INNOVATION PITCH
CPO, Kotozna, Inc.
Abby Slater
Abby Slater is a demonstrated leader with a background ranging from emergency medical services to working with leadership in Japan. With a passion for operational efficiency and product management, Abby focuses on driving meaningful change within her current role as CPO at Kotozna, based in Tokyo. Her commitment to collaboration and innovation drives her mission to break down language barriers and enhance global connectivity, all while striving for continuous improvement and impact.
General Manager, Solutions Division, SQUEEZE Inc.
Aiko Morisugi
After graduating from Osaka University Graduate School, she joined Benefit One Inc. She was involved in a wide range of activities, including new business development, establishment of a Singapore base, and M&A. She then invested in venture companies at FFG Venture Business Partners. She joined SQUEEZE in 2020, where she oversees the entire solutions business.
Regional Director, JAPAC, OAG
Mayur (Mac) Patel
Mayur (Mac) Patel is the Regional Director, JAPAC, at OAG, the leading global provider of digital flight information. Based in Singapore, he is responsible for business development and leading the sales organisation in the region.
Prior to joining OAG, Mac was Head of Regional Sales, ASPAC, Middle East and North Africa at Amadeus where he was responsible for their Travel Intelligence business. He spent over seven years at IATA, in a variety of roles focussed on aviation data solutions and services.
He holds a Bachelor of Business (tourism management major) from the University of Technology, Sydney.
STARTUP PITCH
Founder & CEO, Liigo
Hidenori Miyamoto
He serves as the CEO of the tourism-focused DX startup Liigo, which centers on generative AI. He has experience in business divestiture and has traveled around the world, and is also a DX expert at the Japan Tourism Agency.
During his university years, he founded COMUN Inc., a marketing company targeted at people in their twenties, which he later sold.
Afterwards, he initiated the Global University Survey Project, garnering sponsorships from 14 companies including Masayoshi Son, founder of Softbank; Hideo Sawada, founder of HIS; and Ritsuo Hosokawa, the then Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare. He traveled globally to top universities, graduate schools, and companies to investigate “How the world views Japan.”
From this experience, recognizing the potential of the Japanese inbound tourism market on a global scale, he established the travel tech company, Liigo. Currently, he leads three main ventures: “Area Compass,” a marketing automation tool for tourism operators; “Partner Compass,” a DX strategy consulting service for tourism operators; and “Liigo,” a comparison site for tourist activities. Additionally, Liigo is a group of DX experts at the Japan Tourism Agency and engages in activities such as dispatching CMOs to DMOs in Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture. Currently, he is prioritizing generative AI to drive service and organizational transformation.
Founder, ThePOD
Hiroshi Asami
Born in 1987. Joined HONDA as a new graduate. After working as a mechanical engineer for 7 years, he changed his career to a business position in the IT industry. Engaged in general business side and PM/PdM at a start-up company. In 2023, he joined Monex Group’s New Business Development Office as a BizDev in the web3 domain. In addition to his day job, he is currently working on the launch of MatsuLi.
CTO, Gogoout
Jeff Lu
Jeff is the CTO and Co-Founder of Gogoout, an online car rental platform that connects travelers with local rental companies. He holds a master’s degree in Information Technology from Carnegie Mellon University and has previously worked as an engineer at Facebook for over three years. At Gogoout, Jeff is dedicated to developing a world-leading rental car search engine tailored to predict user preferences. The mission is to empower local car rental businesses by providing them access to a broader and higher-quality customer base. At the upcoming summit, Jeff will present the innovative strategies behind Gogoout’s success and share insights into achieving significant milestones.
CEO, MyProGuide
Jo Wong
Jo, a cool young guy who started MyProGuide when he was 26 years old, was a tour guide and also a heavy traveler. He knows what both roles require. Passionate about finding solutions with creative ideas, that is how he led MyProGuide from an island called Taiwan into a global business. He aims to make a tour guide platform globally accessible for anyone who needs a tour guide when traveling. Additionally, he wants to help tour guides to have more job opportunities. And of course, leveraging AI or new technology to make this “industry-changing” platform the next stage for MyProGuide.
CEO, Like It Formosa
Sarah Chung
Sarah Chung is the founder and CEO of Like It Formosa, the biggest English walking tour company in Taiwan. She holds a bachelor degree in Agricultural Economics from National Taiwan University, and has previously worked as an analyst in the investment banking sector at HSBC Taiwan for two years. She spent one year as a visiting student in Barcelona, Spain and got to know the concept of Free Walking Tour when she was traveling around Europe, which she believed is the solution that could increase both foreigner’s understanding of Taiwan as well as young Taiwanese’ state identity. Like It Formosa was then founded in 2015, specializing in content design and tour guide training. Sarah was also a TED speaker and an official English tour guide in Taiwan.
Co-founder/CEO, Trambellir
So Iizuka
Japanese serial entrepreneur based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia since 2013. Democratizing the medical tourism. Four times intestinal volvulus surgery survivor.
CEO, Delta HQ
Yuta Kuratate
CEO and Founder of Delta HQ. We are providing a platform for luxury investment villas in resorts such as Niseko and Hakuba.
