Alexis Ohanian: It's 'absurd' that men feel threatened by successful women

Alexis Ohanian has had a whirlwind year. The co-founder of Reddit and tech entrepreneur has added two very important titles to his name in the past 12 months — dad and husband.

Ohanian married tennis icon Serena Williams in November 2017. Their daughter, Olympia, will turn one in September.

“There’s probably a lot of guys who would feel threatened in a situation with a partner who is extremely talented and successful,” Ohanian told “GMA.” “It seems kind of absurd to me though, because all of that success and all of that greatness is something that you should be championing.”

Ohanian has been very visibly supportive of Williams and her career as a tennis player and mother, cheering her on from the sidelines of Wimbledon to even taking out billboards in Palm Springs, Florida, declaring her the “Greatest Mother of All Time (G.M.O.A.T)” as she competed in a tournament after maternity leave in February.

This big, romantic gesture is just one that went viral. In July, he whisked Williams and their daughter away to Venice because “she wanted Italian for dinner,” he wrote on Instagram, but Ohanian brushes off the praise for splashier stunts.

“Billboards are awesome, trips to Italy are awesome,” he said. “But if you ask her, the most romantic things that really had the biggest impact are really just showing up and being there and being supportive and doing my job [as a husband and father].”

The venture capitalist admits he’s still getting used to balancing his new role as a family man with the pressures of his profession.

“I struggle to put family first. I aspire, I really do, but I feel guilty even saying that I achieve it,” he said. “We both have to make an effort when we are spending time with our kid and one another to really be present in that moment.”

The venture capitalist is currently working with Folger’s 1850 Brand Coffee to help other young entrepreneurs turn their own bold ideas into a reality. “I drink a lot of coffee,” the Initialized Capital co-founder joked.

This struggle for work-life balance has opened his eyes to the importance of paid parental leave and making sure all families have enough time to bond with their children before returning to work.

“If we are a country that believes in family values and the strength of family as the foundation of our society … then making sure parents have this time is the least we can do,” Ohanian declared, adding that he hopes this is an issue where the tech community can create change.

“I am trying to be the best business dad that I can,” he said.