Poshmark appoints Serena Williams to board

Peer-to-peer second hand e-tailer Poshmark has appointed tennis champion and fashion designer, Serena Williams to its board of director.

In a statement, Poshmark stated that Williams was a “natural fit” to join its board as the company continues to scale its social commerce platform as the tennis star has been an “advisor and investor in companies for many years, and she is passionate about empowering businesses owned and run by women and minorities”.

As well as being a recognised sports star, Williams is also an accomplished entrepreneur and fashion designer and last year she launched her own clothing line, Serena.

"Poshmark was built by a community of strong, independent women just like Serena Williams," explained Manish Chandra, Poshmark's founder and chief executive. "As both our company and community continue to grow, it's important that we bring smart and diverse new voices to the table, and we couldn't be more thrilled about what the future holds with Serena in our corner."

To coincide with her appointment to Poshmark's board, clothing worn by Williams will now be up for sale in her Posh Closet for Charity, featuring pieces including a floral kimono worn to the 2017 French Open, dresses worn on the red carpet and a custom-made Gucci jacket. All proceeds will be donated to the Yetunde Price Resource Center, a non-profit organisation founded by Williams which offers trauma-informed programs that promote individual and community-wide healing and resiliency.

Since launching in 2011, Poshmark has built a community of 40 million people, who have bought from over 75 million listings from its five million Seller Stylists. The company states that it powers a sale nearly every second and has distributed more than 1 billion US dollars to its community of sellers.