Speakers
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JULIET JEDY-AGBA
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA)
JULIET JEDY-AGBA
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Administrative/ Communication Officer
Juliet Jedy-Agba is an Assistant Manager at the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) where she serves as a member of the Communication Team in the Office of the Diector General/CEO. With a focus on Strategic Communication.
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Jun Imai
Headline Japan Inc.
Jun Imai
Headline Japan Inc. IVS Office Alliance Manager
After graduating from university, Jun worked at two venture companies before joining the founding team of 17LIVE, a leading live-streaming app. He later helped launch new digital business initiatives at the entertainment agency Amuse Inc. In 2011, he founded IMAJUN, a company he had been involved with as an MC since his student days. He went on
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Junichi Hataoka
SyncMOF Inc.
Junichi Hataoka
SyncMOF Inc. / CEO
After graduating from Waseda University, I worked at Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) in the ERATO project, where I was involved in the development of MOF-related equipment and the formulation of evaluation standards. I then worked at Accenture from upstream to downstream in the semiconductor, food, GMS, and pharmaceutical industries, where I gained experience in business improvement and problem solving. In 2019, I founded SyncMOF Inc. I also provides entrepreneurship education and support to entrepreneurs, and has successfully exited the companies I supports.
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Junichi Kanie
Friend Microbe Inc.
Junichi Kanie
Friend Microbe Inc. CEO
Junichi Kanie is the CEO of Friend Microbe Inc., a deep-tech venture originating from Nagoya University. He conducted research on microorganisms at Nagoya University and transformed his expertise into a business. As a venture, the company has received multiple awards, primarily in the Chubu region, and collaborates with the university to develop innovative technologies that address societal challenges. By leveraging microorganisms, he aims to contribute to a sustainable future through the realization of a circular economy.
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Junichi Saito
AGRIST Inc.
Junichi Saito
AGRIST Inc. CEO
Worked as a manager of service and product development at an IT venture company in Silicon Valley, USA. After returning to Japan, activities began with the mission of "solving local issues through business" in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake. In 2017, became the representative director of the local trading company "Koyu Foundation". Raised a total of over 10 billion yen in donations through lychees that cost 1,000 yen each and hometown tax donations, and was selected as a national example of excellence. In 2019, founded AGRIST Co., Ltd. to solve agricultural issues. Received numerous awards both domestically and internationally, and was selected as one of the Forbes Asia 100.
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Junichi Tanaka
ulula inc.
Junichi Tanaka
ulula inc. Chairman
I founded my own business at the age of 18 and have since served as a Director at Euglena Co., Ltd. and CoCooking Co., Ltd., as well as the Chief Digital Officer (CDO) for Mie Prefecture. In April 2023, I was appointed Chairman and Representative Director of ulula inc.Additionally, I hold various roles, including Member of The Association for Promotion of Public Local Information and Communication , Digital Policy Member for Meiwa Town in Mie Prefecture, Digital Policy Member for Kodaira City in Tokyo, Digital Policy Member for Oishida Town in Yamagata Prefecture, Regional Revitalization Evangelist for the Cabinet Office, Regional Vitality Creation Advisor and Regional Informatization Advisor for the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Sharing Economy Evangelist for the Digital Agency, and Visiting Professor at the Professional University of Information Management for Innovation.
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Junichi Ushiba
LIFESCAPES Inc. / Keio University, Faculty of Science and Technology
Junichi Ushiba
Professor, Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University / President and CEO, LIFESCAPES Inc.
Born in Tokyo, Japan in 1978, he graduated from the Graduate School of Science and Technology at Keio University in 2004 with a doctorate in engineering. In the same year, he joined the Department of Bioinformatics as a research associate. Since then, he has served as a full-time lecturer ('07-), associate professor ('12-), and principal investigator ('14-'18) at the Keio Institute for Pure and Applied Sciences (KiPAS) before becoming a professor in 2022. He also serves as CEO of LIFESCAPES Inc. ('19-), a company that utilizes research results. He has received the “Young Scientist Award 2015 (Neuromedical Research by Brain-Machine Interface)” from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan, as well as other awards. Focusing on the inherent “flexibility” of the brain, he aims to create technology that enables each individual to live a rich and humane life, and is involved in everything from basic research on brain-machine interface technology (BMI), which connects the brain and machines to assist physical movement, to applied research and the development of medical devices. The company is engaged in a full range of activities from basic research to applied research and the development of medical devices.
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Kana Ito
Japan Nighttime Economy Association/Mori Building
Kana Ito
Japan Nighttime Economy Association/Mori Building
Kana currently does event planning and place making at the Town Management Department at Mori Building and does research and advocation of nighttime at the Japan Nighttime Economy Association. She used to be a city researcher at the Mori Memorial Foundation Urban Strategy Institute, and of consultations and policy proposals related to the nighttime economy at the Urban Policy Planning Office.
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Kaname Hayashi
GROOVE X
Kaname Hayashi
GROOVE X CEO
1Born in Aichi Prefecture in 1973, he was involved in aerodynamic development for Formula 1 at Toyota Motor Corporation and participated in the "Pepper" project, an emotion-recognition personal robot, at SoftBank. In 2015, he founded GROOVE X and became its CEO. He develops and sells the family-type robot "LOVOT." He is also the author of the book Warm Technology: Stories of the Future.
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Katsura Ito
National Personnel Authority
Katsura Ito
Commissioner of the National Personnel Authority
Katsura Ito is an accomplished strategic business leader in the software industry, with over 30 years of experience in various roles including Systems Engineering, Marketing, and Business Management. She is passionate about transforming traditional Japanese companies and organizations through digital transformation and fostering diverse talent. Katsura began her career at IBM Japan, then moved to Adobe Systems, and later joined Microsoft. At Microsoft, she held several leadership positions, including roles in Technology Evangelism, Startup eco-system, Sales, Customer Success, and ultimately served as Chief Learning Officer. In this capacity, she led digital skilling programs across Japan, supporting the digital transformation and modernization of numerous organizations and companies. In 2022, Katsura was appointed as a Commissioner of the National Personnel Authority (NPA), where she focuses on transforming government officials through digital skilling, promoting diversity, and innovating work styles.
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Kazuki Takemi
Nagoya Institute of Technology
Kazuki Takemi
Nagoya Institute of Technology Graduate School of Engineering
Born in 2000 in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, I was active during my university years at "TECHCAFE," a community space for student engineers in Nagoya. There, I met like-minded individuals and, together with them, was selected for the Unexplored IT 2023 project. A huge Disney fan, I even owned an annual pass to Disneyland Paris. My passion for Disney led me to develop an app, "TDL/TDS AI Navi," during the Unexplored IT period to enhance the Disney experience.
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Kazuma Takahashi
FUJIFILM System Services Corp.
Kazuma Takahashi
FUJIFILM System Services Corp. / IKIGAI lab. owner
Kazuma Takahashi is responsible for the development and implementation of generative AI education programs across the Fujifilm Group. He creates and delivers training content tailored to various industries, including sales, manufacturing, and local government. In addition to his role at Fujifilm, he is the owner of "IKIGAI lab.", a generative AI community, and a prolific contributor to NewsPicks and Impress, where he authors and supervises over 150 articles annually. He is a frequent speaker at corporate events, sharing his expertise in generative AI.
