Anessa Kitchin on Merging Art, AI, and Ambition to Shape the Future of Investment

Anessa Kitchin is redefining the future of luxury investment. As the Founder and CEO of Fortuna Vincere, a global firm specializing in the acquisition, development, and management of fine art, real estate, and commodities, she’s leading the charge in how AI intersects with high-value markets. 

With headquarters in London and a presence across New York, the EU, UAE, and Japan, Anessa’s strategic insight and forward-thinking approach are giving clients worldwide an undeniable edge. We caught up with her to talk about the evolution of Fortuna Vincere, the power of technology in traditional markets, and what’s next for this visionary entrepreneur.

RELATED: The Vision Behind the She Is Global Awards with Dr. Melody Hayes

Anessa, you’ve built Fortuna Vincere at the intersection of art, real estate, and commodities — three industries that rarely meet. What inspired you to bring these worlds together?

Anessa: It began as a personal curiosity about how different forms of value evolve over time. Art, property, and commodities all tell stories about our lives, about how people see beauty, value, and permanence. I wanted Fortuna Vincere to bridge those worlds and help people discover those values with integrity and imagination. It is a space where analysis and aesthetics could coexist. It wasn’t about creating something grand; it was about creating something honest and enduring.

Fortuna Vincere has a global presence, from London to Dubai to Tokyo. How do you create strategies that resonate across such diverse cultures and markets?

Anessa: Every market has its own rhythm and language. In London, clients value heritage; in Dubai, ambition; in Tokyo, precision. What unites them is the desire for meaning behind investment. Our approach is to listen deeply to the culture, to the client, to the environment, and build from there. The goal isn’t to impose a vision, but to refine it collaboratively so it feels personally authentic to our clients wherever they live.

AI has become a defining part of your success. How are you using it to reshape how clients approach art and real estate?

Anessa: In the art and real estate spaces, external factors have a way of changing the landscape. To best advise our clients, we need to recognize and even anticipate those factors. We use AI as a lens - a way of seeing patterns that human instinct alone might miss. It helps us understand not just numbers, but sentiment, movement, and cultural energy. Technology gives clarity, but it’s the human insight that gives it purpose. I see AI as a companion to intuition, never as a replacement.

Your firm operates in complex regulatory landscapes across continents. What are the biggest challenges you’re helping clients navigate right now?

Anessa: Cross-border investments have become more important to so many of our clients. But, it’s also become both more sophisticated and more demanding. Clients face varying standards of compliance, taxation, and transparency. And many of them are not prepared for the subtleties of navigating one region’s regulations, much less how those affect another’s. Our role is to simplify the paths. To provide stability in a world that can feel increasingly fragmented. It’s quiet work, but it’s quite complex and ultimately what builds real trust.

Both luxury real estate and fine art are deeply influenced by cultural and economic shifts. How does Fortuna Vincere stay ahead while maintaining stability?

Anessa: By observing, not reacting. We make it a point to track cultural movements, demographic shifts, even subtle aesthetic changes that shape markets over time - and understand what those mean in real time and in the big picture. But we never chase trends - we translate them. The aim is to protect our clients’ vision while gently guiding it toward where the world is heading next.

Authenticity is essential in the art world. How has technology helped you strengthen trust and transparency?

Anessa: In the art world, provenance is sacred. We combine blockchain verification with AI-based image and material analysis to ensure authenticity. But the real foundation of trust isn’t just technology. It is relationships. We rely on the expertise of people who’ve spent decades studying eras and art movements, specific artists and their specific aesthetics. Their knowledge, paired with digital verification, creates confidence that feels both modern and timeless.

What trends are you most excited about as AI continues to transform the global luxury investment space?

Anessa: I’m fascinated by the blending of emotional and analytical intelligence and how we can quantify taste, perception, and even cultural momentum. The most exciting trend is a human one: the return of meaning in investment. People want to own things that tell a story, and AI helps us understand those stories more deeply.

Your clientele values discretion. How do you balance that privacy with the openness technology often requires?

Anessa: With intention. We use secure systems that protect identity while maintaining transparency where it truly matters: in compliance and verification. Privacy is a form of respect, and we build it into everything we do. We are extremely careful never to divulge information outside of what is required to ensure our client’s interests. Our clients know that silence, at the right moment, is part of the service.

You work across many regions — Europe, the Middle East, Asia. How do investor mindsets differ between them?

Anessa: European investors often think in terms of legacy, while in Asia, there’s incredible openness to innovation and reinvention. The Middle East blends a strong sense of tradition paired with bold modernity. What I admire most is that each region brings its own wisdom. My job is to connect those perspectives, so they enrich one another.

Beyond business, what keeps you personally inspired to keep building and innovating?

Anessa: Purpose. I believe business can be both beautiful and responsible. I am active in non-profit work involving disadvantaged youth and developing ways to better their opportunities. Attending the World Childhood Foundation Annual Gala in Manhattan this November was a reminder of that. Seeing people from different fields come together for something larger than themselves. It reinforced why I do what I do: to build structures - financial and otherwise - that make a lasting, positive impact.

As a woman leading in global finance, tech, and investment — industries still dominated by men — what advice would you give to other women entering or reshaping these spaces?

Anessa: Quiet confidence is powerful. You don’t have to be the loudest person in the room to be the most certain. Learn deeply, speak clearly, and stay grounded in your values. Leadership isn’t about conquering a table; it’s about setting one where others feel welcome to sit.

What’s next for Fortuna Vincere?

Anessa: We’re developing a platform for sustainable digital provenance. To link art, real estate, and impact through verified technology. It’s still early, but it’s about creating a world where investment and integrity evolve together. The future isn’t just about accumulation; it’s about alignment between capital, culture, and conscience. We want our clients to discover that these are not simply veneers but a reflection of who they are.