Axios

Reckitt Catalyst entrepreneur-in-residence Serena Williams told founders at Axios House during SXSW on Friday that one of the toughest hurdles for early-stage entrepreneurs is learning how to sell themselves.

Why it matters: The former tennis star says underinvested entrepreneurs — who are frequently people of color and women — are passionate, problem-solvers but they need mentors to help them with storytelling.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Friday that Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is "wounded and likely disfigured."

Why it matters: Hegseth's claim was the first official statement by the Trump administration about Khamenei's health since he was named the country's leader.

The Treasury Department made it easier Friday for U.S. businesses and farmers to buy Venezuelan fertilizer and oil as their prices rise because of the Iran war, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: The bottleneck of tankers in the Persian Gulf because of Iranian attacks has caused the costs of oil and fertilizer, a petrochemical product, to jump. It threatens to spike inflation and raise the cost of food in the U.S.