Kotaro has more than 15 years of extensive experience, as the founder and president of Kenndo Management (formally named “Devex Japan“), in supporting Japanese companies to formulate concrete and realistic overseas business plan and implement the operation, mainly in South East Asian countries.

He has abundant experience of leading project formulation and implementation in the government's overseas expansion support system for SMEs funded by such government organizations as METI, SME Support Japan (SMRJ), SME Agency, Japanese Foreign Ministry, JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency), etc.

As part of this work, he has also assisted client SMEs to access financing from PE funds, and to realize cross-border M&A with local companies.

Prior to that, he was involved in ODA sector for 11 years, working for JICA and Japanese Foreign Ministry.

Kotaro earned a MPA2 degree from Harvard University (Kennedy) in 2002 and a Master’s degree from the University of Tokyo in 1996.

Misato has 10 years of experience working overseas. After graduating university, she joined a Japanese company based in Mexico as a marketing and PR officer. She then moved to Oregon in the United States and accumulated experiences as a web creator.

After joining Kenndo Management, she works as a SME consultant and conducts market research, negotiation with local government or business partners, and field trip or feasibility study on the ground in Myanmar, Vietnam, Indonesia, Mexico, Kenya, Ethiopia, Papua New Guinea, etc.

She is fluent in Spanish and English.

Mr. Kuzuniki worked in the field of distribution at a supermarket, etc. before joining a seafood processing company. As a plant manager and sales manager, he has been involved in everything from product development to production and promotion of food products. Later on, he was also involved in overseas promotion and ODA activities such as food processing and hygiene management technology. He is currently based in Japan and Indonesia, where he is engaged in the marine products business, as well as the support of overseas expansion of food-related companies.

After working at Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) as a specialist of expense settlement and payment of projects and an officer at the social environment support unit, Kikuyo joined Kenndo Management. She is in charge of administration and expense settlement of all governmental projects.

In 1999, Kazumi was deployed to Indonesia as a JICA’s overseas cooperation volunteer. Since then, she was engaged in several projects of JICA until 2017. Later on, she she continued working in the south Sulawesi province in Indonesia aiming for Japanese companies business expansion there. She is a specialist for Indonesia with 20 years of living experience there.

After 10 years of working for Nippon Koei (an engineering consulting firm), he worked for KRI International Corp (the affiliate company of Nippon Koei) for 22 years. In 2017 he retired KRI and moved to Kenndo Management Co., Ltd.

In the era of Nippon Koei, he was, as a project economist, engaged in the different type of JICA/ADB infrastructural projects in the areas of agriculture, port development, water supply, urban development and special economic zone. While during his registration of KRI, he made his career in industrial studies of developing countries, SME development, PPP project finance and JICA scheme of supporting Japan's SMEs in overseas business.

Graduated in the faculty of economics of Chuo University in 1976, acquired the post graduate diploma of economics in London School of Economics in 1982 and the master degree of development economics in School of Oriental and African Studies in 1983.

His theme in further career development will be how to promote overseas business of the Japan’s domestic industries such as medical services/equipment and recycling businesses in terms of finance, public-private partnership and human development.

Atsushi has worked as a sales representative for a marine products processing company for 13 years, dealing with a variety of customers including trading companies, fresh markets, wholesalers, and mass merchandisers, and developing products based on customer requests, as well as marketing. Currently, he is independent and provides sales support and marketing utilizing his own connections. He is also a member of Kenndo Management Co., Ltd. and PT. Kenndo Fisheries Indonesia as a domestic sales representative.

Professor in the Faculty of Economics, Chuo University, Area of Specialization: Business administration

After graduating, he worked at Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc. where he was mainly engaged in consulting services for Japanese manufacturing companies expanding overseas (mainly to emerging countries).From 1999 to 2001, he studied at National Taiwan Normal University and National Taiwan University. Based on his extensive research and consulting experience, he is currently engaged in practical education and research activities. He is the author of "Innovation Capability of Local Asian Companies" and "The Development of the East Asian LCD Panel Industry". In January 2020, he was appointed as a management advisor to Kenndo Management Co.,Ltd.

After working for Sumitomo Realty & Development Co., Ltd., Citibank, N.A., and Sumitomo Trust and Banking Co., Ltd., in 2000, he became Representative Director of Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Investment Co., Ltd. In 2012, he launched Asia Gateway No. 1 Investment Limited Partnership, a growth support fund for SMEs aiming for overseas markets (AGF1), and in 2017, he launched AGF2, providing investment and hands-on support. He has extensive experience and expertise in the establishment and operation of investment partnerships, private equity investment-related advisory services, management consulting services, and overseas expansion support services. From January 2023, he was appointed as a management advisor to Kenndo Management, Co.,Ltd.

He belongs to Vasco Da Gama Offices as Lawyer admitted in Japan, after working for Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan as Diplomat, University of Yangon (Myanmar) Department of Law as Visiting Associate Professor, UC Berkeley Law School as Senior Scholar (IP Laws, Information Laws, and Data Science), and McDermott Will & Emery AARPI (Paris) as Visiting Lawyer.

He earned Juris Doctor (J.D.) at Law School, Keio University in 2008, and Master of Laws (LL.M. with Certificate of Law & Technology) at UC Berkeley Law School in 2018.