Athletes are moving beyond endorsements to launch original brands.
Athlete Ventures span beauty, wellness, spirits, fashion, and media.
Authenticity and ownership drive cultural impact and consumer trust.
Athletes are redefining influence as founders.
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Athletes today aren’t simply creating social posts for brands, they’re making moves in boardrooms, design studios, and startup labs. As the lines between influence, entrepreneurship, and creativity continue to blur, more pro players are using their platforms to launch original brands that reach far beyond sports.
From skincare and spirits to media production and fashion, these athletes are not simply endorsing products but they’re also creating them. They're deeply involved, bringing their competitive edge, personal style, and lived experience to industries where authenticity sells. What makes these ventures stand out is not only name recognition, it’s the originality and ownership behind each idea.
No agents calling the shots, no passive partnerships, just full-on founders taking control of the narrative. These five athletes turned passion projects into cultural powerhouses, building businesses with lasting impact. These player-founders jumped out of the sports box and into new fields.
Serena Williams isn’t just redefining greatness on the court- she’s now doing it in beauty aisles too. With the launch of WYN Beauty (short for Win Your Now), Serena created more than a product line; she built a movement. Designed for people always on the move, WYN features high-performance, skincare-infused makeup with inclusive shades and long-lasting wear that works from workout to wind-down.
Serena’s hands-on role, from product testing to brand storytelling, makes this more than a celebrity collab. WYN campaigns center everyday beauty in motion, mirroring Serena’s belief that confidence should never have to pause. Her TikTok and Instagram content feels personal, driven, and full of that signature Serena power.
With WYN, she’s not just wearing the crown, she’s helping others to win their own. It’s athlete-led, performance-backed beauty that proves you can sweat, slay, and serve face all at once.
Platforms: Instagram, TikTok, YouTube
Focus Areas: Inclusive beauty, high-performance makeup, athlete-founded skincare
LeBron James didn’t just join a tequila brand- he created Lobos 1707 Citra Verde, a collaboration helping craft a flavor centered on community and celebration. As co-founder and creative producer, LeBron shaped tasting notes, bottle design, and visual identity, ensuring each sip reflected his Los Angeles roots and global values. Launch campaigns featured game-night pairings, mixer recipes, and day-in-the-life tasting ventures. He shared TikTok cocktail tutorials, podcast chats about legacy, and Instagram stories from his home bar collection. Sales surged across hospitality and retail, and the Limited Edition bottles became collectibles. LeBron transformed tequila from luxury drink into a cultural bridge.
Platforms: Instagram, TikTok, YouTube
Focus Areas: Lifestyle spirits, cultural storytelling, founder-creater role
Naomi Osaka co‑created Kinlò Cosmetics, a wellness-infused makeup brand rooted in tropical ingredients and comfort-focused formulas. She contributed to texture, shade selection, and packaging, ensuring broad inclusivity and a laid-back aesthetic. Naomi’s launch featured Instagram Lives with makeup tutorials filmed in tropical locales, TikTok wellness diaries, and product trials accompanied by candid narrative about beauty and healing. She shared fan feedback loops as story polls and invited followers to name exclusive shades. The result: Kinlò sold out quickly through direct-to-consumer channels and began trending across Gen Z beauty fans. Naomi’s intentional product development gave fans more than hype, by giving them meaningful brand ownership.
Platforms: Instagram, TikTok, YouTube
Focus Areas: Inclusive beauty, wellness-cosmetics, customer co-creation
Tennis star Sloane Stephens isn’t just swinging racquets, she’s redefining wellness with Doc & Glo, a Black-owned supplement brand she co-founded with her husband, soccer pro Jozy Altidore. This isn't a traditional athlete endorsement- it’s an athlete-built wellness company born from personal need and cultural purpose. After years of intense competition and recovery routines, Sloane wanted supplements that were clean, effective, and inclusive and Doc & Glo delivers exactly that.
The brand focuses on transparency and health literacy, blending vitamins with everyday wellness rituals. Sloane uses her social platforms to share her personal journey with recovery, gut health, and active living, making her a powerful voice in a space often filled with jargon and hype.
Instead of borrowing someone else’s message, Sloane wrote her own, building a brand that reflects her lifestyle and values while offering real solutions for real people. Doc & Glo is wellness with intent, built by an athlete who lives it daily.
Platforms: Instagram, TikTok, YouTube
Focus Areas: Active wellness, sustainable body care, athlete-designed product
Logan Paul didn’t just pivot into athletics, he redefined what a digital creator-turned-athlete could be. After gaining fame on YouTube, Logan stunned the world by stepping into the boxing ring and then the WWE arena, quickly earning respect for his physical talent and daredevil athleticism. But his boldest move came outside the ring: co-founding Prime Hydration with fellow creator-turned-boxer KSI.
What started as a direct-to-consumer hydration drink exploded into a global sensation, thanks to Logan’s massive influence, athletic credibility, and genius-level content strategy. Prime wasn’t just launched- it was performed, with high-energy campaigns, surprise giveaways, viral challenges, and product placements across stadiums and social platforms. From wrestling entrances to sideline coolers, Prime became more than a drink- it became a creator-born lifestyle brand, bridging sports, youth culture, and internet hype.
Platforms: Instagram, YouTube, TikTok
Focus Areas: Sports performance, lifestyle branding, viral campaigns
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has dominated wrestling rings and Hollywood screens and now, the spirits aisle. In 2020, he co-founded Teremana Tequila, a premium tequila brand produced in small batches using traditional methods in Jalisco, Mexico. Johnson didn’t just license his name; he helped shape the flavor, branding, and even the eco-conscious bottling process.
“Mana” means spirit, and the brand lives up to it, rooted in celebration, heritage, and perseverance. Teremana quickly became a massive success, topping sales charts and redefining how celebrity spirits can feel personal, not gimmicky. With Johnson’s massive fan base and authentic storytelling, the tequila feels like an extension of his lifestyle.
Platforms: Instagram, YouTube
Focus Areas: Premium tequila, sustainable packaging, lifestyle branding
After being diagnosed with Sjögren’s syndrome, tennis legend Venus Williams took control of her health and turned that journey into a brand. She co-created Happy Viking, a plant-based protein shake line designed for performance, recovery, and all-around wellness.
Developed in collaboration with nutritionists, the shakes are packed with superfoods, omega-3s, and complete proteins. Venus became the face and force behind the brand- not just promoting it, but actively involved in its product development and mission. With packaging that feels fun yet functional, and formulas that appeal to fitness lovers and everyday consumers alike, Happy Viking is now a player in the protein space.
Platforms: Instagram, LinkedIn
Focus Areas: Nutrition, plant-based lifestyle, female wellness
Before athlete branding was trendy, George Foreman made it legendary. In the mid-90s, he became the face of a new kind of home appliance- the George Foreman Grill. He revolutionized healthy eating for everyday households.
More than 100 million units later, it remains one of the most iconic athlete-led product lines in history. The grill’s appeal came from both functionality and Foreman’s genuine persona- his smile, charm, and commitment to health, made him more than just a spokesperson. He became synonymous with “easy grilling” and practical nutrition. Even today, his name evokes innovation through simplicity.
Platforms: Traditional media, home shopping networks
Focus Areas: Healthy cooking, home appliances, everyday health
Blake Griffin and Ryan Kalil didn’t just walk off the court and field into retirement, they ran straight into Hollywood. Together, the NBA All-Star and the NFL Pro Bowler co-founded Mortal Media, a production company built around athlete-led storytelling and offbeat creative risk. These aren’t vanity credits, both Griffin and Kalil have become hands-on producers with a growing slate of projects that include reboots (White Men Can’t Jump), high-concept originals (Hello Tomorrow! on Apple TV+), and even animated features.
What sets Mortal Media apart? It’s not just that the founders are athletes, it’s that they’ve studied the industry, hired talent with taste, and developed a voice that blends comedy, futurism, and pop nostalgia. Their work bridges sports and scripted entertainment, and it’s helping rewrite the playbook for post-career paths in media. They didn’t settle for endorsement deals- they built the studio.
Platforms: Instagram, Hollywood trades, Apple TV+, Netflix
Focus Areas: Production, media storytelling, athlete-founded entertainment brands
Cristiano Ronaldo turned his global fandom into a lifestyle empire with CR7, his signature brand that spans underwear, denim, sneakers, and a best-selling line of fragrances. The brand mirrors Ronaldo’s personal aesthetic- sleek, bold, and aspirational.
He’s hands-on with product design, marketing shoots, and campaign messaging. What started with men’s underwear quickly expanded into a multimillion-dollar fashion and fragrance operation available in dozens of countries. CR7 reflects not just Ronaldo’s athletic prowess, but his influence as a global icon of masculinity and style.
Platforms: Instagram, CR7.com
Focus Areas: Fashion, fragrance, accessible luxury
In the past, when brands needed influencers, they used famous athletes to drive interest. Today, these athletes are no longer just the faces of endorsement deals- they’re the masterminds behind brands that showcase their unique personalities, address real-world needs, and carve out fresh cultural spaces. Whether it’s launching a premium tequila, developing plant-based protein lines, breaking into Hollywood production, or crafting high-end fashion collections, these ventures demonstrate that sports stardom is merely the launchpad.
What sets these athlete-entrepreneurs apart is that they’re deeply involved in every step, from concept to consumer, turning passion projects into thriving enterprises. This shift reflects a larger trend: consumers want brands with purpose and personality, not just celebrity endorsements. As this demand grows, expect to see more athletes move boldly beyond the game, reshaping industries and inspiring new ways to connect to their consumers.
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