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Global Gathering
Global Gathering Tokyo 2025
Feb 27, 2025, 2:00 PM - 9:00 PM GMT+9
Event Program
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM GMT+9
Welcome Gathering
1:00 PM - 8:00 PM GMT+9
XX___Calling All Tech Companies Looking for Talent - Deadline February 21st
1:30 PM - 2:00 PM GMT+9
10名限定 - CIC ツアー 13:30 (CICのオフィスに興味がある方）
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2:00 PM - 9:00 PM GMT+9
Networking at Global Gathering - Meet the Community!
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2:00 PM - 9:00 PM GMT+9
XX__Demo Table & Exhibition
2:00 PM - 9:00 PM GMT+9
XX__OLD SESSION - CONVERTED TO EVENT REG
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM GMT+9
How To Enjoy Global Gathering / Welcome Greetings
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM GMT+9
Welcome to the Tech Meet Up & Career Fair
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM GMT+9
Global Shapers: Making Social Impact As a Youth Leader
3:00 PM - 3:45 PM GMT+9
Reuniting Visionaries: A Deep Dive into Japan's Startup Renaissance
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM GMT+9
How to Revolutionize Your Customer Experience with GenAI?
3:00 PM - 9:00 PM GMT+9
Career Fair & Meet Up: Shape Your Future in Tech
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3:30 PM - 4:00 PM GMT+9
Interested in Having an Office at CIC Tokyo? - CIC TOUR 15:30 (5ppl MAX)
3:45 PM - 4:30 PM GMT+9
Innovation Without Borders: Europe & Japan’s Role in Global Scaleups
3:45 PM - 4:30 PM GMT+9
XX__Launch Your Business in Japan: Expert Insights from JETRO
3:45 PM - 4:40 PM GMT+9
Moonshots for Humanity: The Power of Investing in Breakthrough Research
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4:00 PM - 4:30 PM GMT+9
10名限定 - CIC ツアー 16:00 (CICのオフィスに興味がある方）
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM GMT+9
Meet with Companies Recruiting Tech Professionals In Japan (Reverse Pitch)
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4:30 PM - 5:00 PM GMT+9
Interested in Having an Office at CIC Tokyo? - CIC TOUR 16:30 (5ppl MAX)
4:30 PM - 5:15 PM GMT+9
Japan as an International Hub for AI
4:30 PM - 5:15 PM GMT+9
What Makes a Thriving Innovation City?
4:45 PM - 7:30 PM GMT+9
Pitch2Tokyo
5:15 PM - 6:00 PM GMT+9
Culinary Frontiers: Driving Food Innovation Through Gastronomy
5:15 PM - 6:00 PM GMT+9
How to Drive Your Market Development in Japan
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5:30 PM - 6:15 PM GMT+9
XX__CIC Tour #2
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5:30 PM - 7:00 PM GMT+9
AI in Japan & Society 5.0 - Focus Group【Room Daidai】
5:30 PM - 7:00 PM GMT+9
Japan's Drone Market: Technology trends, challenges & Opportunities
6:00 PM - 6:45 PM GMT+9
How to Run Your Startup Survive in Japan & East Asia
6:00 PM - 6:45 PM GMT+9
Innovating Together: Japan’s Robotics Ecosystem in Focus
6:45 PM - 7:30 PM GMT+9
Building Climate-Resilient and Sustainable Cities
6:45 PM - 7:30 PM GMT+9
GO GLOBAL: 日本からグローバルにスタートアップが仕掛けていくには？
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7:00 PM - 7:45 PM GMT+9
XX__CIC Tour #3
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM GMT+9
AI Agents & Automation in 2025: What Every Engineer Needs to Know
7:30 PM - 8:15 PM GMT+9
Activating Locally, Connecting Innovators Globally
7:30 PM - 8:15 PM GMT+9
The XX-Factor in Transformative Tech: Women Pioneering Innovation
7:30 PM - 8:15 PM GMT+9
Welcome to (East) Asia: Connecting to Empower Innovation
7:30 PM - 8:15 PM GMT+9
XX__J-Startup TBD
8:15 PM - 8:30 PM GMT+9
Pitch2Tokyo Winner Announcement
Featuring
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アンティ クンナス
Executive Director
Born in Finland, Antti has spent the past 15 years in Japan, first involved in several multinational enterprises before starting his own business in 2019. Though he is involved in several fields of business, ranging from startup sector to more traditional sectors, he is especially familiar with Finland and Finnish companies activities through his work as the executive director of Finnish Chamber of Commerce in Japan for the past 6 years. One of his goals is to advance the mutual understanding and collaboration between Finnish and Japanese startup ecosystems. He is currently also CEO for AIK Global Consulting, a boutique consulting agency focusing on foreign organization business development in Japan; general manager at Demola Global Japan, a global co-creation platform; and senior advisor at PUROSI, a modern talent development solution combining individual coaching and AI.
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Davide Agnelli
Founder
Davide Agnelli co-founded early-stage venture capital firm D4V in 2016 and is an Executive Director at global design consulting firm IDEO. At D4V he contributes to fundraising, sourcing, investing, and accelerating the growth of portfolio companies through design while representing IDEO in a General Partner capacity. Davide joined IDEO in 2004, held a decade-long position as IDEO Tokyo’s Managing Director, and currently works alongside corporate clients and entrepreneurs alike to develop design capabilities, launch new offerings and drive business growth. Davide holds an MS in Computer Science from the University of Pavia and an MA in Interaction Design from the Interaction Design Institute Ivrea. https://d4v.com/team/davide-agnelli
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Kaya Ando
employee
Joined JETRO in 2023. A member of J-Bridge programme, which supports collaboration between Japanese companies and foreign companies.
Osamu Aruga
Director for Innovation Policy
Cabinet Office of Japan
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Tyson Batino
Co-Founder
Tyson Batino is the Co-Founder at SmartStart Japan. He is a successful entrepreneur based in Japan who has founded three thriving businesses in the region. One Coin English, his flagship venture, boasts over 8000 students and 200 employees. Japan Switch serves over 200 students with a team of 20, while BFF Tokyo Media draws in more than 18,000 monthly unique visitors. Batino specializes in digital marketing, internal recruitment systems, talent training, and transitioning businesses from six to seven figures, showcasing his expertise in driving sustainable growth in the Japanese market.
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Fabien Brogard
CEO
HirePlanner.com
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Alejandra Buendia
Director
Alejandra is a professional passionate about innovation with a background in journalism. Whether through media, the corporate world, or nonprofit organizations, her professional goal is to contribute to improving human conditions through innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship. As the director of the Monterrey site of Venture Café, she plays a leadership role in the innovation community, helping position the city as a startup destination. In just over 2 years of operation, she has established Venture Café as a key neutral and relevant connector in the ecosystem and the only organization hosting biweekly events of its kind. Her responsibilities include overseeing the operation of Thursday Gatherings, ensuring the organization\'s financial sustainability, and managing relationships with the innovation community. Before joining Venture Café, Alejandra coordinated NAVE, Axtel\'s Open Innovation Program, for five years. She contributed to accelerating 26 scaleups and 21 startups, connecting them with over 120 corporate clients, leading 18 pilot projects, and launching seven portfolio products that generated over $650,000 USD in sales. Previously, she worked for 8 years at El Norte, a newspaper from Grupo Reforma, holding roles such as Local News Reporter, Business Reporter, Web Editor, and Multimedia Co-Editor. Alejandra holds a degree in Information Media and Journalism from Tec de Monterrey and a Master\'s in Media Management from IESE and the University of Navarra in Spain.
Roy Cheng
Business manager
Dr. Roy Cheng, born in 1987, holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry and is the Business Manager at Taiwan\'s Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI). With expertise in materials and agricultural chemistry, he completed Stanford\'s SCPD business program in 2023. As principal investigator for over 21 government-funded projects, managing a budget of over $3 million, Dr. Cheng has driven innovation in R&D, startups, and APEC workshops. He currently leads a startup incubation program at ITRI and will establish a start-up in April next year, focusing on sustainable agriculture, soil restoration, eco-friendly pest management, and sustainable fertilization.
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Alex Cheung
Director
As the director for Venture Café in Cambridge, Alex understands the challenges and triumphs that come with building and scaling ventures. Venture Café acts as a sister non-profit organization to CIC, as an innovation ecosystem activator within the cities that they operate. Alex’s journey began when he interned for a startup that was showcasing at Venture Café. He was drawn to the innovation ecosystem and was fueled by the energy of new ideas. Early in his career, Alex managed all the sales and operations for CIC’s coworking space; he helped clients make their first sales and saw them from inception to acquisition. He then went on to help open MIT’s The Engine, a tough-tech accelerator. Following this, he traveled to Rotterdam and Tokyo to support the growth and expansion of CIC.
Taehyun Chun
Chief Global Officer
Education: Korea University (2019 – Present) B.S. in Electrical and Electronics Engineering / Software Technology & Entrepreneurship
Harim Chung
Director of Tokyo Office
Korea SME
Schyler Cole
Managing Director
Managing Director
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Michael Cusumano
SMR Distinguished Professor Management
Biographical Sketch of Michael A. Cusumano Michael A. Cusumano is the SMR Distinguished Professor of Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management. During 2020-2024, he was Deputy Dean for Faculty and Research. He has also held a joint appointment in the MIT School of Engineering. Professor Cusumano specializes in strategy, product development, and entrepreneurship in computer software as well as automobiles and consumer electronics. At MIT, he has recently taught “Platform Strategy and Entrepreneurship” as well as “Strategy and the CEO.” During 2016-17, he was on leave as Special Vice President and Dean of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Tokyo University of Science, where he founded an entrepreneurship center, redesigned the mid-career Management of Technology curriculum, and oversaw the merger between the Graduate School of Innovation and a relaunched School of Management. Cusumano received a BA degree from Princeton and a PhD from Harvard, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Production and Operations Management at the Harvard Business School prior to joining MIT. He is fluent in Japanese and has lived and worked in Japan for more than eight years, with two Fulbright Fellowships and a Japan Foundation Fellowship for studying at Tokyo University. He has been a Visiting Professor at Imperial College, Tokyo University, Hitotsubashi University, the University of St. Gallen, the University of Maryland, and Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. He has consulted and lectured for approximately 100 companies and organizations, including NASA and the World Bank. He is currently a director of Orix Corporation in Japan. He has served as editor-in-chief and chairman of the MIT Sloan Management Review and writes regularly on Technology Strategy and Management for Communications of the ACM. In 2009, he was named one of the most influential people in technology and IT by Silicon.com. Cusumano has published 14 books and more than 120 articles. His latest book is The Business of Platforms: Strategy in the Age of Digital Competition, Innovation, and Power (2019, with Annabelle Gawer and David Yoffie). His prior book with David Yoffie, Strategy Rules: Five Timeless Lessons from Bill Gates, Andy Grove, and Steve Jobs (2015), has been translated into 18 languages and received wide media coverage from CNBC, Bloomberg News, The New York Times, The Economist, The Financial Times, Fast Company, and other media outlets. Other books include Staying Power (2010), based on the 2009 Oxford Clarendon Lectures and named one of the top books of 2011 by Strategy Business Magazine; and The Business of Software (2004), also named one of the best books of the year in Strategy Business Magazine. His book Microsoft Secrets (1995, with Richard Selby) has sold approximately 150,000 copies in 14 languages. Platform Leadership (2002, with Annabelle Gawer) is often considered the first management book to examine industry-wide platforms and ecosystem-based competition. Competing on Internet Time: Lessons from Netscape and its Battle with Microsoft (1998, with David Yoffie), was named one of the top 10 business books of 1998 by Business Week and played a central role in the Microsoft anti-trust trial.
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Liza Dahiya
AI and Robotics Researcher
I did my Bachelors in Computer Science. I used to lead the IITB Mars Rover Team in my college - where we used to create rovers for martian environments and test during rover competitions across the world (Mars Desert Research Station, Utah, EU, India). I moved to Tokyo in Oct 2023 to work at Honda RnD in AI and Robotics. My main area of research is developing vision-based AI perception systems to work in unstructured environments.
Justin Dart
Strategic Account manager
The Plant Co. Ltd
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Edo de Ronde
Executive Director Japan
Edo de Ronde is a diplomat to the Netherlands with a 20-year business background. As director of NFIA Japan, part of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and based at the Dutch embassy in Tokyo, he currently supports Japanese companies with operating & expanding their business and R&D in the Netherlands and beyond. From 2020-2024 he was posted to Middle East in a similar role. Throughout his career in both the private and public sector, Edo supported European companies to develop their market in Asia and vice versa. In his current role, his teams client portfolio consists of over 550 Japanese companies with 800 active subsidiaries in the Netherlands. Edo is a strong advocate for collaborative and open innovation to accelerate the transitions. He is actively promoting Dutch ecosystems to Japanese R&D teams and scale-ups to facilitate innovation. The 425 year bilateral relationship between the Netherlands and Japan offers a solid ‘common ground’ to solving global challenges together. His passion is connecting people and developing businesses across cultures. Edo graduated in Business Information Technology from Rotterdam University and has lived in the Netherlands, China, Middle East and currently Japan.
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alexander devore
CEO
CEO of 株式会社3D Printing Corporation
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Ndumiso Dlamini
Project Manager
Ndumiso began his robotics journey with a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Cape Town, and soon after gained experience in heavy industry factory maintenance, and then automation hardware and programming. In an FMCG (detergents) environment, that he executed capital projects, and also spent time learning and implementing autonomous shop floor team (TPM) methodology, gaining a perhaps healthy understanding of labour-management dynamics. After moving to Japan, he completed a PhD in Energy Science in Kyoto, after which he led R&D projects at a factory robot manufacturer, also in Kyoto. Since moving to Tokyo almost three years ago, he has been contributing to the efforts of the product development department at hibot Corp (Shinagawa), a producer of facilities inspection robots, coordinating technical and human processes of the product teams.
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Dominika Duda
Program Director
Graduate of Erasmus University Rotterdam with a Master of Science in Health Economics, Policy, and Law, as well as the University of Silesia with a bachelor\'s degree in Political Science, specializing in Social Policy and Economics. A former researcher at the Center for Economic Analysis (CenEA) in Szczecin, she authored two academic articles based on research on the aging of the European community under the SHARE 50 project. Since 2017, she has been connected to the Dutch startup ecosystem through her work at CIC Rotterdam, and since 2020, she has been involved in building the CIC Warsaw Innovation Campus and fostering the Warsaw innovation community. Since March 2023, she has been managing programs for the Venture Café Foundation: Thursday Gathering, Innovation Bridge, and Innovate Health, organizing weekly events that promote entrepreneurship, attracting an average more than 300 attendees.
Erdinc Ekinci
Co-Founder and CEO
Openfor.co
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Ewa Geresz
Director
Ewa is an experienced ecosystem builder dedicated to fostering innovation and global collaboration. As the Director of Venture Café Berlin, she brings together innovators, entrepreneurs, and changemakers, cultivating a dynamic platform for serendipitous connections and transformative ideas. With extensive experience in startup ecosystems, venture capital and international community development, Ewa has successfully led initiatives in Berlin and Warsaw. Her global perspective, shaped by living in multiple countries, allows her to bridge local opportunities with international networks, activating ecosystems and driving meaningful innovation forward.
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Harrison Goldsmith
Head of Business Development
Harrison Goldsmith is a Head of Business Development with a strong track record in Web3, blockchain, and emerging technologies. As the Global Business Development Lead at Owl Protocol and VeraBridge, he focuses on driving adoption and strategic partnerships with enterprises, consumer applications, chains, VCs, and more. He is also an active angel investor and contributed to Bu Zhi DAO for hosting Taipei Blockchain Week, and was active with Blockchain Founders Fund. With experience spanning in import export, translation, sales, investments, etc. Harrison is passionate about bridging traditional and digital economies through blockchain-driven solutions.
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Simon Gormuzov
Co-Founder | Robotics Engineer
I grew up in Amsterdam where I did my Bachelor\'s degree in Mechanical Engineering. Alongside my agree, I worked part time in industrial automation for companies like DERO and FANUC while also starting and running a robotics club at my university. Once I graduated, I decided to look for more experimental robotics projects. For this reason, I moved to Tokyo to pursue an engineering position at Tokyo Robotics: a high-tech robotics startup focussed on research humanoids. From there, I entered academia at Waseda University (Sugano Lab) to complete my Master\'s and do more robotics research. Since then, I have been mostly working on Human to Robot motion transfer. Last year, I took everything I have learned in the industry as well as academia to start my own robotics business focussed on developing and providing high performance customizable humanoid robots.
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Minako Hirata
General Manager, CIC Tokyo
Minako Hirata has a diverse work experience spanning multiple roles and companies. Minako worked at CIC (Cambridge Innovation Center) from 2016 to the present. Their roles included General Manager (Operations), Director of Sales, Japan Project Manager, and Japan Project Coordinator. From 2018 to the present, they also served as a Board Member at Venture Café Tokyo while holding the role of Japan Project Manager from 2018 to 2019. Additionally, they worked as a Partnership Manager at Basis Technology from 2016 to 2018. Earlier in their career, they worked as an Analyst at Japan Center for Economic Research (JCER) from 2005 to 2013. Minako Hirata holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Law from Waseda University. Minako also obtained a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
Samantha Huang
Secretary General
Digital Transformation Association
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Gent Imeraj
Project Expert
Gent Imeraj is a sustainable community engineer and PhD candidate at Hosei University, specializing in medical imaging and biotechnology with a focus on machine learning applications. His research explores advanced imaging technologies, deep learning, and smart village solutions, aiming to bridge the gap between cutting-edge AI innovations and real-world challenges in healthcare and rural development. With over eight years of experience in sustainable development and environmental conservation, Gent has actively contributed to organizations like the Albanian Alps Alliance, working to promote resilient and eco-friendly communities. His hobby as a licensed mountain guide reflects his deep connection to nature and his commitment to sustainable practices in rural and alpine regions. Beyond academia, Gent is involved in technology transfer between the EU and Japan, collaborating with companies to facilitate cross-border innovation. He is also an active participant in Japan’s startup ecosystem, co-organizing business conferences and matchmaking events that connect startups with potential partners and clients, fostering global collaboration in emerging technologies.
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Yurie Ishikawa
Coordinator
Yurie Ishikawa is a staff member at Osaka Innovation Hub, where she is especially dedicated to fostering young talent and cultivating a global mindset. She actively works to create opportunities for the next generation by supporting initiatives that encourage innovation. In addition to her efforts in talent development, she plays a role in operating the \"Osaka City Startup Visa\" program, which helps foreign entrepreneurs establish and expand their businesses in Osaka. By providing guidance and support, she strives to contribute to building a vibrant startup ecosystem that attracts international talent and strengthens Osaka’s position as a global hub for innovation.
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Social Innovation Japan
Social Innovation Japan
Social Innovation Japan is an award-winning organisation founded in 2017 to unleash the power of people to create, accelerate, and support bold solutions for positive change. Our vision is a world where every individual is a catalyst for positive change in their community. We work with businesses, schools, universities, and governments across Japan to tackle pressing social and environmental challenges. Our initiatives include the \"mymizu\" platform, Japan’s first water refill app tackling plastic waste, sustainability education programs, and community-driven projects that promote the circular economy and climate action. By collaborating across sectors, we strive to create a more sustainable and equitable future. 🔗 https://www.socialinnovationjapan.com/
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Jannalee Johnson
Director of Sales and Business Development
Jannalee Johnson is dedicated to advancing multi-cancer detection and early cancer diagnosis, leveraging her extensive expertise in driving revenue growth, strategic planning, and launching groundbreaking products. With a proven track record in sales leadership and market expansion, she excels in delivering cutting-edge solutions that transform cancer diagnostics. Her achievements include launching initiatives in women’s health, digital pathology, molecular diagnostics, and AI technologies to support early detection and improve patient outcomes. Jannalee’s passion for building high-performing teams and forging strategic partnerships underscores her commitment to accelerating innovation and bringing life-saving multi-cancer detection technologies to the forefront of healthcare
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Llion Jones
CTO
Llion Jones is an ex-Google software engineer after working there for over a decade and is one of the authors of the well-known paper \"Attention Is All You Need,\". This paper introduced the deep learning model called \"Transformer\" for natural language processing which serves as the backbone of most state-of-the-art AI systems, such as ChatGPT. Recently, with co-founders David Ha and Ren Ito, he started his own company and serves as the CTO of Sakana AI.
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Ryota Kanai
CEO
After graduating from the Faculty of Science at Kyoto University in 2000, he received his PhD (Cum Laude) in 2005 from Utrecht University in the Netherlands, where he studied human visual information processing mechanisms. After working as a researcher at California Institute of Technology in the U.S. and University College London in the U.K., and as a JST PRESTO researcher and Associate Professor (Reader) of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Sussex in the U.K., he founded Araya, Inc. and worked full time since 2015. He is engaged in research on the principles of consciousness in the brain and machines through the fusion of neuroscience and AI technologies. He has been also working on the translation of AI and neuroscience into industrial applications as the primary business of Araya. He has received many awards, including the Young Scientist Award from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the JEITA Venture Award (2020), the ET (Embedded technology)/IoT Technology Award (2019) among others. Since 2020, he has been working on the development of next-generation AI-assisted brain-machine interfaces (BMI) as a Project Manager of the Moonshot Project in the Cabinet Office.
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Kohaku Kanamori
Program Lead
Kohaku graduated from Babson College (MA, USA) with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and Administration. While attending an international school in Tokyo, he achieved first place in the WRO JAPAN 2013 Tokyo Regional Competition and third place in the National Presentation Division. He also represented East Japan in the FIRST LEGO LEAGUE 2014 National Finals (while attending elementary school). He then transferred to Northfield Mount Hermon School (MA, USA) in 2017 at the age of 15, where he developed an interest in education and entrepreneurship. In 2020, he enrolled in Babson College, ranked No. 1 in entrepreneurship for 28 consecutive years, and now ranked the 2nd best college in the U.S. During his university years, he expanded his activities through internships at multiple startups, leadership roles on campus, and as a lecturer and program designer for high schools and universities in Japan and middle schools abroad, focusing on the \"entrepreneurial lifestyle.\" From January to April 2023, he studied abroad at IE Business School in Spain as an exchange student. In 2023, he joined Venture Café Tokyo and launched \"Community Campus,\" an entrepreneurial education program commissioned by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, which he currently takes part in. Featured in Chuunichi Shimbun, Toyama Shimbun, Toyama TV, TV Tokyo, Nippon TV, Yahoo! News, and more.
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Urijah Kaplan
CEO
Urijah is a pioneer in the insurtech space, helping develop innovative specialty insurance products, and shepherding them from ideation, actuarial analysis, tax treatment, IT implementation, and then to production. Based on his experience on the insurance side, he developed multiple generations of non-life policy administration systems, leading to the culmination of his efforts in the founding and leadership of Protosure, the world\'s most advanced no-code insurance platform for the development and distribution of complex insurance products.
OGUZHAN KARA
Founder & CEO
Business in Japan
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Ryusuke KOMURA
Executive Director
Ryusuke Komura is a dedicated advocate for entrepreneurs of all backgrounds and a seasoned entrepreneur himself. He began his career as an intrapreneur at a leading Japanese corporation, where he led the development and launch of a cloud-based software service. The experience shaped his passion for entrepreneurship and his understanding of the challenges innovators face. After earning his MBA from Babson College, he joined GLOBIS as a senior consultant, where he played a key role in executive education initiatives for major Japanese corporations and supported organizational development for startups. Ryusuke has also contributed to academia, developing business school case studies focused on entrepreneurship and startups. Since 2018, he has been spearheading the growth of Venture Café Tokyo, a pivotal ecosystem activator in Japan. As part of the global Venture Café network originating in Boston, Ryusuke is committed to fostering connections that drive innovation and entrepreneurship in Japan and beyond.
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Aravind Krishnan
Co-Founder and CEO
Aravind Krishnan, the co-founder and CEO of ToxiSense, is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of Pennsylvania studying Molecular & Cell Biology, Healthcare Management & Policy, and Statistics as part of the Vagelos Program in Life Sciences and Management. His inspiration for ToxiSense came on a middle school field trip, where he learned about the environmental damage and immense expense of the current process for the FDA-required testing of medical products for bacterial contamination, which uses the blood of horseshoe crabs. Passionate about engineering biological systems, particularly for applications in immunology and infectious disease, Aravind set out to engineer the Arabidopsis thaliana plant, which has one of the only non-animal immune response systems to bacteria, as a more sustainable and cost-effective biosensor. The ToxiSense assay can sensitively and specifically measure the concentration of bacterial endotoxins, the sickness-causing molecule from many pathogenic bacteria. Having served as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) in high school and now leading the Shelter Health Outreach Program (SHOP), running mobile clinics throughout Philadelphia for unhoused and other socially at-risk community members, he began seeing the need for improved infection diagnostics for individuals with chronic wounds and other conditions that would lead to hospitalization from infections and sepsis. He therefore embarked on further building on the ToxiSense technology to develop a more rapid bacterial infection assay, allowing providers to more accurately respond at early stages of infection. Aside from ToxiSense, Aravind is also the co-founder of the West Philadelphia Sanctuary (WPS), a daytime gathering place in West Philadelphia that serves as a resource hub and third space to improve community cohesion and address the growing epidemics of loneliness and social isolation in the city. He also launched an undergraduate course at Penn teaching students about these topics. WPS won the $100K 2024 Projects for Progress Award from the University of Pennsylvania. At Penn, Aravind is also a Perry World House Student Fellow, working on global policy issues like more equitable healthcare delivery in underserved settings, worked on a global health project in South India to improve care accessibility and treatment adherence for pediatric vision patients, and conducts research on DNA damage repair and genome integrity loss in human disease. For his work, Aravind has been awarded the Harry S. Truman Scholarship, U.N. Millennium Fellow, and recipient of the Wharton Social Impact Research Experience grant and Hassenfeld Foundation Social Impact Grant. He also plans to pursue an M.D./Ph.D. focused on immunology and infectious disease.
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Ilya Kulyatin
Founder
Ilya Kulyatin is a 2x founder of data-driven Fintechs in Singapore and NYC, with global professional and academic experience in the US, EU, UK, Singapore, and Japan. He has a BSc in Economics, an MA in Finance, and an MSc in Machine Learning (UCL). For the past year, Ilya focused on his objective of making Japan a global AI hub, starting with building an AI community with 1700 AI professionals based in Tokyo.
James Lee
Senior Manager
CIC Tokyo
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Robin Lewis
Founder
Robin is an award-winning social entrepreneur and educator based in Japan. He is the Co-CEO of Social Innovation Japan, a platform empowering people to learn and take action on today\'s most pressing challenges, which is a two-time winner of Japan\'s \'Minister of Environment Prize\'. He is also Co-founder of mymizu, a global platform reducing plastic waste through the power of technology and community, which has saved millions of plastic bottles from going to waste through its plastic-free hydration network. For 12 years, Robin has worked with social enterprises, NGOs and inter-governmental organisations such as the World Bank and UNDP, and has managed sustainable development projects in countries including Japan, Haiti, Vanuatu and Mozambique. To date, he has conducted programs for tens of thousands of people, including social entrepreneurship workshops, leadership training and scholarship programs. In 2020, he was recognised by M.I.T. Technology Review’s ‘Innovators Under-35’ Awards and in 2022 won Business Insider Japan\'s \'Beyond Millennials\' Award. Robin is a Board Member of one of Japan\'s leading innovation hubs, Shibuya QWS, and serves as an advisor and mentor to several impact organisations and accelerator programs. His work has been featured in media including CNN, Vogue and Netflix.
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Ben Liao
Chair
Benjamin Liao is an active tourism expert, excited about the intersection of community-based tourism and hotel development. Active in Asian tourism. He serves currently as chair of Forte Hotel Group and as board director of Howard Plaza Hotel Group. In Taiwan, he also serves as consultant to the Taiwan Visitors’ Association and as a director in the Taiwan Tourist Hotel Association. He organized the PATA x WCIT 2017 - Smart and Sustainable Tourism Symposium, to connect the tech and tourism community. From 2022 - 2024, he served as Vice chair in PATA. From 2019, he also joined the board of Metropolitan Premier Hotel Taipei, a project collaborating with Japan Rail East Hotels. Besides hotels, Benjamin also consults for Velodash, a bicycle community app. He holds a Master in Architecture from Columbia University in New York, and a Bachelor degree in Civil Engineering from the UCLA. Outside of work, he continues to learn about business management, destination marketing, and wellness tourism.
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Jennifer Liu
section chief
Jennifer Liu is a dedicated and professional hailing from Taipei, Taiwan. Having earned a Master\'s degree, she has continually sought to expand her skills and knowledge throughout her career. Jennifer holds several notable certifications, including a Disaster Prevention Certification, a Tour Guide License, and has received extensive training in project management and marketing. Her diverse skill set and commitment to excellence have made her an asset in various professional arenas. Jennifer\'s passion for helping others is evident in her long-standing involvement with the Tzu Chi Foundation, where she started as a volunteer. In addition to her professional career, she is actively engaged in volunteer work and has recently been appointed as a board member of Taiwan Foundation for Disaster Relief. Beyond her professional and volunteer achievements, Jennifer is passionate about reading and staying active through sports. These hobbies not only provide her with relaxation and enjoyment but also contribute to her well-rounded character and balanced lifestyle. Jennifer\'s dedication to continuous improvement, her varied interests, and her commitment to giving back to the community make her a dynamic and inspiring individual. She is driven by a desire to make a positive impact and remains committed to personal and professional growth.
Terrie Lloyd
Founder & CEO
Japan Travel KK
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Yusuke Matsuo
Director
After my graduating from university, started career as a civil servant of Fukuoka City Government located on the western part of Japan. Mainly I worked in startup support operations such as operating “Fukuoka Growth Next,” a public-private partnership startup support facility, and of overseas training programs for entrepreneurs. I was appointed to my current position in June, 2024.
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Ryan McNaughton
CEO & Co-founder
Ryan McNaughton, PhD is the CEO and Co-founder of PriMetaz, a medical device company developing accessory products that turbocharge MRI scanners. These accessories pair the company’s patented metamaterial technology with existing MRI hardware to reduce growing patient waitlists, improve diagnostics and patient outcomes, and increase hospital revenue. Pitching in Japan represents an opportunity showcase the unique advantages of PriMetaz’s product, and gain critical customer insight from a global audience, while also connecting with like-minded and inspirational innovators. Prior to joining PriMetaz, Ryan received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Boston University. His research interests focused predominantly on the field of MRI physics, computational image processing, and quantitative MRI characterization of the human brain. His research endeavors allowed him to interact directly with MRI data from market leading scanner brands and deepened his understanding of the role diagnostic imaging plays in patient care and disease monitoring. In his time as CEO, PriMetaz was awarded and has since completed a National Science Foundation Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I Award. In addition, he represented the business as an active participant in esteemed startup accelerator programs, including MassChallenge’s U.S. Early-Stage Accelerator and M2D2’s IMPACT Accelerator. His dedication to the commercialization of PriMetaz’s core technology has seen the company become a Spoke of the ARPA-H Investor Catalyst Hub, as well as win TiE University’s Boston Pitch Competition (placing 5th globally) and M2D2 IMPACT’s Pitch-off.
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Kohyama Michiko
Vice President
After serving as a management member in the digital division at Walt Disney Japan, moved on to lead the launch of several new services, and later became the head of operations for Disney Mobile, managing a team of over 100 members. Joined Eight Roads Ventures in 2015, playing a pivotal role in the VC arm of one of the world’s leading asset management firms, primarily handling large Series B and C rounds. Recently focusing on the Food and Agri-Tech sectors, with notable investments in companies like Sensyn Robotics, oVice, and Zpeer.
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James Miller
CEO
James Miller is CEO of Miller Enterprises, K.K. developing digital solutions and investments to meet Japan\'s economic and national security mission needs. He is the past head of public policy for Amazon Web Services Japan where he led policy development on cloud computing, Internet, cyber security, data privacy, trade, and related emerging technology issues. In other past positions he served as Senior Attorney Advisor in the Office of Engineering and Technology, Associate CIO for Mobile and Data Strategy at the Federal Communications Commission, Adjunct Professor of Law at the American University, Washington College of Law and as a 2004-2006 Mansfield Fellow. At the FCC, Mr. Miller focused on regulatory and policy matters related to spectrum and Internet technology and led contributions to the National Broadband Plan and Open Internet Proceedings, and developed agency data, privacy, mobility and web technology strategy. As a Mansfield Fellow, Mr. Miller explored Japanese regulatory policies for broadband technology and the information society, particularly focusing on legal and regulatory reforms and spectrum policy, in the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Radio Policy Bureau (MIC), Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Office of Senior-Vice Minister Yoshitaka SAKURADA, and the Tokyo District and High Court’s Administrative Litigation and Intellectual Property Sections. He is a cum laude graduate of the Washington College of Law, American University, and holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics and East-Asian studies (honors) from the University of Kansas. He is a Japanese bilingual and frequently speaks and publishes in Japanese for business, legal, and technical audiences.
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Nicola Mizon
Co-Founder
Nicola Mizon is a product leader in the gaming industry, dedicated to crafting sophisticated and immersive experiences for women. With a background in game design and a career spanning diverse projects, she has worked extensively with renowned IPs, excelling at bridging the gap between brands and interactive entertainment. Passionate about redefining female gaming, Nicola focuses on developing polished, realistic games that resonate with a modern, mature audience. She is at the forefront of designing experiences that break conventions and evolve with the changing gamer landscape. As the co-founder of VIZTA DGTL, Nicola leads the development of a next-generation lifestyle platform. With fashion as its core theme and gaming at its heart, VIZTA DGTL is creating an engaging and inclusive space for women, seamlessly merging entertainment with cutting-edge technology and commerce.
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Victor Mulas
Chief Innovation Officer
Victor has over 20 years of experience working on innovation, technology, and startup ecosystems globally, and has served as an innovation strategy advisor for governments and multinational companies. He led landmark programs at the World Bank where he served for over 12 years, including the Disruptive Technology for Development Program at the World Bank President Office, the Tokyo Development Learning Center in Japan, and the Internal Innovation Acceleration Program at the Innovation Labs. After serving as a strategic advisor for CIC globally, Victor joined as the organization\'s first Chief Innovation Officer in February 2024.
Rui Nagamori
Founder & CEO
株式会社Leaflow
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Masaru Nagura
Director of CIC Institute/Vice President
After completing his Ph.D. in nuclear engineering, Masaru joined Japan\'s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology in 2011. During his time at the ministry, he led initiatives focused on startup and innovation policy. In 2015, he started his research at MIT on innovation ecosystems. Upon returning to Japan, he gained experience in business consulting and venture capital before joining CIC in 2020. Masaru is also a co-founder of the Startup Ecosystem Association Japan, where he collaborates with key stakeholders to strengthen the country’s startup ecosystem.
Masaru Nagura
Director

After earning a Ph.D. in the field of energy and materials, he worked at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), where he was responsible for policies related to deep tech startups. He then conducted research on startup ecosystems at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). After working at a management consulting firm and a venture capital company, he assumed his current position, overseeing the launch of CIC Tokyo and supporting startups.

rika nakazawa
Chief Commercial Innovation
NTT Communications Corporation
Russell Nickerson
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Hiro Nishiguchi
President
Startup Genome
Nukui Noriyuki
CEO
After earning a Ph.D. from Tohoku University, Noriyuki Nukui served as a postdoctoral researcher at the university for three years. He then joined Genaris Inc., a biotech venture company, where he experienced a range of tasks from synthetic biology research and development to industrialization of fermentation/purification processes and commercialization. After the close down of Genaris, he was hired by MC Food Specialties Inc. as a production technology employee, working on breeding fermentation bacteria and improving processes at overseas factories. Later, he joined Hitachi Chemical Co., Ltd. to launch a synthetic biology business and worked as a principal researcher in the newly established Bioscience Research
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Alex Odajima
CEO
As a business incubation specialist, Alex has been involved in the launch of numerous startups and the development of new businesses for companies. EDGEof, an innovation hub he established in 2018, has welcomed over 15,000 visitors from more than 50 countries in two years and has developed numerous innovative projects. After the closure of the building due to the COVID, he continues to support collaboration between companies and startups, and is also involved in various activities to connect the innovation ecosystems in Japan and overseas. He is working with embassies and startup support organizations of various countries, and has been involved in numerous startup development programs. He is a member of the J-Startup selection committee, startup fellow of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Japan representative of Start2 Group, operation manager of Endeavor Japan and more.
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Kazuo Okemoto
Founder/CEO
After earning my Ph.D. in Pharmacy from The University of Tokyo in 2002, I spent two decades conducting immunology and biochemistry research at a research institute under the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (2002–2022). During this time, I gained extensive experience operating and managing high-value analytical instruments. In my previous role, I served as a senior manager in a private company, leading the development of laser-based measurement devices. Specifically, I worked on clinical instruments utilizing nonlinear optical systems, such as Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering (CARS) (2022–2024). This position provided me with invaluable exposure to areas previously unfamiliar to me, such as investment, organizational management, and product development. Building on these experiences, I believe I bring the following strengths to this venture: 1. An ability to advance projects logically and adaptively. 2. A deep understanding of both fundamental science and the business landscape. 3. The capability to bridge optics and life sciences effectively. Our company’s groundbreaking technology, which can determine detailed compositions by simply shining light, has the potential to drive transformative innovation. With your support, I am confident we can create a brighter future together.
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BARRY O NEILL
Partner
Barry is a Partner at Value Create, where he invests in and advises impact-oriented (social, environmental, and sustainability) startups globally. He leads the GrowNova venture studio initiative and guides Japanese corporates on value creation through Corporate Venture Capital investment. Barry is also Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Techstars Tokyo and a co-creator of “Food Frontiers,” a JETRO-supported program for globally minded food and beverage entrepreneurs. With three startups and two successful exits, Barry brings firsthand entrepreneurial experience to his work. He is a highly regarded mentor, investor, and speaker, known for fostering entrepreneurship, building high-performing teams, and driving exponential growth.
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Todor Panev
Co-Founder
Serial entrepreneur and tech enthusiast with 15 years of experience spanning building products, IT consultancy, business development, and software engineering. Based in Tokyo, Japan, I’m currently Co-Founder & CBDO of Talnets AG, Co-Founder & Advisor at Sindex, and Co-Founder and CBDO of Sigoor AG. With 1 successful exit and four ventures founded, I focus on scaling startups and driving growth in tech-driven sectors. Startup Mentor, Macedonian business community supporter, and active member of FCCJ Toastmasters in Tokyo, where I continuously refine my communication and leadership skills.
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Alix Passage
Chief of Staff
Using an informal approach built on authenticity and empathy, Alix\'s high emotional intelligence drives her leadership style. Through careful observation, asking questions, and active listening to individual and organizational dynamics, Alix helps bridge gaps and teams, identifies motivating factors, and improves cross functional operations. She embraces vulnerability, leads through relationships, and has the proven ability to guide teams to success.
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Nathan Plummer
General Manager
Nathan is the General Manager of Venture Café Global Institute (VCGI), a public-benefit organization headquartered in Cambridge, Massachussetts. Prior to this, he held several director roles for VCGI and Venture Café Sydney. He formed part of the creation and development of the Macquarie Park Innovation District in Sydney, Australia, working with government, university and corporate partners to strengthen the region’s innovation and entrepreneurship capacity, including the establishment of Macquarie University Startup Incubator and its corporate innovation programs. His experience spans media, nonprofit (Red Cross Medical) and private sector organizations. Nathan\'s career and education has spanned four continents - continuing to shape his belief in the importance of connected innovation ecosystems to drive human progress.
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Tim Romero
Partner
Tim Romero is a Partner at JERA Ventures and host of the Disrupting Japan podcast. Tim is deeply involved in Japan\'s startup community as an investor, founder, author and educator, and he has founded several startups in Japan over the past 30 years. Tim has also taught entrepreneurship and corporate innovation at New York University\'s Tokyo campus, led Google for Startups Japan, and worked with TEPCO and other Japanese enterprises on startup investment and innovation strategy.
Tim Rowe
Founder & CEO, CIC/ Founder & Chair, Venture Café

Founder and CEO of CIC (Cambridge Innovation Center), the world’s largest shared office space exclusively for startups. The total investment in startups that have grown based on CIC exceeds 1 trillion yen. Currently, in addition to Cambridge and Boston, Massachusetts, the company has expanded to Providence (Rhode Island), St. Louis (Missouri), Miami (Florida), and Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) in the United States. In 2016, the company also began expanding into Europe, operating innovation centers in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and Warsaw, Poland. To date, more than 7,500 companies and organizations have used CIC.

世界最大のスタートアップ専用シェアオフィススペース、CIC（ケンブリッジイノベーションセンター）の創業者及びCEO。CICをベースに成長した数々のスタートアップへの投資総額は一兆円を超える。現在は米国マサチューセッツ州ケンブリッジとボストンに加え、米国ではプロビデンス（ロードアイランド州）、セントルイス（ミズーリ州）、マイアミ（フロリダ州）、フィラデルフィア（ペンシルバニア州）に展開。2016年から欧州での展開も開始し、オランダのロッテルダム、ポーランドのワルシャワでもイノベーションセンターを運営てしている。これまでにCICを利用した企業・組織の数は累計7,500社以上に登る。

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Tim Rowe
Founder & Executive Chairman / Founder & Chair
Cambridge Innovation Center / Venture Café Global Institute
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Rodolfo Ruiz
CEO
Deep Tech Founder | Cybersecurity Pioneer | Architect of Industrial Transformation Rodolfo Ruiz bridges the gap between cutting-edge engineering and entrepreneurial vision, building ventures that turn technological breakthroughs into global market solutions. A three-time founder with a proven exit, he has repeatedly identified emerging tech trends—from quantum-era cybersecurity to AI-driven industrial systems—and transformed them into scalable businesses featured at TechCrunch, CES, and beyond. His ventures reflect a career spent at the frontier of innovation: → Spearheaded post-quantum cryptography in FPGAs, creating unhackable hardware ahead of today’s quantum computing race. → Engineered mission-critical systems for water security and cryptographic infrastructure, solving complex optimization challenges. → Now, as the founder of immune, he’s redefining manufacturing intelligence with a predictive analytics platform that merges industrial IoT, AI, and real-time decision architectures—a culmination of his 15-year journey in hardware/software integration. His operational rigor matches Rodolfo’s technical leadership. Trained in electronics engineering at ITESM and MIT’s finance program, he’s built and scaled teams from Silicon Valley to Singapore, combining hands-on technical depth (he still codes FPGAs and Rust in between sales calls and team interviews) with a founder’s instinct for market timing. Currently based in the USA and Mexico, Rodolfo brings a uniquely global lens to industrial innovation, having led projects for Fortune 500 manufacturers and government agencies.
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Daiki Sato
KPMG AZSA LLC
Joined AZSA Auditing Firm in 2000 and became a partner in 2017. Japanese Certified Public Accountant. Since joining the firm, he has been in charge of auditing the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act and the Companies Act for listed companies of various industries and sizes, and has also been engaged in listing support. In particular, he has a lot of experience in building management systems for growth-stage companies, conducting financial due diligence for corporate acquisitions, and supporting establishment of financial reporting systems and early settlement of accounts when expanding overseas. At present, in the Incubation Department, he supports business plans and capital policy formulation for startups, supports open innovation with large companies, and is involved in supporting startups by writing books and holding symposiums. He has written numerous books, including “Incubation Next: Insights into the Creation of Startups Aiming for Global Expansion (co-authored, Chuo Keizai Co., Ltd.),” “Practical Incubation (co-authored, Chuo Keizai, Inc.),” and “Q & A: Practical Guide to Listing (co-authored, Chuo Keizai, Inc.).”
Rocky Sawada
GM
Born in Obihiro City, Hokkaido. After graduated from the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies at Keio University, started to work for Tokyo Tatemono Co., Ltd. in charge of residential dept., and after being transferred to Tokyo Tatemono USA, made various transactions of domestic and overseas properties as cross-border business. From 2021, support the creation of innovation through co-creation based on food, to strive a \"Regenerative\" city beyond sustainability with various partners in Tokyo and from Tokyo. From Nov 2024, Open Gastronomy Innovation Campus Tokyo which is first global hub for Gastronomy Open Ecosystem（GOe）which is Basque Culinary Center project.
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Susanne Schierok
Chief Representative of the State of Bavaria to Japan
Susanne has over 16 years of experience in business promotion and facilitating the settlement of international subsidiaries in Bavaria, Germany. Adept at engaging with diverse stakeholders, including international companies, start-ups, public institutions, and private organizations, she has a proven track record in driving and managing collaborations, organizing marketing, networking initiatives, and fostering connections within international business communities. Susanne is a proactive and hands-on leader with a creative, problem-solving mindset, strong project management expertise, deep knowledge of the public sector, and keen awareness of business environment challenges. In total, Susanne has spent 5 years of her living in Japan and currently holds the role as Chief Representative of the State of Bavaria to Japan since 2022.
Pranay Shah
Product Prototyping Unit
Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA)
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yuli shein
Director
Results-oriented entrepreneur and leader with over 12 years of global experience in business development, partnership cultivation, and market expansion. As Co-founder and COO of OpenFor.Co, I have driven innovation by building a global platform that connects startups with critical resources, forging strategic partnerships, and enabling measurable growth across 20 countries with a community of 10K members. As Co-Director of the Founder Institute in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, I successfully launched accelerator programs from scratch, transforming them into regional pillars of support for early-stage ventures. Over three years, I provided strategic guidance to 100 startups and contributed to the creation of 44 ventures, supported by a robust network of 150 mentors and 50 partners that I cultivated to ensure founder success. In addition to my entrepreneurial work, I serve as a Visiting Professor of Global Business Negotiation at IU University in Japan, where I teach aspiring entrepreneurs cross-cultural negotiation and global business strategies. This role bridges academic theory with practical experience, equipping future leaders for success in international markets. Previously, as CEO of a Japanese consulting firm’s U.S. branch, I honed my expertise in market strategy, operational efficiency, and international business expansion. Fluent in English, Japanese (JLPT N1), and Burmese, I bring a creative, strategic, and entrepreneurial mindset to every challenge, consistently delivering results and creating value.
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KEI Shimizu
General Manager
• Served as intermediary between lessee and lessor for approximately 3 years at domestic brokerage company, and as lessor for approximately 3 years at Morgan Stanley. Currently serves as tenant representative (lessee side) using both Japanese and English. • Has more than 6 years’ experience as manager at Savills Japan Co., Ltd. Can create and manage strong teams. • Tenacious. Earned trust of many customers by conducting sales attentively with sense of responsibility, mission, positivity, and confidence. Highly self-motivated, takes on new projects independently, and perseveres in executing tasks to achieve goals despite difficulties. • Flexible in adapting to changes. Maintained large number of highly loyal customers by emphasizing accuracy for domestic companies and flexibility for foreign-affiliated companies. Often conducted cross-departmental sales task, including sales and purchase, warehousing, and project management, contributing to sales of other departments. • Customer-centered. Proposes services that are likely to be valuable for customers. Made presentations for managers of large, medium, and small companies, and won many deals in competitions with largest company in industry. • Logical thinker and good negotiator. Coordinated between market conditions and stance of each party to allow lessees to sign and renew leases on better terms; and logically organized, formulated, and implemented negotiation strategies. This allowed lessees to secure negotiation leverage and proceed with negotiations at advantage. • Proficient in both English and Japanese.
Mike Sudano
Senior Robotics Operations Engineer
Woven Planet Holdings Inc.
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Megumi Takata
経済学研究院　産業マネジメント専攻　教授
九州大学大学院 Kyushu University Business School (QBS)
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Keito Takishita
Representative Director / COO
Keito’s passion for robotics started early at just 10 years old, he stepped into a university robot competition, competing against students far older than him. This early experience set him on a path toward innovation, leading him to NASA’s global education program, where he studied space architecture at the University of Houston as part of a NASA project. During this time, he and his team won the NASA Mars Rover Competition, proving that his robots weren’t just built for Earth, but for space exploration as well. Keito pursued both his undergraduate and graduate studies in Information Science and Engineering at Ritsumeikan University, enrolling in an English-based program despite initially having poor English skills. Over four years, he steadily improved his proficiency, mastering technical subjects in English and eventually achieving a perfect 990 on the TOEIC. His passion for robotics was so strong that he convinced his non-robotics lab to support his work, leading his professor to not only purchase robots specifically for his research but also become an advisor to his startup, Kanaria Tech. Keito’s achievements also caught the attention of Ritsumeikan University’s leadership. After delivering a speech about himself and Kanaria Tech, attended by the university president and vice president, Ritsumeikan significantly increased its support for his work, allowing him to balance both entrepreneurship and academia. As a student startup representative, Keito is proving that passion and persistence can break barriers. With the backing of Ritsumeikan University, he continues to push forward innovations that redefine the role of robotics in society.
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Risa Taniguchi
Project Associate
After graduating from Osaka University, she joined the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. In 2023, she was seconded to Plug and Play Japan and managed the Food & Beverage accelerator program. Since June 2024, she has been in her current role, managing the environmental and energy innovation community and supporting the growth of startups in the GX and Food & Agri field.
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Fara Taraie
Managing Director

Experienced sustainable Design director with a demonstrated history of working in the design industry. With many years of experience in the planning and design and implementation of various large and small scale projects from innovative design, architectural, interior to smart urban concept in various fields. Furthermore, directly involved in the consultation of entrepreneurs and innovative technology solutions, and Sustainable innovation centers concentrating on sustainable design, helping to innovate and develop modern design solutions. I am interested in getting to know like minded professionals from various fields, and networking in the current design world. I am passionately in love with design innovation in modern ecosystem, and universal design patterns.

Serkan Toso
COO - Tablecross Inc.

Serkan Toso, originally from Turkey, is the co-founder of byFood. After moving to Japan to pursue a master’s degree in eBusiness management, he quickly adapted to and embraced the local culture despite language and cultural barriers. Recognizing the challenges non-natives faced in accessing traditional Japanese dining experiences, Serkan founded byFood. This innovative platform connects food enthusiasts with unique culinary experiences across Japan, offering insights into authentic Japanese cuisine. ByFood also emphasizes social responsibility, integrating charitable contributions with each booking, enhancing the connection between food, culture, and community support.

Mike Tsang
Director of Finance and Accounts
Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA)
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Radoslaw Tyszkiewicz
President
I have an extensive experience working in international affairs, strategic diplomacy, business, administration, and media for over 20 years. My career in the diplomatic realm includes a pivotal role at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Japan, where I served as Deputy Head of Mission. I have further expanded my international exposure through significant positions held at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Poland to the United Nations in New York, the European External Action Service in Brussels, and various crucial roles within Poland\'s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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Tak Umezawa
Chairperson
CIC Japan
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Takuo Urushihara
Program Manager (International Programming)
Venture Café Tokyo
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Sumire Watanabe
Bachelor student / pre-president of Suzukan Labo
Sumire is passionate about creating a space where everyone can feel, \"I can choose my life by myself,\" through multiple fields, such as rule-making in schools, organizing events in traditional Japanese houses in her hometown of Kamakura, and currently producing cards to help people understand themselves more deeply. She is studying Political Science and Economics at Meiji University while also being a member of Suzukan Labo, which has been producing socially impactful innovations for 30 years. Since high school, she has questioned Japan’s school rules. As a result, she became the president of the student council and participated in the \"Rule-Making Project\" by the non-profit organization KATARIBA, working to promote nationwide school rule reforms. Additionally, her passion for football began at the age of 11, and in 2023–2024, she played in the top amateur league in the Netherlands through TOBITATE, a scholarship program by Japan\'s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT). Over the past five years, she has been dedicated to developing leadership skills and generating innovative ideas for various student organizations and projects. Currently, she is also committed to product design, particularly in creating cards that encourage deeper self-understanding. She has been featured in NHK Special by Japan Broadcasting Corporation, Forbes JAPAN (2019), and various newspapers and online media.
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Rudder Wu
Founder and CTO
台湾生まれ。中学卒業後カナダに移住。ブリティッシュコロンビア大学卒業後、イギリスのインペリアル・カレッジ・ロンドンでPhDを取得。2009年に来日。NIMS主任研究員を務めるほか2021年に株式会社Thermalyticaを設立、CTOを務める。 Born in Taiwan, he moved to Canada after graduating from middle school. After earning his degree from the University of British Columbia, he obtained a PhD from Imperial College London in the UK. He came to Japan in 2009 and currently serves as a Principal Researcher at NIMS. In 2021, he founded Thermalytica Inc. and serves as its CTO.
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Marek Wypych
CEO
Everlastingly I am focus on improving life and inspiring others to use better technologies for better life in all the aspects. My passion is selling in combination with networking people to improving theirs partnership and cooperation with a longtime experience in the business market. Never stop or even slow down learning to do better your job! \"If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.\" by Admiral William H. McRaven
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Mitsuru Yamashiro
Director for Startup Strategy Promotion
Mitsuru Yamashiro is a Director for Startup Strategy Promotion, Office, Office for Startup and Global Financial City Strategy, Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG). Currently serving as a Director for Startup Strategy Promotion, he is in charge of international promotion of TMG’s startup initiatives. During his career at the capital of Japan, he has engaged in various international projects of TMG for 10 years including the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Global City Network for Sustainability (G-NETS), a collaborative city forum launched by TMG.
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藤井 優花
Head of Corporate Partnerships
Born in 1998, Yuka Fujii is a passionate intrapreneur dedicated to creating inclusive social infrastructure. She co-launched a crowdfunding service at Borderless Japan, supporting 350 projects and raising $1.95M in donations. Later, she joined PEOPLE PORT to promote refugee employment and led the restructuring of ZERO PC with CEO as a department director. Now, as Head of Corporate Partnerships, she fosters collaboration and builds inclusive workplaces. She has been a member of the Global Shapers Community Yokohama, a youth initiative by the World Economic Forum, since 2021. In 2024, she participated as a Young Fellow in the \"Asian Forum on Global Governance,\" often referred to as the Asian Davos Meeting, and was appointed as a committee member of the \"Future Society Creation Committee\" for Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai.
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阿部 博
プライベートエンタープライズセクター　スタートアップ統轄パートナー／常務執行理事 インキュベーション部長
監査業務のほか、大学発ベンチャーへのサポートや、オープンイノベーションのイベントを推進。KPMGジャパンの活動としてプライベートエンタープライズセクター スタートアップ統轄を担当し、スタートアップの発掘・育成支援に従事している。 In addition to auditing, he supports university-launched ventures and promotes open innovation events. At KPMG Japan, he leads startup management in the Private Enterprise sector, engaging in the discovery and development support of startups.
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篠原 宣道
aiESG Inc.
After receiving his master\'s degree from Kyoto University, I planned and executed numerous industry-academia collaborative projects at the Center for Urban Research, Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu University, focusing on quantitative analysis of the correlation between ESG value and corporate value. In addition, he has been involved as a data scientist in aiESG, a university-launched AI startup, since its early days, aiming at the fusion of business and academia. Founder of BEAGLE, an AI agriculture company
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竣也 長曽我部
Defying Conventional Wisdom Next-Generation Nano-Porous Fiber
Born in Ichinomiya City, Aichi Prefecture in 1997. He has been passionately playing soccer for 17 years since the age of 5. Master of Engineering from Gifu University, specializing in polymer chemistry. Sensing the great potential of the technology he was engaged in research, he took his 2nd year off from graduate university and founded a company with his professor at 23. By combining technological capabilities based in the Gifu region as a textile production center, they are working to prevent infectious diseases caused by mosquitoes and other vectors and to develop fluorine-free materials and other products. Selected for Forbes Japan 30 UNDER 30 in 2023.
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橘川 雄樹
CEO
Yuki Kitsukawa is the CEO of MAP IV, Inc., a startup specializing in spatial intelligence and 3D mapping technologies. He earned his Master’s degree in Information Science from Nagoya University in 2016. With a strong background in autonomous driving systems, he has led research and development in 3D mapping and localization technologies. In 2016, he founded MAP IV to advance innovations in autonomous mobility and spatial data solutions.