In November 2017, Serena Williams‘s dreams came true! The 23 time Grand Slam Singles champion married Alexis Ohanian in a stunning ceremony and Alexis quickly went from her supportive partner to her biggest fan. Alexis is constantly seen in the player’s box at Serena’s tournament, cheering her on, watching with focus as she plays and fist bumping along to pump her up! The couple, who share their adorable daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., 2, are a true force to be reckoned with, and there’s a lot more to Alexis than meets the eye. Here’s what you need to know about Alexis Ohanian!
1) He’s the co-founder of Reddit. Alexis co-founded Reddit in 2005 with Steve Huffman. He left the website in 2007, but returned full-time in 2015. He’s also helped launch Hipmunk, a travel search website, and Breadpig, which creates geeky products and donates the proceeds to charity.
2. Alexis and Serena started dating in October 2015. Alexis and Serena reportedly met at lunch and started dating soon after they met. At first the couple were quite private about their romance, but now they’re basically #CoupleGoals. Alexis and Serena are consistently so supportive of each other, and Alexis routinely gushes about how incredible Serena is as a mom, tennis player and inspiration.
3. He’s become a major advocate for paid parental leave. After the birth of their sweet, two-year-old girl, whom they call Olympia, Alexis really had to step in after Serena suffered life-threatening complications after undergoing a c-section. Since then, Alexis has stood steadfast as an advocate for paid leave, writing in an August 2019 op-ed for The New York Times, “We need a federal bill that mandates quality paid family leave for everyone — birth parents, adoptive parents and caregivers alike. Until that happens, dads, let me be your air cover. I took my full 16 weeks and I’m still ambitious and care about my career. Talk to your bosses and tell them I sent you.”
4. He helped to create the Hijab emoji. Apart from his activism toward parental leave, Alexis also uses his privilege and platform to uplift the identities of marginalize communities. In Oct. 2017, Alexis worked with two women to create the design. “Proud to be working with @RayoufAlhumedhi and @jenny8lee on a proposal for the Unicode Technical Committee to add a headscarf emoji, for millions of women across the globe to be represented,” he shared to his website on Oct. 6, 2017.
5. Alexis is a best-selling author. He released his book — Without Their Permission: How the 21st Century Will Be Made, Not Managed — in 2013. The book is a help guide to aspiring entrepreneurs.
