Tomorrow’s Tech, Today: Innovation That Moves Us Forward
- 94% of young professionals have followed misleading career advice on social media, underscoring the need for verified coaching.
- EZRA's AI-enhanced platform augments human coaches, expanding access to verified professional development and personalized guidance.
- Coached employees are 78% more likely to progress within their organizations, showing measurable career impact.
- Venus Williams exemplifies leadership, equal pay advocacy, and entrepreneurship, serving as a public face inspiring the next generation of professionals.
Venus Williams is stepping off the court and into the mentorship space. The tennis champion has partnered with global coaching platform EZRA on a new initiative called The Gift of Coaching. Together, they will provide 1,000 young professionals with one-on-one digital career coaching.
EZRA, the coaching arm of LHH and part of The Adecco Group, uses an AI-powered digital coach to make world-class coaching more accessible. Through The Gift of Coaching, participants will receive personalized guidance on career advancement, leadership development, and confidence-building.
Williams compares good coaching to having a transformative teacher. “You don’t realize, when you have a really great coach, how much that can change your life and your world,” she said in the announcement.
While executive-level coaching has often been reserved for senior leaders, this initiative recognizes that young professionals can benefit from it too.
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What the Program Means for Young Professionals
While Gen Z has an overwhelming amount of information available to them online, this may not benefit their careers. Recent studies reveal that 94% of young professionals have followed career advice on social media that was misleading or harmful to their careers. EZRA seeks to make professional coaching and verified advice more readily available to early career professionals.
The Gift of Coaching is open globally to young employees across industries and backgrounds. Candidates will be selected based on growth mindset and clarity about why coaching matters to them. EZRA will also weigh each applicant’s potential to shape the future or work within their field.
Selected participants get access to digital learning resources curated by EZRA’s coaching and content teams. The program also includes behavioral nudges designed to help participants stay accountable to the goals they set. EZRA says that the AI-powered platform is meant to enhance human coaching, not replace it. The results are promising. Data from EZRA showed that coached employees are 78% more likely to progress within their organizations. Interested applicants can learn more and apply directly for The Gift of Coaching through EZRA’s website.
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Venus Williams: EZRA’s Brand Ambassador
Venus Williams is a testament to what powerful coaching can help one person achieve. She became a professional tennis player in 1994 at just 14 years old. Throughout her career, she has won seven Grand Slam singles titles. Williams also claimed 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, alongside her sister Serena Williams. Her doubles success has also continued to the Olympics, where she won four gold medals.
Beyond her on-court dominance, Williams has been a vocal advocate for equal pay in tennis. Her 2006 op-ed pushed Wimbledon to finally offer equal prize money to women in 2007. That advocacy defined what athlete leadership could look like away from the playing field.
Williams has also built a substantial business portfolio. She founded EleVen by Venus Williams, an athletic apparel line, in 2007. She later launched Happy Viking, a plant-based nutrition brand aimed at active lifestyles. Williams also founded V Starr Interiors, an interior design firm based in Florida.
Her investment activity spans wellness, technology, and consumer brands as part of her broader strategy. This blend of athletic legacy and entrepreneurial range positions her perfectly as a coaching ambassador.
EZRA CEO Nick Goldberg pointed directly to this combination in a statement announcing the partnership. “Venus has spent her career redefining what leadership looks like, from winning on the court to building businesses and advocating for equal opportunity.”
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For the next generation of young professionals, Venus’s career and dedication to her craft are inspiring. Today, she is using her influence to emphasize the importance of having coaches and mentors who help you take the next step.
Main Image: Venus William Source: Peter Menzel
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