Zeel, the award-winning Massage On Demand® company and global wellness brand, announced today the addition of Venus Williams—one of the world's leading professional athletes and an accomplished entrepreneur—as a member of its Board of Directors, shareholder, and key advisor to its new Zeel@Sports division.
Zeel's network of 11,000 vetted, licensed massage therapists in more than 100 U.S. cities is well positioned to provide on-demand massage services to professional athletes at home and on the road. Zeel's elegant app allows customers to book a massage often within an hour's time, which is ideal for athletes in need of recovery after a tough game or rigorous practice. To provide a seamless experience, Zeel@Sports will pursue growth through partnerships with team trainers and coaches at training facilities, camps, and during the in-season and off-season across college and professional sports leagues.
"For more than a decade, I've been combining my competitive and entrepreneurial spirit into building my two companies and strategically aligning with exciting, global businesses and brands," said Venus Williams. "Zeel is an innovative and transformative company that fits seamlessly with my lifestyle as a professional athlete, and I'm eager to bring my passion for health and wellbeing and for growing businesses to the boardroom of a company redefining Americans' access to wellness."
"Venus brings an elevated understanding of modern health and fitness that recognizes the vital role of muscle recovery in physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing," said Samer Hamadeh, founder and CEO of Zeel. "Together with her career achievements and business acumen, that understanding makes Venus an ideal partner for Zeel, and we are thrilled to welcome her to our dynamic team."
A tennis legend and four-time Olympic gold medalist, Williams is also an accomplished entrepreneur who founded V Starr Interiors in 2002, a full-service commercial interior design firm that creates timeless designs for commercial and select residential properties, and subsequently launched EleVen by Venus Williams, a successful line of fashion-forward activewear. In addition to her businesses and seven Grand Slam titles, Williams is the author of the New York Times' bestseller, "Come to Win: Business Leaders, Artists, Doctors, and Other Visionaries on How Sports Can Help You Top Your Profession."
Williams joins existing Zeel board members Samer Hamadeh (Zeel CEO), Jeff Anderson of Palisades Growth Capital, Marcel Bens of Emil Capital, Ryan Freedman of Corigin Ventures, and Ilya Nykin of Prolog Ventures. Zeel's investor base also includes Dave Morin, Esther Dyson, and Chris Burch.
About Zeel
A high-growth global wellness brand, Zeel created Massage On Demand® in 2012 and was the first company to launch same-day, in-home massage. Recently surpassing more than 1,000,000 appointments, Zeel has been named one of the "Best Entrepreneurial Companies in America" by Entrepreneur and one of the fastest-growing companies in the country by Inc. Magazine. The Zeel platform counts over 11,000 licensed massage therapists delivering massage across the country. Zeel includes Zeel Spa®, a software-based staffing solution for hundreds of hotels and spas nationwide, and Zeel@Work, bringing chair massage, yoga, and assisted stretching to the employees of thousands of U.S.-based corporations.
