AnaMaria Quijano-Wittemann: Leading with Values, Building with Trust

AnaMaria’s story bridges countries and industries, as an investor, leader, and founder. What grounds it all is her belief that values—lived and visible—are essential for sustainable success. With over seven years of experience in venture capital, she observed how much attention is given to products, markets, and metrics—while crucial factors like founder values are often overlooked. She has taken these learnings and now builds more consciously for the future.

Her journey into sustainability and ethical leadership began with a powerful realization. Working in the automotive industry and selling thousands of cars versus how she felt working on a project that created thousands of jobs—the human-centered role made her feel very different. It was something that drove her. The contrast pushed her to pursue a master’s in sustainable management. She was interested in shaping good companies built for long-term viability.

One important learning that she says she will definitely apply if she returns to investing is the lack of attention paid to values during founder due diligence. “If I invested again, I would ask every founder to write a code of ethics—not just something for the website, but something real, with full team buy-in,” she said. “That becomes your decision-making guide.” In her past investment roles, she witnessed the consequences of overlooking values. “I had a few really bad experiences with founders… If we would have taken more time to ask him about his values… it would have given us a better decision to track.”

Trust and loyalty in business, she believes, create powerful and lasting relationships. She described her years working in a Berlin-based family office funded by a Russian investor as formative and grounded in mutual respect. “A handshake meant something,” she said. “He trusted us, and we trusted him.” Despite geopolitical complications that disrupted follow-on funding, their connection endured.

AnaMaria also brings an intercultural lens to kindness and leadership. Drawing on her experiences in Colombia, Germany, and Russia, she emphasized how behaviors can be misinterpreted across cultures. “Always we jump into judgments in a corporate setting,” she said. Instead, she advocates for building alignment through shared frameworks: “If you work on what the company stands for… you create that higher identity, where everyone can… be perceived as a company.”

Her current venture channels these insights into sustainable fashion. A longtime upcycler, she is focused on reducing textile waste by enabling people to repurpose and personalize their clothing. “People want to enjoy their clothes,” she said. “This isn’t about shame or guilt. If you make better choices more attractive and accessible, behavior will shift.”

“If you lead with values, there is a human-centric approach to all activities.”

AnaMaria Quijano-Wittemann is a sustainability strategist, former investor, and founder who brings clarity, creativity, and kindness into everything she builds. Keep an eye out for more interviews.