Neil Jacobs BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Neil’s passion for wellness and sustainability have led him to Kallia as a Founding Member on the Board of Directors. Since 2012, Neil has led Six Senses as CEO where he has focused on elevating the brand in terms of responsible design, green initiatives and wellness programming. Under his leadership, he has sought to broaden the company’s global footprint, while creating demand through constant innovation, initiatives and programming that are meaningful and tailored for each guest’s health and well-being. Equally important is the requirement that local communities benefit. Together with his team, Neil continues to drive the agenda of wellness, sustainability and out-of-the-ordinary experiences - always with a purpose of allowing guests to reconnect with themselves, others and the world around them. Neil’s global career has included leadership roles at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, where he oversaw all of Asia Pacific and launched many new properties, followed by Starwood Capital Group where he led their luxury hotels and the development of the Baccarat Hotels and 1 Hotels brands. Having studied Hotel Management at Westminster University, French Civilization at La Sorbonne University and Italian culture and art in Florence, Neil speaks six languages and knows his vermicelli from his Botticelli.

Leland Kwee STRATEGIC ADVISOR, BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Leland Kwee is a Managing Director in the Pontiac Land Group. He has been with the Company since 2010 and is involved in project development and business development for the group. One of the recent developments he is involved in is the Group’s adaptive re-use project of two heritage buildings, located in the Sydney CBD which will be managed by the Capella Hotel Group. Prior to joining the Company, Leland worked in Morgan Stanley‘s Real Estate Investment Banking team in Hong Kong. He was part of the execution teams involved in the IPOs, M&As and other fund raising initiatives done by property developers around Asia. Leland graduated from the Cornell School of Hotel Administration where he concentrated in Real Estate Finance.

Anna Bjurstam GLOBAL WELLNESS CHAIR

Anna has been a leader in the wellness industry for the last 25 years. She brings her experience as a shaman as well in BioGeometry together with her Master´s Degree in Finance and a passion for quantum physics and science to all she does. Her experience and knowledge spans a variety of wellness fields. She successfully sold her business, Raison d’Etre, in 2013 and is now the Strategic Advisor and Wellness Pioneer for Six Senses and Raison d’Etre, as well as an independent consultant and on a number of boards including the Global Wellness Summit Advisory Board. She joined Pegasus Capital Advisors as a Strategic Advisor in 2015 focusing on investments in wellness initiatives within the build environment, work places and hospitality, especially concentrating on communities, sleep, nutrition, integrated wellness and spas. Anna is a founding board member of the Global Wellness Summit since 2007, Corporate Council Member of Harvard University Department of Environmental Health, Advisory board member for Vikand Solutions (medical and public health solutions for the maritime industry), is co-chairing the Global Wellness Institute’s “Wellness Communities” bringing together stakeholders with interests in residential communities and holistic health. She joined Kallia in its earliest days as a Founding Member, and the Company’s Global Wellness Chair.

Caitlin Zaino von During CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Named one of Business Insider’s “Change makers in Travel,” Caitlin is a serial entrepreneur, who has successfully founded, exited and led as CEO several previous ventures. In early 2021, she sold the technology company she founded — venture-backed Porter & Sail — to one of the world’s fastest growing travel brands, Luxury Escapes. From founding Porter & Sail in 2014 to its exit, she served as its CEO, driving the company’s vision to architect a new framework in hospitality. While at Luxury Escapes, Caitlin designed and led a digital transformation helping to place the company on track as a leader in innovative travel x tech in APAC. Earlier in her career, Caitlin founded the popular online content discovery platform, The Urban Grocer, which she also executive produced and hosted as a television show on the Cooking Channel, ultimately selling the concept to Scripps Network. She holds a Master’s Degree from the University of Chicago, and an undergraduate degree with Honours from the City University of New York, where she was recently selected as ’40 under 40’ alumni excelling in their fields. Prior to entering the tech startup world, she worked with the United Nations and related agencies on sustainable development. During this time, she also worked closely with Mikhail Gorbachev and his organisation, Green Cross International. At Kallia, Caitlin is bringing her startup expertise and tech background to shape the business as a leader in cutting-edge tech and innovation to next generation real estate.

Samantha Dunn WELLNESS DIRECTOR

Samantha Dunn is a sought-after expert in the wellness industry and co-founder of The Wellness Makers, where she supports entrepreneurs, hoteliers and property developers to create world-class spas, wellness centres, health resorts and wellness communities. Over the last 20 years, she has worked with entrepreneurs, property developers and almost every 5-star hotel brand in Asia-Pacific, creating 70 wellness concepts in 15 countries. She has also created the world's first comprehensive training in spa development, which has helped 400+ individuals to create their own businesses from the ground-up. Several of Sam’s clients have won major international awards, and many have developed successful multi-site operations. In addition to her advisory and strategic expertise, Sam is a published author, speaker, educator and industry activist, having served as a founding board member of six associations and been twice awarded for industry leadership.

Roman Milisic CONSULTING CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Roman Milisic is a Content & Creative Director steeped in Web 3.0, hospitality, and storytelling. From Manhattan to the metaverse, he studies users, devises brand and content strategies, and executes programmes to a world-class level. Among his countless accomplishments, Roman has authored a children’s book issued by top publishers worldwide, founded a Style Battling global movement, served as an in-house editor of monograph by photographer David LaChapelle, and led the Creative Direction of an acclaimed mobile app in hospitality. Other past clients Lady Gaga, NASA and Vogue.

Mirna Morphis ART DIRECTION

Mirna is a global design director and branding specialist, who combines her passion for design, photography, and visual storytelling to create iconic visual landscapes for lifestyle, hospitality, technology and conscious brands. With over 20 years experience in the design industry, she has worked with some of the largest agencies and studios in the world. Her award-winning work has influenced brands such as Chevrolet, MoMA, IBM, Bacardi, Neenah Papers, Friends of the Earth and the Human Rights Campaign. Since 2017, Mirna has focused on sustainable hospitality projects and progressive startup brands, working with global teams on projects in USA, Asia, Europe and Africa.

Waine Tam SENIOR TECHNOLOGY ADVISOR

Waine Tam is an entrepreneur, developer, and former finance professional. He joins Kallia as a Senior Technology Advisor with a specific focus on ventures and product development. In 2016, Waine founded Selected, a matching and hiring platform for K-12 teachers and schools, which was acquired by Cross Country in 2021. He is the former COO of iMentor, a national college-readiness non-profit. Prior to entering the education sector, he worked in financial services and has a background in electrical engineering and software development. Waine is passionate about social impact + commercial viability, which he brings to his role at Kallia through new product evaluation and innovation.

Kallia
Ventures

Kallia Ventures is Kallia’s investment and innovation arm that backs the teams reimagining real estate for the next generation.
We seek to bring wellness and sustainability to the built environment via strategic capital investments, distribution and collaborations.

Distribution
Capital Investments
Collaborations

Investment Thesis

Designing solutions for how communities live, work and interact — now and tomorrow — drives our vision. We are focused on three main investment themes:

01

Ageing Demographics

Challenge

Global life expectancy is rising by three months each year. The proportion of the world’s population over 60 will have doubled by 2050. Eight of the top ten fastest-ageing countries are in Asia. Health, society and living systems are unprepared for this shift.

Opportunity

Demand for solutions rises apace with the rapid demographic change. Kallia Ventures supports entrepreneurs building products that address our ageing societies.

  • Number of persons aged 65 years or older in 1970 (196M)
    Source: UN Population Division
  • Number of persons aged 65 years or older in 2100 (2.5B)
    Source: UN Population Division
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0

World

02

Climate Change & Resource Scarcity

Challenge

Current real estate development practices worsen the climate crisis. Real estate alone drives 39% of total emissions, globally.

Opportunity

We see a market for companies and products that address climate change through innovations in real estate resiliency, from construction and upcycling to IoT and climate change tech.

“The climate transition not only creates new responsibilities for real estate players to both revalue and future-proof their portfolios but also brings opportunities to create fresh sources of value.”

MCKINSEY, CLIMATE RISK AND THE OPPORTUNITY FOR REAL ESTATE, FEB 2022

03

Post-Covid Consumer Demand

Challenge

Societal shifts post-Covid have rocked the real estate industry with a wholesale rejection of office buildings, toxic spaces and commutes.

Opportunity

The time to capture demand in well-living is now. Kallia Ventures backs the visionaries bringing first-to-market offerings that meet these new consumer attitudes.

Global Health and Wellness Market 2019-2025

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Global Wellness Economy
2019: $4.9 trillion
2025: $7 trillion
Source: Global Wellness Institute
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Total global economic output of the wellness economy in 2020

We believe visionary founders will lead the way.

We place an emphasis on diverse founders in Singapore, the APAC region, and North America. Kallia Ventures takes a follow-on position on a majority of our investments.

We go where we can add value

With unparalleled real estate development experience and network, Kallia Ventures adds value to our portfolio companies through:

  • Knowledge transfer & advisory support
  • Global connections & network
  • Distribution potential in physical spaces
  • Governance.

Investment Committee

Neil Jacobs
Board of Directors
Leland Kwee
Strategic Advisor
Anna Bjurstam
Global Wellness Chair
Caitlin Zaino von During
CEO

Want to Apply for Funding

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