Lindsey Vonn, who retired in 2019, joins a firm composed entirely of women across its general partnership and advisory council.Angel Martinez/Getty Images
One of the most decorated athletes in Olympic history is bringing her focus on female representation to venture capital.
Skier Lindsey Vonn has joined the advisory board of New York-based Athena Capital, a venture capital firm focused on growth-stage, technology-focused companies nearing public or private exits.
The firm, which is set to announce the appointment on Friday, manages about US$6-billion and is composed entirely of women across its general partnership and advisory council.
Ms. Vonn is one of the most successful alpine skiers in history, winning three Olympic medals – including gold in the downhill at the 2010 Vancouver Games – along with 82 World Cup race victories and four overall World Cup titles. She retired in 2019 with the most World Cup wins by any woman at the time.
The racing legend adds profile to a sector where women remain underrepresented in both capital allocation and leadership roles. Globally, startups founded solely by women received 2.1 per cent of venture capital funding in 2023, according to a study published last month by the Founders Forum Group. In the U.S., companies with at least one female founder secured 25 per cent of venture funding, but those led exclusively by women captured just 3 per cent.
A 2024 report by the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub estimates that women-led startups in Canada received about 4 per cent of venture capital funding in 2023.
Athena’s general partnership and advisory council comprise more than 45 women with backgrounds in growth-stage investing, company building, and executive leadership.
Ms. Vonn, who has held corporate board roles and completed a venture capital internship, will advise Athena on investor outreach and fundraising. Her perspective is aimed at strengthening the firm’s push to back ambitious companies and outperform in a space that’s still not always inclusive, the company said.