Vera Futorjanski

Vera Futorjanski is an entrepreneur, angel investor, LP, and international keynote speaker. After a decade in the tech industry, recognizing the barriers and biases faced by female leaders in all fields, Vera founded Beyond - a curated community for women across cultures, careers, and geographies, providing them with inspiring, nourishing, and transformative experiences in trusted safe spaces, with equally accomplished women who share the desire to leave a mark on the world. One of Vera’s most pivotal missions with Beyond, having lived a decade in the Middle East, is to bridge the Western and Arab worlds to challenge the conventional perspectives, eradicate the fear of otherness and create a sense of connection, community and belonging.

Vera’s extensive professional background includes working with the Venture Capital firm 500Global, leading their Middle East operations. She was a core team member at the Dubai Future Foundation, where she contributed to various innovation projects in the Prime Minister's Office of the United Arab Emirates. Vera's journey in entrepreneurship began with co-founding one of Rocket Internet's first startups in the UAE, and, prior to that, working in the European Union. In her first career, Vera was a professional Argentine Tango dancer. 

In addition to her entrepreneurial pursuits, Vera actively participates in influential organizations and initiatives. She is part of the Expert Group on Digital Platforms and Ecosystems for the World Economic Forum, an Innovation Expert at the UN, and a Responsible Leader at the BMW Foundation.