JOIN OUR MAILING LIST:
MEET THE 2024 DELEGATES
Posted on Aug 03rd, 2024
May 2024 news release: USJLP Class of 2024 Announcement (PDF)
The United States-Japan Foundation is proud to introduce the Class of 2024 Delegates to the US-Japan Leadership Program (USJLP), a next-gen network of both rising and established thought-leaders, innovators, and boundary-breakers in the U.S. and Japan now exceeding 500 members since the Program’s inception in 2000.
The Program’s mission is to foster lifelong friendship, continuous dialogue, and greater shared understanding among leaders from a variety of backgrounds and professions in each country. It starts this process by selecting and bringing together approximately 40 Japanese and Americans, ages 28-42, to participate as Delegates to two intensive weeklong conferences (one in the U.S. and one in Japan) over two years. At these annual conferences, Delegates engage in interactive discussions around current and historical topics of critical importance to understand and cross-examine in the U.S. and Japan, and experience cultural and recreational activities designed to cultivate a deeper appreciation and understanding of the individuals in each cohort and the host country. At the end of the conference week, Delegates are joined by Fellows (alumni who have successfully completed two conferences as Delegates) for a two-day reunion that serves to create new and strengthen existing inter-class connections.
In addition to leadership criteria, selections for each USJLP cohort aim to shape the unique delegation of first and second-year participants with a diverse representation of professions, geographic areas, and perspectives. This year USJLP welcomed 21 incoming first-year Delegates (11 Americans and 10 Japanese) who joined 21 returning second-year Delegates (8 Americans and 13 Japanese) to comprise the Class of 2024 at the Program’s 25th Anniversary Conference in Seattle, WA over July 27 to August 3, 2024. The USJLP Class of 2024-2025 will convene again for their second conference next summer, to be held July 27 to August 3, 2025 in Japan.
USJLP Class of 2024 Delegate Introductions
 |
Stephanie Acosta |
Stephanie Acosta is a social worker with experience in philanthropy, government, and nonprofits. Currently at the El Paso Community Foundation, Stephanie is a Program Officer managing the Migrant Families Relief Fund and grants and social impact projects aimed at addressing unique challenges of the borderland region. She holds a BA in Social Work from Texas Tech University and is currently a Master of Social Work candidate at the University of Michigan. She lives in El Paso, TX, is bilingual in English and Spanish, and is currently completing her MSW field placement with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), a global humanitarian aid, relief, and development non-governmental organization.
 |
天野 友道 Tomomichi Amano |
Tomomichi Amano is an Assistant Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. He studies the economics of how innovative new products diffuse. He is a published author of academic research papers and business case studies on mobile gaming, lifestyle brands, and energy-efficient appliances. He holds a PhD in Business Administration from Stanford University, and a BA in Economics from Harvard College. He previously taught at Columbia University.
 |
馬場 優実 Yumi Baba |
Yumi Baba is a Representative of the Financial Services Agency, Government of Japan, in Silicon Valley, working closely with their Fintech and Innovation Office in San Francisco. She has worked in various positions in the public sector, including at the International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C. and the Ministry of Finance in Japan, and her extensive career spans across multiple roles in financial supervisory positions and policymaking. She graduated from the University of Tokyo and holds an MBA from London Business School.
 |
Rye Barcott Second Year Delegate (2023, 2024) Co-Founder & CEO With Honor (Charlotte, NC) |
Rye Barcott is co-founder and CEO of With Honor, a cross-partisan political nonprofit that fights polarization in the U.S. Congress with principled veteran leadership. He co-founded the youth leadership and public health NGO CFK Africa in Kenya while serving in the U.S. Marines. Dartmouth awarded him an honorary doctorate in humane letters after publication of his memoir, It Happened on the Way to War. He earned his MBA and MPA from Harvard, then co-founded the clean energy investment firm Double Time Capital. Rye serves on the boards of the CFK Africa, NDI, and the U.S. Institute for Peace.
 |
Justin Chock First Year Delegate (2024, 2025) Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Navy; Instructor, Political Science Department, U.S. Naval Academy (Washington, DC) |
Justin Chock is an instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy who teaches the next generation of naval officers courses on Political Science, International Relations, and Cybersecurity. He was previously the Superintendent’s Speechwriter and he additionally assists with various extracurricular activities including graduate school preparatory programs and the Naval Academy Foreign Affairs Conference, the largest undergraduate foreign affairs conference in America. Previously, he served as the Chief Military Liaison for the U.S. Forces Japan J2 Intelligence Directorate and as the Gunnery and Ordnance Officer onboard USS CHUNG-HOON (DDG 93). He received an MPhil in International Relations from Oxford University.
 |
Indivar Dutta-Gupta First Year Delegate (2024, 2025) President & Executive Director Center for Law and Social Policy (Washington, DC) |
Indivar Dutta-Gupta is a national expert on policies advancing economic justice in the United States. For two decades, he has worked as a consultant, Congressional aide, think tank researcher, campaign policy volunteer, and more to shrink racial and gender gaps while ensuring that everyone in the United States has a basic foundation from which to access and take advantage of opportunities. He has helped develop and enact a wide range of policies while collaborating on strategies that have shifted policymakers' focus toward justice for people who are marginalized and excluded by current structures, systems, institutions, policies, programs, and practices.
 |
Mónica Feliú Mójer |
Dr. Mónica Feliú Mójer is a bilingual scientist-turned-communicator who taps into her PhD training, personal background, and culture (a woman from a rural working class community in Puerto Rico) to engage historically underserved and overlooked audiences, especially Puerto Ricans and other Spanish-speakers, with science. She has more than 17 years of experience in multimedia science communication, filmmaking, community engagement, media relations, science advocacy, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
 |
Jordan Fisher |
Jordan Fisher is Co-Founder and Chairman of Zehitomo, Japan’s marketplace for local services. From home renovations to karaoke coaches, Zehitomo provides a platform to match with 600+ types of service professionals. Prior to founding Zehitomo, Jordan was Vice President at J.P. Morgan in Tokyo, working in Fixed Income Technology and Equities Sales Trading. Born and raised in New York, Jordan holds a B.S. Computer Science from the University of Southern California. Outside of Zehitomo, Jordan is an active mentor to several startups. He is also a loving husband, and a father to two young daughters.
 |
藤岡 聡子 Satoko Fujioka Second Year Delegate (2023, 2024) Designer of community engagement / development in home healthcare; Vice President, Orange Medical & Social Group (Karuizawa, Nagano) |
Satoko is the founder and designer of “Hotch no Lodge,” a cozy home care clinic and community hub in Karuizawa, Nagano. The facility was established in 2019 to bring people together to do what they love to do. Satoko believes Japan can be a model for other Asian countries and the world, as many nations face aging populations. She is challenging the common belief that older adults are helpless or weak. Satoko's work has been recognized with the "Innovation of the Year - Social Engagement Program” 2022 Asia Pacific Eldercare Innovation Award, making her the first person from Japan to receive this award. She has also been elected to the Japan-India Transformative Technology Network Cohort for 2024 in Salzburg.
 |
Cosmo Fujiyama Ghaznavi First Year Delegate (2024, 2025) Partner The Management Center (Los Angeles, CA) |
Cosmo Fujiyama Ghaznavi is a Partner at The Management Center where she leads partnerships with major philanthropic foundations and has trained over 4,000 non-profit and social justice leaders. Previously, she co-founded a non-profit in Honduras improving access to education for youth and served as Managing Director of University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Social Impact Strategy. As a Reynolds Fellow in Social Entrepreneurship, Cosmo earned her M.P.A in Nonprofit Management from New York University and a B.A. in American Studies and Women Studies from the College of William and Mary.
 |
Kristi Govella Second Year Delegate (2023, 2024) Director, Center for Indo-Pacific Affairs and Assistant Professor, Asian Studies University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (Honolulu, HI) |
Kristi Govella is Director of the Center for Indo-Pacific Affairs and Assistant Professor of Asian Studies at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Her research examines the intersection of economics, security, and governance in the Indo-Pacific, with a focus on Japan. She is an Adjunct Fellow at the East-West Center and Pacific Forum and Editor of the journal Asia Policy. She previously held positions at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, Harvard University, and the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies. Beginning in October 2024, she will be an Associate Professor at the University of Oxford.
 |
Jessica N. Grounds |
Jessica N. Grounds is an internationally recognized leadership and diversity expert. Over her two-decade career, she has advised Fortune 500 executives, trained political candidates and governments worldwide, and conducted original research on leadership, all through the lens of diversity as a proven strategy for innovation and impact. Jessica is currently the CEO of Corporate Directors Forum, an organization that educates and connects corporate board members and executives about modern leadership practices. She co-founded Mine The Gap, a diversity consulting company, and Running Start, a nonprofit organization that encourages young women to enter politics.
 |
Hunter Grunden First Year Delegate (2024, 2025) Lieutenant Colonel; F-35 Instructor Pilot; Commander 60th Fighter Squadron U.S. Air Force (Okaloosa Island, FL) |
Hunter "Felon" Grunden is an F-35 Instructor and Evaluator Pilot. He commands the "Fighting Crows" of the 60th Fighter Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base. Hunter was an Olmsted Scholar in France, where he studied Geopolitics at Sciences Po University in Aix-en-Provence. Before flying the F-35, Hunter was an F-15C fighter pilot stationed in Okinawa, Japan. Hunter is a graduate of the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University with an MA in Arab Studies. Hunter began his Air Force journey at the US Air Force Academy, where he served as the Cadet Wing Commander.
 |
今井 英次郎 Eijiro Imai Second Year Delegate (2019, 2024) Partner / Head of Japan Farallon Capital Management (Tokyo) |
Eiji Imai is a lawyer turned investor and educator. Currently, he is a Partner at Farallon Capital Management, a global asset management firm. As Head of Japan, he is in charge of various types of investments, including public equity, private equity, credit, and real estate. He is also a lecturer at Waseda Business School, where he was recognized with a Teaching Award in 2023. He serves on the boards of Broadband Tower Inc. (Japanese listed data center company), FC Ryukyu (Japanese professional soccer club), and the American School in Japan.
 |
稲葉 基高 Mototaka Inaba Second Year Delegate (2023, 2024) Project Leader, Airborne Rescue & Relief Operations with Search (“ARROWS”) Peace Winds Japan (Okayama City, Okayama) |
Mototaka Inaba is a dedicated emergency surgeon and a key figure in disaster medical response, with a significant role in the ARROWS project at Peace Winds Japan, particularly during the Noto Peninsula earthquake in January 2024. His contributions extend beyond emergency response; he has earned a PhD in emergency intensive care for the elderly, showcasing his commitment to advancing medical care for vulnerable populations. Inaba is deeply involved in healthcare delivery in Japan's remote areas and in international outreach, like in Palau. His vision includes creating a system to circulate medical professionals between hospital settings and fieldwork, aiming to enhance healthcare accessibility and quality in underserved communities.
 |
北原 広太郎 Kotaro Kitahara Second Year Delegate (2023, 2024) Commander; Plans and Programs Division, Maritime Staff Office Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force (Tokyo) |
Kotaro Kitahara is a career surface warfare officer for the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force currently stationed in Tokyo as a member of the Plans and Programs division, Maritime Staff Office. In his decade-long professional naval career, he has been involved in various activities for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and the Middle East with partners including the U.S. He earned a master’s degree from King’s College London and a bachelor’s from the National Defense Academy.
 |
小沼 大地 Daichi Konuma Second Year Delegate (2023, 2024) Co-Founder and CEO, CROSS FIELDS; Director, Japan Association of New Public (Tokyo) |
Daichi is the Co-founder and CEO of Cross Fields, a nonprofit organization that facilitates connections between Japanese business professionals and various NPO/NGOs across Asia. Additionally, he serves as an executive board member of the Japan Association of New Public (JANP), a network organization comprising over 160 nonprofit organizations in Japan. Prior to co-founding Cross Fields in 2011, he dedicated two years as a JICA volunteer in the Syrian Arab Republic and worked as a business consultant at McKinsey & Company Tokyo Office. Daichi holds an MA in Sociology from Hitotsubashi University and an MBA in Design & Leadership for Societal Innovation from Shizenkan University.
 |
Julianne McCall First Year Delegate (2024, 2025) Director of Precision Medicine, California Governor's Office of Planning & Research; CEO and Managing Publisher, Journal of Science Policy & Governance; Teaching Faculty, University of California, Davis (Sacramento, CA) |
As Director of Precision Medicine at the California Governor's Office of Planning & Research, Dr. Julianne McCall manages cross-sector research and policy projects, which include co-authoring the California Surgeon General's Report. Previously, she worked 16 years in neuroscience research labs, including as a Fulbright Fellow in Sweden. Dr. McCall also serves as CEO of the Journal of Science Policy & Governance, teaches graduate courses at the University of California, advises TEDxFulbright, and occasionally directs the International Brain Bee Neuroscience Olympiad. She earned a PhD in Neuroscience from Heidelberg University, Master's from UC San Diego, and Bachelor's from Denison University.
 |
目黒 麻生子 Maiko Meguro First Year Delegate (2024, 2025) Director, International Data Strategy and Multilateral Cooperation Digital Agency of Japan (Tokyo) |
Maiko Meguro is the Director of International Data Strategy and Multilateral Cooperation for the Digital Agency of Japan, where she leads multilateral digital cooperation efforts such as G7/G20 and data governance. Previously, she led the G7 digital track at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and worked on initiatives such as the WTO Dispute Settlement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. She is concurrently a research fellow of public international law and legal theories at the University of Amsterdam and has been published in major American, European, and Japanese legal journals on topics such as international law, treaty-making, climate change, human rights litigation, economics, and technology.
 |
溝上 由夏Yuka Mizoue First Year Delegate (2024, 2025) Editor-in-chief for the evening news program “Super J-channel” TV-Asahi (Tokyo) |
Yuka Mizoue has worked for TV-Asahi as a TV journalist and documentary filmmaker for nearly 20 years. Her passion and life mission is to promote gender equality in Japan through journalism. She has recently been recognized with the Media Ambitious Award for her documentary “Sexism: The Real Truth Behind Japanese Politics," which focuses on women's barriers to politics in Japan. She is now an editor-in-chief for a daily news program, leading the coverage on women and childcare. She is also an active leader in pushing gender equality in the newsroom. She holds a BA from Doshisha University and studied documentary filmmaking at the University of California San Diego.
 |
水島 淳 Atsushi Mizushima Second Year Delegate (2023, 2024) Partner Nishimura & Asahi (Tokyo) |
Atsushi Mizushima is a partner of Nishimura & Asahi, Japan’s largest law firm. He supports the management of large corporations and startups in their strategic actions, including M&A, new business creation, business alliance, and IP strategy. Earlier in his career, he served as a founding member of WHILL, Inc., a U.S. startup, where he achieved the initial product launch and two rounds of VC fundraising. Atsushi also currently holds concurrent positions as a member of several committees of the Japanese government, a law school lecturer, and the Chair of the Space Law Committee of the First Tokyo Bar Association. He holds an LL.B. (University of Tokyo, 2004) and an MBA (Stanford University, 2013).
 |
向山 由依 Yui Mukoyama Second Year Delegate (2023, 2024) Representative for the Americas Bank of Japan Chief Representative Office for the Americas (New York, NY) |
Yui Mukoyama has worked for the Bank of Japan for 10 years after she acquired a MA in Economics from University of Edinburgh. Yui also holds a master’s in finance from London Business School. She is the author of “The Investment Patterns of Japanese Retail Investors in Foreign Exchange (FX) Margin Trade” with Kazuaki Washimi et al. and “China’s Long-Term Growth Potential: Can Productivity Convergence Be Sustained?” with Koichi Yoshino et al. Currently, Yui is a Representative for the Americas at the Bank of Japan New York Representative Office. Yui was elected to the NEXUS Japan committee and selected as a sole central bank participant for the Under 30 G-1 Summit.
 |
永井 雄宇 Yu Nagai Second Year Delegate (2023, 2024) Research Scientist Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (Manila, Philippines) |
Yu Nagai is a research scientist at the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI), specializing in the transition to a low-carbon society through renewable energy policy analysis and energy systems modeling. In his previous position at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), he focused on policy analysis to improve access to clean cooking technologies in developing countries. He is currently serving as a Japanese delegate to OECD/NEA’s Nuclear Development Committee and a committee member to the Advance Reactor Working Group of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. He holds a PhD in electrical engineering from Vienna University of Technology.
 |
中川 智皓 Chihiro Nakagawa Second Year Delegate (2023, 2024) Senior Science and Technology Policy Fellow, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan; Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Osaka Metropolitan University (Tokyo) |
Chihiro Nakagawa has been assigned to Japan’s Cabinet Office as a Senior Science and Technology Policy Fellow since April. She also remains with Osaka Metropolitan University as an associate professor of mechanical engineering. One of her main research themes is the dynamics of personal mobility vehicles and humans, including automated driving. In addition to her research, she promotes parliamentary debate as an educational activity. She founded Parliamentary Debate Personnel Development Association (PDA) and has worked with MEXT and Boards of Education. She is also working on an AI debate system. She holds a PhD in mechanical engineering from the University of Tokyo.
 |
中野 友朗 Tomoaki Nakano Second Year Delegate (2019, 2024) Captain; Senior Aide / Executive Assistant to the Chief of Staff Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (Tokyo) |
Captain Tomoaki Nakano is a career Naval Officer of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). Currently, he serves as the Senior Aide / Executive Assistant to the Chief of Maritime Staff, assisting the top naval officer of JMSDF in policy matters and drafting his speeches for a variety of occasions. As a surface combat officer, Tomoaki’s service career afloat includes 7 naval ships and 2 Task Group headquarters, and most recently, he commanded around 200 sailors as the Commanding Officer of JS FUYUZUKI (DD-118). Tomoaki holds a master’s degree in international relations from Georgetown University, School of Foreign Services.
 |
名波 透 Toru Nanami First Year Delegate (2024, 2025) CEO / 5th Generation Owner HAMASA-EN Co., Ltd. (Shizuoka City, Shizuouka) |
Toru Nanami, the fifth-generation owner of HAMASA-EN CO., LTD., a family-owned Japanese tea company established in 1865, hails from Shizuoka, Japan. Starting his international journey at 14, he embarked on a path of cultural enrichment. Toru's tenure at Morgan Stanley extended over five impactful years, spanning financial hubs such as New York, London, and Tokyo. Currently, he is dedicated to fostering client relationships across 40 countries and collaborating with stakeholders nationwide. A graduate of the University of British Columbia, Toru holds an MBA from INSEAD, guiding HAMASA-EN with a blend of tradition, innovation, and international experience.
 |
Chelsea Ritter-Soronen First Year Delegate (2024, 2025) CEO and Principal Artist Chalk Riot (Washington, DC) |
Chelsea Marie Ritter-Soronen is a multi-disciplinary public art creator, educator, and organizer committed to collective exploration of the ground as canvas. Based in Washington, DC, she is the CEO and Principal Artist of Chalk Riot, an all-women mural production house specializing in pavement art. Their work has been featured by PBS Newshour, the Washingtonian, The Washington Post, and National Public Radio. She has been a TedX and Bloomberg CityLab speaker, Seeds of Peace Gather Fellow, and Resident Teaching Artist of the Moonshot Studio at John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Chelsea is currently pursuing a master’s in Sustainable Transportation.
 |
佐々木 宇蘭 Uran Sasaki First Year Delegate (2024, 2025) Journalist Nikkei Inc. (Palo Alto, CA) |
Uran Sasaki is a journalist at Nikkei Inc.'s Cultural News Group in Tokyo, specializing in cultural journalism with a focus on the performing arts sector. She has covered a broad spectrum of performing arts, including Kabuki, Kyogen, Rakugo, and modern theater, writing theater reviews and reporting on significant events such as the succession of Danjuro Ichikawa, expansion of female Rakugo artists, and the overseas performances of Man Nomura. A graduate of the University of Tokyo with a degree in Economics, she currently resides in Palo Alto, having relocated under a spousal relocation program.
 |
澤目 梢 Kozue Sawame Second Year Delegate (2023, 2024) President, JWLI (Japanese Women's Leadership Initiative) Fish Family Foundation (Boston, MA) |
Kozue Sawame has over 20 years of expertise in gender issues and women’s leadership, focusing on philanthropy, nonprofits, and entrepreneurship in the U.S. and Japan. As President of JWLI (Japanese Women’s Leadership Initiative) at the Fish Family Foundation, she oversees leadership programs for women nonprofit executives and social entrepreneurs in Japan. Kozue holds degrees from Hosei University and Georgetown University, with additional leadership training from Babson College and the East-West Center. Born and raised in Hokkaido, Japan, she now lives in Boston, passionately advancing women’s empowerment and leadership.
 |
Donald Sherman Second Year Delegate (2023, 2024) Executive Vice President & Chief Counsel Citizens for Responsibility & Ethics in Washington (CREW) (Washington, DC) |
Donald K. Sherman serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Counsel at the government watchdog Citizens for Responsibility & Ethics in Washington (CREW), where among other projects, he has litigated landmark cases to enforce the 14th Amendment's Disqualification Clause. Prior to joining CREW, Sherman served in various roles in the House, Senate, and Executive Branch including as Special Assistant to the President for Racial and Economic Justice in the Biden-Harris White House. Sherman also led oversight and ethics investigations on the House Oversight Committee, Senate Homeland Security Committee, and the House Ethics Committee. Sherman earned his bachelor’s degree and law degree from Georgetown University. He lives in Washington, DC with his wife and two kids.
 |
白木 敦士 Atsushi Shiraki First Year Delegate (2024, 2025) Associate Professor, Graduate School of Law, University of the Ryukyus; Counsel (Japan, New York, & Maryland), Kollect Partners Law Offices (Nishihara, Okinawa) |
Atsushi Shiraki is an associate professor at the University of the Ryukyus Law School and a legal practitioner qualified in Japan, New York, and Maryland. His academic interest lies in family law and transnational litigation law. After his seven years of practice in Japan, he pursued legal studies at three different law schools as a Fulbright Scholar: the University of Pennsylvania (LL.M.), the University of Hawaiʻi at Manōa (S.J.D.), and Columbia University (visiting scholar). As a board member of Human Rights Watch, Tokyo, he is also engaged in pro-bono work to seek accountability for human rights violations against North Korea.
 |
Noah Sneider First Year Delegate (2024, 2025) Tokyo Bureau Chief The Economist (Tokyo) |
Noah Sneider is the Tokyo Bureau Chief for The Economist. He was previously a correspondent in Russia and Ukraine. His writing has also appeared in Harper’s, The Atlantic, The New York Times, The New Republic and Slate, among others. His work has been anthologized in the Best American Travel Writing series. He is the recipient of a MacDowell Fellowship. He has also appeared as a commentator for radio and television, contributing to CNN, NPR, and the BBC. He is a member of the third generation in his family to live and work in Japan.
 |
Janelle Roxann Stafford Second Year Delegate (2023, 2024) Managing & Creative Director Blueprint FTC (Brooklyn, NY) |
Roxann Stafford brings together the worlds of social impact, entrepreneurship, storytelling and design thinking. Her background in mechanical engineering, business, and psychology combines the analytical rigor and empathy necessary for sustainable systems design. Roxann is the Managing & Creative Director of Blueprint FTC, an initiative and investment fund backed by experienced founders and funders, creative leaders and change makers who harness the power of ventures and the stewardship of resources to create a more just world. She has extensive international experience identifying and co-creating sustainable and soulful solutions to big system problems in regions from the Pacific Islands to East Africa to the Caribbean. Roxann works with individuals, organizations, companies, governments and communities on how to thrive in a state of reinvention and reimagination.
 |
Byron Stithem First Year Delegate (2024, 2025) Founder & CEO Proper Beverage Company/Rice Vice Hospitality (Nashville, TN) |
Byron Stithem is the Founder and Master Brewer at Proper Sake and Koji Beer Company, as well as the co-founder of Rice Vice Hospitality. Rice Vice aims to promote community through fermentation and “third place” establishments across the U.S. while supporting Japanese producers and business development, state-side. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Sake Brewers Association of North America and is a certified sake scholar.
 |
Danny Taing Second Year Delegate (2023, 2024) Founder & CEO Bokksu (New York, NY) |
Danny Taing is the Founder & CEO of Bokksu, the world’s largest online Japanese snack company delivering authentic Japanese snacks and gifts to 100+ countries. Born in NYC to Cambodian-Chinese refugees, Danny studied at Stanford and worked at Google before moving to Tokyo to study Japanese at Waseda and then work for Rakuten. He returned to NYC, completed a Computer Science program at Columbia, and founded Bokksu in 2015. Danny is passionate about bridging cultures, supporting traditional makers, and bringing people together through the joy of food. In his spare time, he loves rock climbing, board games, and modern anime.
 |
高木 一史 Kazushi Takagi First Year Delegate (2024, 2025) Human Resources Generalist Cybozu, Inc. (Tokyo) |
Kazushi Takagi is an HR Generalist in the Human Resources Division of Cybozu, Inc., renowned for the most unique HR system in Japan. He authored the book Dear HR Manager in 2022, which proposes the use of information technology to rebuild Japanese-style employment. While engaged in HR at Toyota Motor Corporation, he recognized the stagnation stemming from Japan's distinctive employment system. Seeking solutions, he researched new forms of organizational structures, HR systems, and contracts at Cybozu, where he formulated a hypothesis. The book was highly acclaimed by experts in the HR and employment fields as a possible solution to various social problems in Japan. As an HR practitioner, he continues to explore new ways of HR and employment systems utilizing IT technology.
 |
谷本 綾香 Ayaka Tanimoto Second Year Delegate (2023, 2024) Opera Singer (Kyoto City, Kyoto) |
Ayaka Tanimoto is a Mezzo Soprano (Opera Singer). She attended London’s Royal College of Music where she earned a Bachelor of Music (BMus Hons) and a Master in Vocal Performance (MPerf). She also graduated as a Scholar from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Alexander Gibson Opera School where she sang many roles as a Mezzo Soprano. Ayaka has won numerous awards in Japan and the U.K. and has taken to the stage as a recitalist in a number of highly regarded venues such as the Purcell Room, National Gallery, King’s Place, St. Martin in the Fields, St. James’ Piccadilly, Portsmouth Cathedral, and Bristol Cathedral to name a few. Ayaka currently lives between Kyoto and London, singing and teaching young talents as a Representative Director of the British Music Association Japan.
 |
田上 佑輔 Yusuke Tanoue Second Year Delegate (2023, 2024) CEO and Chairman Yamato Medical Group (Tome, Miyagi) |
Yusuke is an experienced owner/President and medical doctor with 17 years of practice experience in Japan, including 8 years as a general surgeon. He has successfully built and managed 11 clinics and one hospital, providing medical services to underserved urban and rural areas, including after the 3.11 earthquake in Tohoku. He also serves as a government advisor and creates community networks through medical care in Tome City. He established a virtual doctor group that delivers healthcare to remote areas through online task shifting and task sharing. He aims to expand the doctor group through its own media platform, coffeedoctors.jp. He and his activities are widely covered in the media. Yusuke graduated from the University of Tokyo’s medical school.
 |
宇田川 尚子 Naoko Udagawa First Year Delegate (2024, 2025) Professor, Graduate School of Public Policy, Tohoku University (Seconded); (Assistant Commissioner, National Police Agency) (Sendai, Miyagi) |
Seconded from the National Police Agency, Naoko Udagawa is currently working as a Professor at the Graduate School of Public Policy at Tohoku University, where she teaches public policy. In the field of law enforcement, she has rich experience in international and foreign affairs, such as strengthening cross border cooperation on tackling transnational organized fraud as well as carrying out joint operations on busting technological leakage in coordination with foreign law enforcement and intelligence agencies. She also demonstrated leadership as the first female police executive of Toyama and Nagano prefectural police forces. Naoko earned an M.P.P. from Kyoto University and M.I.A. from Columbia University.
 |
Bina Venkataraman Second Year Delegate (2023, 2024) Columnist The Washington Post (Washington, DC) |
Bina Venkataraman is a journalist, author, and science policy expert, who is currently the inaugural Columnist of the Future for The Washington Post. She previously served as Editorial Page Editor of The Boston Globe, overseeing its opinion section and editorial board and as Senior Advisor for Climate Change Innovation in the Obama White House. Bina is the author of The Optimist’s Telescope: Thinking Ahead in a Reckless Age, named a top book by The Financial Times and National Public Radio. She currently serves on the Advisory Board of Harvard’s Shorenstein Center on the Media, Politics, and Public Policy and on the MIT Corporation’s Visiting Committee on the Humanities.
 |
Terry Vo First Year Delegate (2024, 2025) District 17 Council Member, Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County; Partnerships Director, API Middle TN (Nashville, TN） |
Terry Vo is a trailblazing advocate for social change and racial justice. Her background in government, non-profit, and the corporate world across three continents has led her to being the first Vietnamese American elected to the Metro Council where she represents District 17 and Partnerships Director for API Middle TN. She graduated with a BA from the University of Arkansas and a MGPP from the University of Queensland, where she attended on a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship. She lives in Nashville, TN where she serves on the Nashville Predators GUIDER and the Friends of Fort Negley Board of Directors. She is the co-founder of the Beautiful Bookworms Book Club and enjoys traveling, gardening, cooking, and live performances.
 |
渡部カンコロンゴ 清花 Sayaka Kankolongo Watanabe First Year Delegate (2024, 2025) Founder, NPO WELgee; Co-Representative, Japan Association of New Public (Tokyo) |
Sayaka Watanabe is the founder of WELgee, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering the rebuilding of refugees' lives in Japan. Her journey began in Bangladesh, where, during her university years, she engaged with local NGOs in conflict zones and interned with UNDP on peace-building projects, witnessing firsthand the plight of individuals forsaken by their governments. Leading the "WELgee Talents" initiative, she connects refugee talent with Japanese companies, fostering mutual growth and understanding. Sayaka was recognized as a Forbes 30 Under 30 laureate for Japan/Asia. She has completed her master's in the Human Security Program at the University of Tokyo. She is also a member of the Global Shapers Tokyo hub, a TV news commentator, and co-representative of the Japan Association of New Public (JANP).
Return to Homepage