Session
Mobility
Beyond EXIT: Unlocking the Next Chapter for Central Japan Startups
We will welcome founders of startups from Central Japan that have successfully achieved EXITs to share their insights. The discussion will delve into the secrets behind their continued innovation and value creation post-EXIT. Additionally, the panel will explore region-specific challenges and the strategies employed to overcome them.
Available passes
- Executive
- Business/Startup
- Rising Star
- City
Language：Japanese
Speakers
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Makoto Ao
CEO, LEO Co., Ltd.
Makoto Ao
CEO, LEO Co., Ltd. | Planning and Operations Producer, Nagono Campus | Professor, School of Entrepreneurship, Musashino University
After working as a software development engineer, she became the first female executive at a tech company in 2012, where she established an internal venture and engaged in business spin-offs and startup support through industry-government-academia collaboration. In 2016, she co-founded ExaIntelligence (now ExaWizards Inc.), an AI venture originating from Kansai, and served as Director and COO before founding LEO Co., Ltd. as her second entrepreneurial venture. She is the producer of "Nagono Campus," an incubation facility in a former elementary school near Nagoya Station designed to create the next 100 years. Alongside being the navigator for ZIP-FM's "Startup [N]," she serves as a professor at the School of Entrepreneurship at Musashino University, a visiting associate professor for industry-academia-government collaboration at Nagoya University, and a member of the Nagoya City Board of Education. Since 2022, she has also been a mentor for the Central Japan Seed Fund.
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Taihei Onishi
stmn, inc.
Taihei Onishi
stmn, inc. CEO
Taihei Onishi is the CEO of stmn, inc., taking the role in January 2023. After graduating from the University of Tsukuba, his career encompasses experience at a major advertising agency and a position as Country Manager for Monstarlab, Inc. in Vietnam, where he helped grow the overseas subsidiary to 200 employees over two years. In 2016, he returned to Japan and founded stmn, inc., initially serving as COO. In this role, he oversaw the company’s flagship business TUNAG and contributed to various strategic initiatives across sales, marketing, design, development, and finance. As CEO, Onishi continues to guide stmn, inc.’s growth while drawing on his international business experience.
