# Stephanie Chai

> Stephanie Chai is the founder and CEO of The Luxe Nomad, a Singapore-established vacation rental management business operating in Indonesia, Thailand and Japan. A former model and television presenter with a University of Auckland background in finance and international business, she launched the company in 2012 and expanded into property management and acquisitions. She is a 2018 ACES Young Entrepreneur of the Year recipient and a member of the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women Asia-Pacific Class of 2026.

- **Role:** Founder & CEO at The Luxe Nomad
- **Organizations:** The Luxe Nomad, Wedding Guide Asia
- **Education:** Finance and International Business, University of Auckland, King’s College, Auckland
- **Known for:** ACES Young Entrepreneur of the Year, 2018., EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women Asia-Pacific Class of 2026., Built The Luxe Nomad from a small booking startup into a vacation rental management company operating across Indonesia, Thailand and Japan.

## Career timeline

- **2009** — Launched Wedding Guide Asia, an online bridal directory.
- **2012** — Launched The Luxe Nomad in Singapore in July, initially as a flash-sales booking website.
- **2016** — Hired a chief operating officer; won board support for expansion into full property management.
- **2017** — Expanded into villa management and acquired a Bali operator; ACES records 37 villas in October.
- **2018** — Received the ACES Young Entrepreneur of the Year award.
- **2019** — Expanded through a Thailand acquisition.
- **2023** — The Luxe Nomad took a majority stake in NISADE in Hokkaido, Japan.
- **2026** — Joined the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women Asia-Pacific Class of 2026.

## Achievements

- ACES Young Entrepreneur of the Year, 2018.
- EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women Asia-Pacific Class of 2026.
- Built The Luxe Nomad from a small booking startup into a vacation rental management company operating across Indonesia, Thailand and Japan.

## Latest updates

- **2026-05** — Her LinkedIn profile records selection for EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women Asia-Pacific 2026.
- **2026-03** — Published personal Niseko travel recommendations on WanderLuxe on March 11.
- **2025-09** — A Business Times feature covered the development of The Luxe Nomad from flash sales into vacation rental management.

## Links

- Website: https://www.theluxenomad.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stchai/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steph_chai/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/stephanie-chai
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-11