The Entrepreneur Made From 5 Different Nationalities

The Entrepreneur Made From 5 Different Nationalities

Meet Vera Futorjanski she is the professional Argentine tango dancer turned expat entrepreneur who loves to travel. 

I’m living in:

Dubai, UAE 

A bit about me:

It is always difficult to keep this one short as I am a mix of 5 different nationalities :) in short: I am a German citizen who grew up speaking Russian to her parents. I have lived in 10 different countries, and have tried myself in many different professions.

I was a professional Argentine Tango dancer for a few years which was my absolute passion. After an accident which impede me from dancing, I had to re-orientate myself and decided to study politics at the London School of Economics and venture into EU politics consulting in Brussels for 3 years. After that I continued my search and finally found my passion in the startup and tech world, which brought along a move to Berlin. There I ran the global communications during the IPO for Germany's largest incubator Rocket Internet which built up successful digital companies across the globe. While running their communications, I decided I would love to dive more into the entrepreneurial side of it. So at the beginning of this year I moved to Dubai to found and built up a company which launched this June. It is a website where you can book beauty appointments online.  I am very passionate about yoga and health in general. I did my yoga teacher certificate at Vikasa in Koh Samui, Thailand about 2,5 years ago and have been practising regularly since. My personal goal for this year is to become an early riser and to incorporate yoga and meditation practise into my daily life and to start cooking even if only sometimes. I do miss home made food. 

How long have you lived there?

I have been in Dubai for 7 months. 

Why did you move?

I moved here for the opportunity to build up a company. It was a big challenge but I decided to go for it and looking back I can only say, its the best thing I could have done! I am still in the very beginning, have only launched 2 months ago. But I think the market here has a huge potential and offers a lot of possibilities. And against all cliches, I actually think UAE is a very encouraging and supportive country for female entrepreneurs. For now, I am the only female founder for Rocket Internet in the whole Middle East region. This is very challenging but also very rewarding. I do hope to see more women in this field at Rocket. 

SEE ALSO: Setting up a Business in Dubai

Why I like living here: 

I love the lifestyle in Dubai, this comfort and easiness of living, I have not experienced this in any other country I lived in. I am very grateful to have found the perfect place to live, with sea view of which I am amazed of over and over again every single morning, I love the sunshine, the amazing delicious food from all over the world, the tranquillity of the desert and the mix of people and cultures.  

What do you enjoy doing with your time?

Hahah I don't have any free time really since I became an entrepreneur :)  However, I do love being active and experience new things and collect memories. I love to travel to new places, just go to Abu Dhabi or Wadi Adventure for half a day. The most recent place I traveled to was the Qasr al Sarab in the middle of the Arabian desert. I so much enjoyed the solitude and tranquility there. My next trip will be the Amalfi coast. I love and crave new impressions, this keeps me happy and creative and gives me energy. I always need new impressions, this keeps me happy and creative and gives me energy. I love to exercise, try new restaurants and spend time with friends. And yes, sometimes I just love it to spend time in a beach club reading magazines or stay on the couch and watch House of Cards. But I cannot do that for long or very often, I get very restless.  

What top tips do you have for anyone considering a move? 

I can only recommend to anyone to leave the comfort zone and move to new places where one feels challenged and has to grow beyond one might have thought is possible. However, do check all the necessary requirements, visa issues etc. I ended up being without a health insurance for a couple of months because I did not check on it previously. 

You might also be interested in:

• Expat Interview: Watching the UAE grow
• The American who felt pulled by South East Asia
• Enjoy all the different things for you, not others

What’s the best thing about being an expat?

The best thing about being an expat is that you meet people and make friends very easy. Because everyone is in the same situation as you. Everyone is open minded and easy going and everyone has an amazing life story.  

How do you keep a little bit of home with you as an expat?

A good friend of mine once said "your home is where you lay your yoga mat or put your dancing shoes on" :) And this is so true. I get adjusted to a new place very easily and am eager to learn about the new culture, so I don't usually try to "keep a bit of home" with me. Plus after having moved so many times, my home really is where my parents are, no matter what country. I do have little souvenirs I collected from different places which I love having with me and which create a home atmosphere for me.  

Anything else you’d like to share with us about your expat experience?

The best people I have ever met in my life were the ones I met when I moved to new places. I would not want to change a thing and am very grateful to have also in Dubai met such amazing people.