our organization.