Marsha Lipton, the CEO of Numeraire Future Trends, has built a remarkable career that bridges academia, finance, trading, technology, and entrepreneurship. With a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the fabled University of Chicago group, which included two recent Nobel Prize Laureates, and an MBA from the same institution, she holds the rare distinction of having earned both degrees simultaneously, a testament to her exceptional intellectual capacity. This academic foundation set the stage for her future success in various industries, guiding her path through an impressive blend of disciplines. At EliteX, we are proud to have Marsha Lipton as part of the edition: Impactful Female Entrepreneurs to Watch, 2025.
Marsha Lipton | CEO | Numeraire Future Trends
In the early stages of her career, Marsha entered the world of trading and finance, where her skills were put to the test. She worked in the heart of the global financial centers—first in London, then on Wall Street. Her career culminated in a prestigious role as Managing Director at JPMorgan, a testament to her remarkable achievements in the financial sector. It was during these years that she learned one of her most valuable lessons: adaptability combined with a strong sense of purpose and careful evaluation. As in the financial world, Marsha understood that success comes from thoughtful and strategic risk management, constantly reassessing decisions while staying true to one’s core beliefs.
Despite her success in the challenging world of trading, Marsha’s entrepreneurial spirit led her to seek new contests. This drive ultimately led to the creation of Numeraire Future Trends (www.NFtrends.ai), a company dedicated to developing innovative optics-based solutions integrated with AI-powered image recognition algorithms and blockchain technology. This cutting-edge platform addresses the challenges of identifying and authenticating physical cultural and artistic objects, a field where technology and culture intersect in profound ways.
“Our mission is to contribute to the advancement of the cultural ecosystem of art and collectibles and provide a foundation of trust for the future”
Numeraire specializes in creating Digital Product Passports (DPPs) for valuable objects such as art, memorabilia, rare photographs, coins, luxury items, and designer pieces. These passports integrate unique identifiers from the surfaces of objects, essentially creating a digital fingerprint. The digital fingerprints are embedded into the DPPs, allowing creators and brands to immutably sign their creations. By leveraging advanced AI algorithms, they enable all future owners to easily authenticate their treasures using a mobile phone. The platform is designed to be intuitive and user-friendly, ensuring seamless use without the need for specialized scanners or complex equipment.
It all started when two brilliant minds, Dr. Thomas Hardjono and Prof. Alex Lipton, began exploring the idea of digitally representing real-world objects. It sounds almost laughable now, given how everyone and their uncle throws around the word ‘phygital’ these days. But back in 2019, when NFTs were just beginning their rise to fame, Thomas and Alex had already recognized the immense potential of the concept—if used correctly. Unfortunately, NFTs were soon misrepresented by bad actors and incompetent promoters and misunderstood by the public, who, despite their lack of understanding, eagerly jumped on the bandwagon, leading to the ensuing crash of the NFT ecosystem. Marsha credits the success of Numeraire’ platform to her exceptional team, including the CTO, Dr. Thomas Hardjono, and the VPs of Engineering, Dr. Eli Osherovich and Alex Boyko, whose expertise has helped shape the platform into a refined and innovative product. The image recognition system was masterfully added to the platform by the brilliant physicist formerly affiliated with Fermi National Lab and CERN Dr. Christina Mesropian.
What sets Numeraire apart in a crowded space is its holistic approach to the issue of authenticity, provenance, and scarcity. Marsha points that the system utilizes the latest advancements in AI, cryptography, and blockchain to offer a solution that is not only technically advanced but also elegant in its simplicity. Additionally, she is quick to point out the misrepresentations that are common in the art and fashion world, where NFTs are often used as marketing buzzwords without delivering real functionality. She emphasizes that no single technology can solve the problem of linking a physical object to its digital representation. Instead, it requires a combination of blockchain, cryptography, AI, and other technologies to create a secure and reliable system.
Despite the technological breakthrough, Marsha knows that the real challenge begins with business development. As someone who has spent years in the competitive world of trading, she knows how important it is to assemble the right team. She is cautious in her hiring process, opting to bring in individuals on an advisory basis first, allowing their ideas and actions to speak for themselves. Marsha believes in fostering a team dynamic where diverse opinions are valued, and constructive criticism propels the team forward. This philosophy has been instrumental in helping her build a dream team of professionals who share her vision for the company’s success.
“In everything I do, my quantitative and tech DNA takes over.”
As CEO, Marsha views her role as one of leadership, providing her team with an environment where they can perform at their best. She believes that every member of her team should have the opportunity to contribute their unique insights, which helps create a collaborative atmosphere where ideas can be cross-pollinated to drive innovation. She is especially grateful for the diverse expertise within her team, including the profound art insights from Chief Strategy Officer, Juli Bailer, the introductions to prominent regional figures in culture and business, and the insightful practical advice steeped in regional traditions from her Senior Strategic Advisor, Hikmat Al Kaitoob, a highly successful businesswoman and entrepreneur in her own right. She also deeply appreciates the wealth of experience shared by Board Advisor, Patrick Foret, in the business of art and culture.
One of the most frequently asked questions Marsha receives from investors is about the scalability of Numeraire’ approach and its applicability beyond the cultural sector. She believes that while the company is focused on the cultural world, particularly in the UAE, there are ample opportunities to expand into other sectors, such as financial art lending and the supply chain. The principles that guide Numeraire—innovation, technology, and authenticity—can be applied to a wide range of industries, making it a scalable solution with global potential.
Marsha is passionate about the future and excited about the journey ahead. She sees her company as part of a broader movement toward embracing new technologies that have the potential to transform industries above and beyond payments. With her unique background and a team of experts, Marsha is confidently steering Numeraire toward new and uncharted territories, where technology and culture intersect to create meaningful impact.
Her story is a powerful reminder that success is not always a straight line. Marsha’s journey from academia to trading and finance, and then to entrepreneurship, demonstrates the value of being adaptable and open to new opportunities. Her ability to combine technical expertise with a strong vision for the future has been key to her success, and as she leads Numeraire, she continues to inspire those around her with her passion and drive. For Marsha Lipton, the adventure is far from over—there is much more to come as she and her team continue to break new ground in the intersection of technology, culture, and business.
“What I truly admire is the elegance of our tech marvel, with its seamless user experience masking the complex and advanced nature of the platform.”