Michi Kaifu, CEO Enotech Consulting
Michi has over thirty years of international business development and consulting experience in the information technology (IT) industries. Having lived, been educated and worked in IT in both the U.S. and Japan, she is a unique and effective bridge between the two countries.
Michi founded ENOTECH Consulting in 1999, and since then, have advised Japanese and US clients in their global IT strategy, product entry planning, partnership and investment opportunity search, technology sourcing, and market analysis. The areas of expertise include big data, robotics and AI, IoT, mobile and cloud, and other emerging technology areas.
She serves as a non-executive board member of Techmatrix Corporation (Japan) since 2020, and teaches International Business in Seikei Univerisity (Japan) since 2021.
She is a published author in Japan, with the most recent book “Making Money in Silicon Valley” published in 2020. Michi serves as a member of the board of Japan Society of Northern California, a planning committee member of Japan US Innovation Awards, jointly held by Japan Society of Northern California and US-Asia Technology Management Center, Stanford University.
Previously, Michi held international business development positions at a start-up mobile carrier, NTT America, and Honda Motor.
Michi holds the MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, and BA from Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo, Japan.
海部美知は国際ビジネス開発と情報技術（IT）業界において、30年以上にわたって実績を積んでいます。日米両国におけるIT業界での勤務、教育、生活を経験し、両国業界のユニークな架け橋としての立場にあります。
1999年にエノテック・コンサルティングを設立して以来、日米両国のクライアントに対して、グローバルIT戦略、製品の新規市場への参入計画、パートナーシップおよび投資、技術調達、市場調査などについてアドバイスしてきました。専門分野は、ビッグデータ、ロボット、AI、IoT、モバイルとクラウド、などの新興技術分野です。
2020年からテクマトリックス株式会社（日本）の社外取締役、2021年から成蹊大学客員教授（「国際ビジネス」授業担当）を務めています。
最新著書は、2020年「シリコンバレーの金儲け」（講談社）です。海部は北カリフォルニア・ジャパン・ソサエティのボードメンバーであり、北カリフォルニア・ジャパン・ソサエティとスタンフォード大学のUS-アジア技術経営センターが共同で開催する日米イノベーションアワードの運営委員も務めています。
過去には、モバイルキャリアのベンチャー企業や、NTTアメリカ、本田技研において国際ビジネス開発の経験を積んでいます。
スタンフォード大学経営大学院修士（MBA）、一橋大学社会学部卒。
Our Partners
MOBILE AND IT STRATEGIES
Jon Metzler, Founder and President
Jon Metzler is Founder and President of Blue Field Strategies. Jon provides a variety of US and Asian technology, telecommunications and media clients with business, regulatory and strategic consulting services, including regulatory analysis and advocacy, technology and market due diligence, and market ecosystem development.
VENTURE FINANCE AND IT STRATEGIES
Chika Watanabe, President, Blueshift Global Partners
Born in Japan. Lives in the Bay Area. Loves technology and all things weird.
Ex-Mitsubishi Corp, McKinsey, Neoteny, JTPA
STARTUP STRATEGIES
Yuki Sekiguchi, CEO, Startup Navigators
Yuki has over fifteen years of business and technology consulting experience with companies in Japan, Europe, and the US. Her focus has been startups since moving to San Francisco. She advises and leads tech startups on user acquisition, product marketing and growth, and help them make a presence in the US market. She also advises big corporations on new business creation and product development in Silicon Valley style through her Lean Startup workshops and consultations.
Previously, Yuki worked as a management consultant at PwC Consulting and IBM Global Business Services, as an M&A advisor at Intelligent Capital, and as a COO & VP of Marketing at Lunascape.
Yuki holds BA in Economics from the University of Tokyo.
CLEANTECH AND M&A
Chako Ando, Principal, Cando Advisors
Chako Ando, Principal has over 25 years of consulting, startup, investment banking and capital markets experience. Since 2002, Ms. Ando advised both U.S. and Japanese companies on their funding, alliance and go-to-market strategies. Ms. Ando was the COO and Vice President, Business Development of Fitech Laboratories, a cross-border software startup based in San Francisco and Tokyo. Earlier, she was a VP in the M&A department of Daiwa America; manager of a venture capital investment fund for the Industrial Bank of Japan; and a VP of derivatives credit management with Sumitomo Bank Capital Markets.