Speakers
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Dr Adriana Marais
Proudly Human
Dr Adriana Marais
Proudly Human Founder
Dr Adriana Marais has a background in theoretical physics, her PhD and postdoctoral research focused on quantum effects in biology and the origins of the building blocks of life in space. Adriana is currently a researcher at the University of Stellenbosch and the National Institute for Theoretical and Computational Sciences, both in South Africa, and faculty at the Singularity University. Adriana is also a director at the Foundation for Space Development Africa, preparing Africa’s first mission to the Moon, the Africa2Moon Project, she is scientific moderator on space resources with the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator and chair of space sciences at Tod’Aérs Aeronautics and Space Research. In 2019, Adriana left her position as Head of Innovation at SAP Africa to found Proudly Human, and she is currently leading the organisation’s Off-World Project, in preparation for extreme conditions on Earth and beyond.
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Keiichiro Hirano
Author
Keiichiro Hirano
Author
Born in 1975 in Gamagori City, Aichi Prefecture, and raised in Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture. Graduated from the Faculty of Law at Kyoto University. While still a student, he won the 120th Akutagawa Prize in 1999 for his novel Nisshoku (Eclipse), submitted to the literary magazine Shincho. Since then, he has published numerous works in a variety of styles that change with each piece and have been translated and introduced in various countries.His major works include novels such as Funeral, Takase River, Collapse, Dawn, Fill in the Blanks, Transparent Labyrinth, At the End of the Matinee, A Man, and True Intentions. His essays include How to Read Books: The Practice of Slow Reading, How to Read Novels, What Am I? From "Individual" to "Dividual", Thinking Reed, What Does It Mean to Be "Cool"?, On the Death Penalty, and On Yukio Mishima. In 2024, he published his latest work, Mount Fuji, marking his first short story collection in ten years.
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Koichiro Nakamura
Sozo Ventures
Koichiro Nakamura
Sozo Ventures Co-Founder/Managing Director
While still a university student, he was involved in the founding of Yahoo! Japan alongside Taizo Son. He later worked at Mitsubishi Corporation, engaging in telecommunications and investment businesses, and was responsible for incubation fund projects.In 2009, he graduated at the top of his class from the Kauffman Fellows Program (KFP), a U.S. venture capitalist next-generation leadership program, receiving the Jeff Timmons Award. In the same year, he co-founded Sozo Ventures with Phil Wickham, who had served as the head of KFP for nearly a decade.Sozo Ventures has become one of the leading U.S. venture capital firms known for its investments in companies like Twitter, Palantir, Square, ZOOM, and Coinbase during their international expansion phases.He was the first Japanese person to be ranked in the 2021 Midas List 100, a global ranking of venture capitalists (72nd), and improved his ranking consecutively in 2022 (63rd), 2023 (55th), and 2024 (45th).He serves as an advisor (Council Member) to the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Chicago and is a member of the Management Council at Tokyo Institute of Technology. He holds a law degree from Waseda University and an MBA from the University of Chicago.His publications include The Theory of Startup Investment: What American Venture Capitalists Are Looking For (Diamond, Inc.).
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Kristina Yasuda
SPRIN-D
Kristina Yasuda
SPRIN-D
Graduated at the top of the class from the School of Political Science and Law at Sciences Po, Paris. In 2016, became the Director of the U.S. NGO InternetBar.org, where a new digital identity project was established to develop identification infrastructure in developing countries.Joined Microsoft in 2019 and worked on the international standardization of identification protocols, including decentralized ID. In the same year, was selected for Forbes Japan's 30 Under 30. In 2020, was also chosen for MIT Technology Review's Innovators Under 35 Japan.Since March this year, has been working as an Identity System Architect at Germany's Federal Office for Digital Innovation. The aim is to provide identification means to everyone by building infrastructure for decentralized ID services.
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Lisa Mandemaker
Speculative Designer
Lisa Mandemaker
Speculative Designer
Lisa Mandemaker is a speculative designer with a strategic, contextually aware and critical approach to research and design. She considers speculative design as a tool for debate in the public domain. In collaboration with scientists, ethicists and researchers she crafts future narratives through designed prototypes, creating invitations to reflect on possible futures. Making impactful, topical work and creating strong interventions and conversation starters are key elements to her practice. The focus is on the socio-cultural and ethical impact of emerging technologies in the fields of reproduction, health and politics. Through the lens of Reproductive Futures, her projects are a call to action and a pursuit of understanding and shaping the impact of technology on our most fundamental aspects of life. Known for her contribution to the design of the prototype of an artificial womb, she received a spot on the annual BBC 100 Women List, listing the 100 most inspiring women of the world.
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Marcus Brauchli
Blue Ocean
Marcus Brauchli
Blue Ocean Chairman
Marcus Brauchli served as the Executive Editor of The Washington Post from September 2008 to December 2012 and worked for 24 years as a top editor at The Wall Street Journal, where he was a correspondent and editor in Asia, Europe, and the United States.
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Mari Ogiso
SDG Impact Japan Co., Ltd.
Mari Ogiso
SDG Impact Japan Co., Ltd. Representative Director and Co-CEO
Engaged extensively in businesses aimed at achieving the SDGs, particularly SDG finance, including impact investment, support for social entrepreneurs, and the promotion of inclusive business. In 2017, established Asia's first gender investment fund, the Asia Women Impact Fund. Has held positions such as Head of Capital Markets at the World Bank, Tokyo Representative for the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) of the World Bank Group, Representative of Dalberg Japan, Diversity Director and Secretary-General of the Human Rights Committee at Fast Retailing Group. Serves as a W20 Japan Delegate, an expert committee member for JICA's Overseas Investment and Loan Committee, and an advisor for WE Empower. Graduated from the University of Tokyo with a degree in Economics and holds a master's degree from the Fletcher School at Tufts
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Emori Seita
Institute for Future Initiatives, The University of Tokyo
Emori Seita
Professor, Institute for Future Initiatives, The University of Tokyo
Born in 1970 in Kanagawa Prefecture. After obtaining a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Cultural Studies from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Tokyo in 1997, he worked at the National Institute for Environmental Studies. He served as Head of the Climate Risk Assessment Research Section and Deputy Director of the Earth System Division before assuming his current position in 2022. He also supervises students at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo. His expertise is in climate science. He was a lead author for both the Fifth and Sixth Assessment Reports of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). His publications include Extreme Weather and Human Choices and Is the Prediction of Global Warming 'Correct'?, co-authored works such as How 'Scary' is Global Warming?, and supervised works like Recently, It's Been Too Hot on Earth.
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Rina Sakai
FERMENSTATION Co., Ltd.
Rina Sakai
CEO, FERMENSTATION Co., Ltd.
After graduating from International Christian University (ICU), she worked at several financial institutions, including Fuji Bank and Deutsche Securities. She developed an interest in fermentation technology and enrolled in the Department of Brewing Science at Tokyo University of Agriculture's Faculty of Applied Biosciences, graduating in March 2009. In the same year, she founded Ferment Station Co., Ltd. and became its CEO, a position she holds to this day.
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Takaaki Umada
FoundX,The University of Tokyo
Takaaki Umada
Director of FoundX, The University of Tokyo
Takaaki Umada is a director at FoundX, the official startup accelerator program at the prestigious University of Tokyo. With over a decade of experience supporting software developers and startup founders, Umada brings deep expertise in startup support, including navigating public affairs and regulatory matters.Prior to his current role, Umada held positions at Microsoft Japan as a product manager and evangelist. In 2016, he transitioned to the University of Tokyo, where he founded and led Hongo Tech Garage before launching FoundX in 2019. He is the author of "Paradoxical Startup Thinking," "Successful Entrepreneurs Choose Where to Stay," "Implementing the Future,” “Raising Your Resolution.”
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Takaya Matsuda
HERALBONY Co., Ltd.
Takaya Matsuda
Co-CEO,HERALBONY Co., Ltd.
After working as a planner at Orange and Partners, a planning company led by Kundo Koyama, he became independent. He founded HERALBONY with his twin brother Fumito Matsuda, using the mysterious word "HERALBONY," which his older brother Shota, four years his senior, had written during elementary school, as the company name. With the mission "Let Your Uniqueness Shine," they aim to innovate in the welfare field through their welfare experiment company. He oversees the creative aspects of HERALBONY. Resides in Tokyo. He is the younger twin brother. He was selected as one of Forbes JAPAN's "30 UNDER 30" for individuals under 30 who are changing the world. Author of Let Your Uniqueness Shine: How HERALBONY is Changing the World with Welfare and Art.
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Takehiro Ueda
Author
Takehiro Ueda
Author
Born in 1979 in Hyogo Prefecture. After graduating from the Faculty of Law at Waseda University, he participated in the launch of a corporate solutions company and continued writing while serving as an executive. In 2013, he made his debut by winning the 45th Shincho Newcomer Award for "Taiyo" (The Sun). In 2015, he won the 28th Yukio Mishima Prize for "My Lover." In 2016, he was selected as one of GRANTA magazine's Best of Young Japanese Novelists. In 2018, he received the 68th Minister of Education's Newcomer Award for Fine Arts for Towers and Gravity. In 2019, he won the 160th Akutagawa Prize for "Nimrod." In 2022, he received the 46th Kawabata Yasunari Literary Award for "Without Travel." In 2024, he won the 30th Shimase Award for Love Stories for Beloved. His works include The Sun and Planets, My Lover, Friends from a Foreign Land, Towers and Gravity, Nimrod, Cue, Without Travel, Lack of Gravity, Beloved, K+ICO, and The Story of the Multi-Headed Beast.
