***IMPORTANT – VENUE CHANGED TO: Oshman Family JCC, Palo Alto***
Event Overview
Over the last decade, a new crop of Japanese companies nurtured in the domestic Internet market have appeared. Many are now extending their activities to the epicenter of the Internet economy, Silicon Valley. Has their experience in the Japanese market provided them with insights to help guide their strategy here? Do these companies represent a new breed of Japanese enterprises compared to the more established technology players? In keeping with our theme of “Japan in Transformation,” join us in a discussion with executives of these new companies to help answer these questions.
| Panel: | Akinori Koto – Vice President, Digital Garage US Inc. Sho Masuda – VP of Player Marketing, GREE International Hiroshi Nakano – CEO, 1Dollarscan.com (zLibro Inc.) Phil Keys (moderator) – Journalist |
| Date: | THursday, July 19th, 2012 Registration/Networking: 5:30 P.M. – 6:00 P.M. Program: 6:00 P.M. – 8:15 P.M. Networking: 8:15 P.M. – 9:00 P.M. |
| Venue: | Oshman Family JCC (Jewish Community Center) Taube Koret Campus, F-401, 4th Floor, Freidenrich Conference Center 3921 Fabian Way Palo Alto, CA 94303 |
| Fees: | $15: Early Bird Discount for first 30 registrations by Sunday, July 1 (11:00 pm) Please take advantage of early bird discount. Quantity is limited so act fast! We sold out at our last forum so register now. $20: Early Registration by Sunday, July 15 (11:00 pm) $35: Late Registration by Wednesday, July 18 (12:00 pm) $50: Walk-ins (Seats are limited and may not be available) Food, including sushi and beverages, will be served. |
| Registration: | http://www.keizai.org |
| DRESS: | Business casual |
| Watch Video (first hour) | Forum Flyer – English (pdf) |
Featured Panelists and Moderator
Akinori Koto is Vice President, Digital Garage US Inc.: Aki joined Digital Garage, a company involved with venture capital and business incubation, in May 2003 and has over 9 years of experience with product/engineering/marketing. Aki arrived in Silicon Valley in March 2008 and has worked with Technorati, Twitter and Path to introduce them to Japan. Aki has been a “picker” for Digital Garage to select great startups in Bay Area to invest in and bring to Japan.
Sho Masuda is Vice President of Player Marketing, GREE International: Sho Masuda joined GREE, the mobile social gaming company, in December 2010. Prior to GREE he spent 9 years in consumer marketing and promotion. He has launched brands such as Sony’s VAIO and Fast Retailing Co.’s HEATTECH products, turning both into successful global products. Sho is currently responsible for marketing GREE’s mobile social games and introducing the GREE brand to the U.S. market.
Hiroshi Nakano has been CEO at zLibro Inc. which operates 1dollarscan, a service for scanning books for delivery and archive over the Internet starting in July 2011. Before joining zLibro’s affiliate company in Japan Bookscan, Hiroshi has held managing positions at ITOCHU Technology and the major Japanese e-commerce firm Rakuten.
Phil Keys is a free lance journalist and Principal at Maido Media. He previously worked for 14 years as a US correspondent for the Japanese publishing firm Nikkei Business Publications. Phil has also worked in the technology industry in both the US and Japan.
Founded in 1990, the Keizai Society US-Japan Business Forum is an all-
volunteer business and professional networking organization based in the San Francisco Bay Area. One of its primary purposes is to provide a venue for programs that showcase specialists with expertise on issues critical to the success of entrepreneurs and companies doing business with Japan and the U.S. Please visit www.keizai.org for more information.
Keizai Society’s theme for 2012 is “Japan in Transformation.” It encompasses commercial entrepreneurship and new venture formation as well as social entrepreneurship, new patterns of employment, corporate reform and many other critical priorities that are already breathing new life into Japan’s business community and its other institutions.
