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Vera Kretschmar has emerged as an extraordinary entrepreneur who is making indelible marks across diverse industries—from real estate to finance to aesthetics. Born in Germany, she has experienced a transformative journey that has seen her evolve from living a sheltered life in the countryside to being the founder of multiple thriving ventures. This successful odyssey attests to her unwavering determination, ambitious spirit and adeptness at seizing opportunities.

As the managing director at Ivory Capital Asia and the visionary founder of Anaya Aesthetics, Anaya Property Investments, Anaya Creative Agency, Anaya Hospitality Investments and Anaya’s Angels Foundation, Kretschmar wears multiple entrepreneurial hats. Her diverse roles also extend to being one of the shareholders of Jade Restaurant and Lounge in Bali, an angel investor and a cryptocurrency investor.

After she completed her business school studies in Frankfurt, Kretschmar’s insatiable quest for knowledge propelled her to Los Angeles for further education. Her early passion for finance and stock trading materialized during an internship at esteemed institution Goldman Sachs in New York. Despite her initial focus on the stock market, Kretschmar’s corporate journey in property management eventually led her to China, where she oversaw retail leasing for CB Richard Ellis.

Kretschmar’s time in China—a pivotal chapter in her entrepreneurial narrative—served as the crucible where her business acumen truly flourished. While fulfilling her corporate responsibilities, Kretschmar delved into angel investments and cryptocurrency ventures, discovering a passion not only for financial investments but also for the inception and nurturing of businesses. Her departure from China marked the commencement of an extensive journey that included time spent in Switzerland, Italy, Hong Kong and the Philippines.

Throughout this odyssey, Kretschmar’s career trajectory was marked by a consistent expansion of her investment portfolio. Her journey stands as a testament to her ability to cultivate a discerning eye for promising brands and companies and showcases the quintessence of a true entrepreneur.

 

The Power of a Passion for Business Growth

As an angel investor, Kretschmar knows a speculative fundraising pitch when she sees one. “I look for something more old school—people who believe in their product and have already developed it in some way and shown that it can make money,” she says. According to her, authenticity is crucial for brands seeking venture capital funding.

Drawing a distinction between professional fundraisers and passionate founders, she emphasizes the importance of true dedication to a project, evidenced by tangible results and a clear growth trajectory. “There’s a big difference between being a professional fundraiser and being the passionate founder of a company you are truly invested in,” she says. “The difference I look for is true passion in a project that has shown its potential through actual results and offers a path for growth.”

Kretschmar focuses on investments that are aligned with her interests—in particular, women-run start-ups. She believes in promoting businesses she’s genuinely interested in, emphasizing the importance of having knowledge about what she invests in. One of her notable investments is Vie—Live Life Better, founded by Sabrina Villard, which offers tools for mental, emotional and physical well-being. Kretschmar praises Vie for delivering awareness and strategies to enhance daily life.

Another ongoing investment is fashion brand Perfect Moment, known for its high-performance luxury skiwear with a stylish touch. Originating in the mountains of Chamonix, the brand is led by a former French World Cup skier turned extreme sports filmmaker, ensuring both functionality and fashion for perfect moments both on and off the slopes.

Embracing Risk and Confidence as Cornerstones

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic presented Kretschmar with an opportunity to embark on a new journey and explore prospects in Indonesia. Driven by family ties, she discovered a plethora of possibilities in the archipelago.

“The very essence of being an entrepreneur is about risking what you think you have, using your experience and then just going for it,” says Kretschmar. “If I had waited until I thought I knew everything about business and life before starting my first business, I would still be sitting on my hands today.”

“I took the knowledge I gained from corporate real estate, combined it with a passion for property and interiors and looked for opportunities that aligned with those passions. I started by renovating a few villas and then expanded into creating a beauty clinic, a marketing agency and a restaurant investment. I recently also established a foundation for educating children.”

In her role as the managing director at Ivory Capital Asia, a Singapore-based boutique investment-banking advisory firm, Kretschmar specializes in real estate investments and assignments. “I handle investments and strategic collaborations for Ivory, facilitating introductions for large-scale mergers and acquisitions,” she explains.

 

Elevating Beauty Entrepreneurship Through Personalized Holistic Care

Recognizing the transformative impact of aesthetic treatments on the beauty industry, Kretschmar established Anaya Aesthetics. Renowned for its commitment to offering personalized care and advanced procedures, Anaya Aesthetics has become a trusted name in the field. Expanding its presence to Bali, this distinguished medical spa introduces a holistic beauty approach amid the province’s pristine landscape.

What sets Anaya Aesthetics apart is its philosophy—one that’s rooted in a profound understanding of each client’s unique needs. Unlike conventional spas, Anaya avoids a one-size-fits-all approach, preferring to dedicate time to analyzing the client’s skin, comprehending their aspirations and recommending tailored treatments. The clinic’s mission is to align beauty procedures with the client’s vision, ensuring natural-looking results. At Anaya, clients embark on a personalized beauty journey and receive solutions crafted specifically for them.

Anaya Aesthetics has evolved from a medical spa into a sanctuary of transformation, seamlessly blending science and art to yield beautiful and authentic results. Here, the focus is on ensuring that every individual emerges as their best self, experiencing results that are never artificial or contrived. The journey starts with identifying the client’s aspirations, guided by professional expertise to deliver natural and beautiful outcomes. The dedicated team at Anaya understands that genuine beauty is rooted in confidence, and they tirelessly strive to enhance these qualities for every client they assist.

Kretschmar emphasizes that the key to entrepreneurial success involves taking risks and embracing a disruptive mindset. “If I had adhered to conventional wisdom, shied away from failure and failed to acknowledge that I wasn’t an expert in every field, I would be nowhere,” she asserts. According to her, successful entrepreneurs understand these realities, identify opportunities, take calculated risks and pursue them, recognizing that nobody knows everything at the start of any business. She concludes that having the confidence to acknowledge that every problem has a solution is fundamental to the entrepreneurial journey.

Looking ahead, Kretschmar shares her upcoming ventures, stating: “I have purchased a villa on Lake Como that I am going to spend some time remodelling. That’s always been a big dream of mine, so I’m very excited. And then I have a big project coming up in Dubai, so I will be spending more time in the Middle East.”

Amid these ventures, Kretschmar is also actively involved in the dynamic world of cryptocurrency—with a particular focus on IX Swap—further expanding her investment portfolio. IX Swap, founded by Alice Chen and Jules Kwan and identified as a Uniswap for security tokens, features the first-ever automated market maker for securities on the blockchain.

IX Swap is essentially addressing the liquidity problem for tokenized real-world assets, including private market assets that were traditionally inaccessible to the average person. Recently, it has also ventured into tokenizing alternatives such as K-content and royalties as well as luxury items, effectively monetizing and providing liquidity to these previously inaccessible assets. “Essentially, it eases the problem of turning your crypto assets into cash,” shares Kretschmar.

As Kretschmar continues to embrace risk and confidence as cornerstones of her success, her upcoming projects promise to be exciting chapters in her entrepreneurial journey. In every endeavour, she embodies the essence of a true entrepreneur, navigating challenges with resilience and shaping her ventures with a unique blend of business acumen and genuine passion.

 

KO Media newsroom and editorial staff were not involved in the creation of this content.