Speakers
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Seiichi Matsuo
Tokai National Higher Education and Research System
Seiichi Matsuo
Chancellor, Tokai National Higher Education and Research System
Chancellor Seiichi Matsuo has been active in the field of medicine for over 40 years, with a career spanning research, medical practice and institutional governance. After receiving his Doctorate in Medicine at Nagoya University in 1981 and spending time as a research fellow in New York, Chancellor Matsuo worked as a physician before returning to Nagoya University, being made Professor at the Graduate School of Medicine in 2002. In 2004, he became Vice Director of Nagoya University Hospital, being promoted to Director in 2007.At Nagoya University, he has served as Vice President, as well as heading up a number of organizations and committees including Academic Research and Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration. He was made President of Nagoya University in April 2015 and served in that position until March 2022, taking up his current position as Chancellor of Tokai National Higher Education and Research System upon its foundation in April 2020.
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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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Ai Kawaguchi
NewsPicks
Ai Kawaguchi
NewsPicks for WE Editor in Chief
She holds a master's degree from the Graduate School of Letters at Showa Women's University. With previous experience at Shogakukan Creative and HuffPost Japan, she now leads the advertising production team at NewsPicks Studios and serves as the editor-in-chief of NewsPicks for WE, a project dedicated to empowering women in their careers. Her published work spans a range of media, focusing on women's work styles and healthcare.
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Akihiko Shibahara
Research Institute for Earth Science Visualization Technology
Akihiko Shibahara
Research Institute for Earth Science Visualization Technology CEO
1.CEO, Research Institute for Earth Science Visualization Technology Co.,Ltd (AIST* Start-ups). *National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology.2.Dr. Akihiko Shibahara is a geologist, paleontologist, and 3D-CAM (computer-aided manufacturing) engineer. He received a Doctor degree of Science from Tsukuba University, and he worked as a curator at the Geological Museum in AIST*. His recent research has focused on the visualization of earth science, such as underground data or hazard maps using 3D modeling techniques. In 2016, he established the Institute for Earth Science Visualization Technology as an AIST Start-ups to implement his research activity. He is also a visiting professor at Fukui Prefectural University and a visiting researcher at Dinosaur Research Investigation at the same university to visualize the spatial relationship between geology and paleontology. Earth Science Visualization Technology established several techniques of building up finely-detailed 3D miniatures to visualize geological information and hazard maps. In 2024, he is working on Scientific Research for the science fiction drama “Ultraman Arc".
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Akihisa Mizuno
Central Japan Economic Federation
Akihisa Mizuno
Chairman, Central Japan Economic Federation
After receiving his master's degree in Civil Engineering at the Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, in 1978, he joined Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc. He served as the President and Director from 2010 to 2015, and then as the Chairman of the Board of Directors until 2020. Since 2020, he has been an Advisor to the company and has also served as the Chairman of the Central Japan Economic Federation, contributing to the development of the regional economy.
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Akinori Sato
WonderPlanet Inc.
Akinori Sato
WonderPlanet Inc. Director & COO & CFO
Born in Nagoya. After graduating from the Master's Course of Economics at Kobe University where I skipped a grade, I joined the Research Department of Daiwa Institute of Research Ltd. (currently Daiwa Securities Co., Ltd.) in 2008, where I worked as a sell side analyst, a corporate planning at the group headquarters, and an analyst in the investment banking department. Hoping to realize an IPO for a venture in my hometown of Nagoya, I joined my current position in 2016 and returned to my hometown . After raising the total of over 3 billion yen before the IPO, we achieved IPO on TSE Mothers in 2021. I have been serving as COO since 2024. Certified Member Analyst of SAAJ.
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Akira Amano
Dentsu Media Innovation Lab
Akira Amano
Dentsu Media Innovation Lab, Principal Researcher
M.A. in Interdisciplinary Information Studies from the University of Tokyo, specializing in research and consulting on SNS trends and trends among young people. His many publications include “A New Generation of Business is Born Inside Smartphones,” “History of SNS Transition,” and “Information Media White Paper (co-authored). He has also served as an expert commentator for the Nikkei Think! Expert, a part-time lecturer at Meiji Gakuin University's Faculty of Sociology, and a judge for the TikTok for Business Japan Awards 2024 Creative Category.
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Alissa Miky
Aqua Theon Inc.
Alissa Miky
Aqua Theon Inc. CEO
Born in NY in 1992, Alissa helped launch a flower brand during her time at Waseda University, growing it into Rakuten's No.1. She gained experience in a sake startup, Fujimaki Department Store, and an Israeli trading company. In September 2019, she founded Aqua Theon inc. (formerly Cashi Cake inc.) in LA, with the mission of 'Bringing rural Japan to the world'. The company focuses on seaweed tech for food, alternative plastics, and medical capsules. Misaky.Tokyo, the marine plant-based Japanese sweets brand, has 1.4 million TikTok followers and is expanding nationwide.
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Ami Miura
ima Inc.
Ami Miura
ima Inc. CEO
Born in Nagoya, Japan. After founding a business as a student and later transferring its operations, she traveled around the world, experiencing the cultures and arts of various countries. Upon returning to Japan, she engaged in supporting the Japanese market entry of overseas IT companies at a venture capital firm. In 2013, she founded Ima Inc. with the goal of integrating traditional Japanese culture, artisanal skills, and researchers' aspirations into practical applications in society. In addition to implementing Japanese craftsmanship and decision-making processes in primary industries within AI, she is also involved in market implementation projects for research and development at Toyota Motor Corporation. She lectures on "Social Implementation of AI" at Digital Hollywood University and the University of Tsukuba, where she serves as an associate professor. She also serves as an advisor for the AICHI MOBILITY INNOVATION Project.
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Anna Kreshchenko
Flora
Anna Kreshchenko
CEO of Flora
Anna graduated from the Faculty of International Relations, Odessa National University of Ukraine. In 2017, she came to Japan as a MEXT scholar and enrolled in Kyoto University, Faculty of Law. Anna founded Flora in December 2020 to improve women's physical and mental wellbeing with the help of cutting-edge technology.Anna was awarded the Special Award as the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2023, selected as Forbes Japan “Next 100” and Forbes Asia & Japan 30 under 30 in 2024.
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Antti Sonninen
Takeoff Tokyo
Antti Sonninen
Takeoff Tokyo Co-founder、CEO
Antti is the main organizer of Takeoff Tokyo, the place for internationally ambitious entrepreneurs. Originally from Finland, Antti came to Japan 10+ years ago first bringing the Angry Birds game here as the company’s first country director. Antti has also worked on several projects bridging the tech communities of Japan and the rest of the world, most notably as co-founder and CEO of Slush Tokyo.
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Atsuki Kawano
Aichi Prefectural Government
Atsuki Kawano
Startup Division Innovative Business Creation Department Bureau of Economy and Industry Aichi Prefectural Government
Joined Aichi Prefectural Government as a new graduate in 2016. After working in the Construction Department and the Board of Education, I was seconded to NTT Business Solutions. At my secondment, I was responsible for developing new business areas and received the President's Award for establishing and expanding a new business related to My Number cards. Since April 2023, I have been involved in the Startup Promotion Division, where I am working on the operation of STATION Ai, scheduled to open in October 2024, and the launch of TechGALA, Japan's largest global startup conference, "Technology Festival for a Sustainable Future", scheduled for February 4-6, 2025.
