Jim Aota has been with Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. since 2017 and currently serves as Chief Strategy Officer. He manages the Corporate Strategy Center, overseeing Sustainability, Corporate Planning, Digital Strategy, and New Business Development. He also holds the position of Chairman of Yamaha Motor Ventures.

Before joining Yamaha Motor, Jim worked at Mitsui & Co., Ltd. in Tokyo, Detroit, New York, and London, focusing primarily on business development and investment/financing in the mining industry.

He received a PLD from Harvard Business School and graduated from the Faculty of Political Science at Keio University.

Medical Doctor
CEO, Tenrai Inc.
Chief Chairman,Japan Association of Healthcare Initiative,Planetary Health Initiative
Sponsor/Co-researcher, Laboratory of Mathematical Engineering of Morality Emotions, Department of Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo

After earning a Ph.D. in Physics from Kyoto University, Daikichi Seki worked as a Data Scientist at Accenture’s AI Center. In this role, he initiated and oversaw industry-academia collaborations with Kyoto University and Kyushu University, developing and executing collaborative strategies. The outcome of his collaboration with Kyushu University led to the development of one of Accenture’s AI Powered services, a project he spearheaded and implemented for clients. In 2022, he co-founded aiESG.

Martin Rich, Co-founder & CEO of Future-Fit Foundation, is a sustainability and impact specialist with nearly 30 years’ experience in both mainstream and social investment.

Following a successful career in international finance working for UBS, JPMorgan, HSBC and Social Finance Ltd, he co-founded Future-Fit Foundation with a vision to create a truly sustainable future for all. He now works on the cutting-edge of sustainability, helping companies and financial institutions of all sizes address the radical transformation that the future demands of their business models.

Martin is Senior Independent Trustee and Chair of the Endowment Investment Committee for Access Foundation which manages over £100m of dormant account assets for the UK government. He is also a member of various investment and advisory committees, including for WHEB Asset Management, and is a former member of the Asset Allocation Working Group for the G7 Social Investment Task Force.

Martin holds two Master’s degrees with First and Distinction in Engineering from Queens’ College, Cambridge.

Michael Dupee is a corporate sustainability and innovation expert, educator, and entrepreneur, with over 25 years of experience across the consumer products, graduate education, investment banking, and ecotourism fields.
Michael served as both the first Vice President of Corporate Sustainability and the first Vice President of Sustainable Innovation at the former Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and Keurig Green Mountain Inc. In these roles, he created and led an award-winning and internationally recognized corporate responsibility program, was named co-winner of the Best First Time Sustainability Report in North America by CERES, and deployed over $48 MM in strategic philanthropy, and developed innovative biomimetic and Base of the Pyramid projects. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters was named the #1 Best Corporate Citizen by CRO Magazine twice during his tenure.
He taught “Business Strategy for a Sustainable World”, “Sustainable Operations and Green Supply Chains”, and “Biomimicry as an Innovation Tool” in the Sustainable Innovation MBA program at the Grossman School of Business at the University of Vermont, one of the world’s leading Green MBA programs. He was recognized as Faculty Member of the Year in 2017 and as Best Adjunct Faculty Member in 2021.
Additionally, he has served as a Vice President at Goldman Sachs & Co., making and managing investments in distressed financial assets, co-founded an innovative and successful railbiking ecotourism venture, and acted as a Senior Advisor to a boutique consulting firm for their Environmental, Social, and Governance (“ESG”) practice.
Michael holds graduate degrees in law, business administration, and biomimicry. He is based in Vermont where he lives with his son, makes music, and both plays and coaches baseball.

Through Sustainable Brands, she and her team lead the global conversation about how 21st century brands can, and are delivering new business value through innovation for environmental and social purpose. In addition to overseeing direction and strategy at SB, she writes and speaks around the world on the shift in consumer demand and the opportunity for brands to respond by changing the way they think of and deliver against their role in society. She served as faculty for Harvard’s Leadership for Sustainability Exec Ed program, and is on the external sustainability advisory council for P&G. She was recently awarded the Hutchens medal from ASQ, (American Society for Quality) which recognizes exceptional leaders in social responsibility and sustainability.
Prior to launching Sustainable Brands Worldwide and parent company, Sustainable Life Media, in 2004,KoAnn founded and lead a boutique management consultancy focusing on helping enable breakthrough financial performance through purpose-driven leadership and improved organizational alignment.
Prior to that, she worked for 18 years in business-to-business media where she served in positions of increasing responsibility, launching and leading media properties including magazines, conferences, trade shows, and more for a wide range of markets, starting with natural resources (timber, paper, and mining) and ending with a variety of emerging technology sectors including digital video, computer game development and the web. During her tenure she garnered extensive experience launching and growing countless product brands, as well as driving a corporate brand effort and integrating it with a global product brand portfolio spanning many market sectors. She completed her media tenure as Senior Vice President of a multinational division of United Business Media, overseeing a $50 million division and a 150-person team.

Makiko Aizawa worked for two companies before joining Kao in 2007. After being involved in the operation of multiple corporate citizenship activities, from 2017 she continued to drive forward CSR projects in the Sustainability Promotion Division, which would eventually become the ESG Division. Currently, in her role in the ESG Global Strategy, she contributes to efforts in respecting human rights.

After graduating from the College of Liberal Arts of International Christian University in 1967, he joined Fuji Xerox.
He became President and Representative Director of that company in 2002. In 2007 he retired as President and was appointed Executive Advisor to the Board. In 2012 he retired from Fuji Xerox. He served as a Board Member of the United Nations Global Compact from 2007 to June 2018. Since 2008 he also has served as Chairman of the Board of Global Compact Network Japan.

Born in Chiba Prefecture, Atsushi graduated from the School of Political Science and Economics, Meiji University, joined the Industrial Bank of Japan, Limited. and then shifted his career focus to the field of finance and was appointed CFO of Johnson & Johnson K. K. Medical Company in 2014. From 2016 to 2020, he served as CFO of QVC Japan, Inc. and Director of the Board of QVC Satellite, Inc. He then took the position as CFO and Director of the Board of Adecco Ltd. from 2020 to 2022, during which he acquired Master of Technology in Innovation for Design and Engineering at AIIT. Since 2023, he has been in the current position. As a corporate leader, with a firm belief that business and sustainability must go hand in hand, Atsushi pursuits his vision of creating a society in which every moment of people’s lives is filled with joy, and one in which people can live in harmony and be true to themselves.

I am a high school sophomore attending Jumonji High School in Tokyo, Japan. My areas of interest are the characteristics of living organisms and social issues.

In my first year of high school, I worked on devising and prototyping a new product, which I presented at the Quest Cup 2024 National Competition sponsored by Educa & Quest. It won the Grand Prize in the Small Start category.

In my second year of high school, I participated in very50’s MoG, a very practical exploration program, and stayed in Vietnam for 9 days. I worked on management issues faced by local entrepreneurs. I also participated in the “Sugamo Station Shopping Street Revitalization Project” as a community activity, learning about management and food development. At my high school’s festival, I created and sold dorayaki inspired by Japanese sweets from the shopping street.

My name is Rikuto Egawa, a first-year student at Hiroo Gakuen Highschool. Since childhood, I enjoy and love studying biology, especially in fields of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Neuroscience which is my recent interest. I love reading articles in a magazine called Newton, watching TED videos, and have always dreamed of conducting my own research and contributing to the world of medicine. In 2024, I went to Nepal for a medical volunteering program, founded a student (high school) organization for elementary children in spreading the values of culture from around the globe, joined a research support program called IHRP where I was able to conduct research beside a professor in Chiba University regarding diabetes, and around the end of the year, met Neuroscience and joined the management team of IYNA Japan (International Youth Neuroscience Association) that is currently held by high school and middle school students.

Operation/Support of the Non-Profit Organization IHRP

Born in Tokyo, currently a high school senior. Set to enroll in Keio University’s Faculty of Policy Management this spring. After spending a year in the United States as an exchange student, developed an interest in aviation fuel and began energy research as a third-term participant of IHRP. Presented research findings at Sustainable Brands 2024 last year. This year, actively participating as a member of IHRP’s operational team.

Emi is known as a governance, stewardship and corporate sustainability expert. She sits on the board of Musashi Seimitsu Industry and Daiwa Asset Management and is currently the CEO of Eminent Group Ltd.. Previously, she was the COO at Japan Catalyst, Inc. (2020-2022) and held various roles at Goldman Sachs Asset Management (2000-2020) and J.P. Morgan (1998-2000).
Currently, she sits on the Expert Panel on Sustainable Finance established by Japan Financial Services Agency and Study Group on Disclosure Policies for Non-financial Information by Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Emi is also active in industry initiatives: a leader for the Japan Chapter of ISSB-SASB Fundamentals of Sustainable Accounting, steering member for Japan Stewardship Initiative as well as the chairperson for Future Design Initiative by Science and Finance (FDSF). She published her first book “Connecting Corporate Sustainability and Sustainable Finance” in July, 2023.

After graduation, Tomoko was responsible for business promotion at Nippon Life Insurance Company and IBM. In 1997, she joined Nike Japan and was involved in the marketing for 14 years as a director of brand strategy and advertising. After that, she spent 3 years as the General Manager of category business, focusing on the growth of training and baseball segments. In 2016, Tomoko joined ASICS Corporation.

May 2016: Joined ASICS Corporation as Head of Category Marketing
January 2018: Director of Marketing at ASICS Japan
January 2019: Director and Head of Marketing at ASICS Japan
January 2020: Executive Officer and Head of Marketing at ASICS Corporation
January 2022: Executive Officer and Managing Executive Officer, overseeing the Marketing and Sports Marketing
January 2025: Executive Officer and Managing Executive Officer, overseeing the Marketing, Sports Marketing and Para Sports Planning

CSR/SDGs Consultant
March 1976 Graduated from the University of Tokyo Faculty of Law.
April 1977　Joined the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (currently the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries)
July 2005　Councillor, the Ministry of the Environment
August 2006　Councillor, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
July 2007　Director-General of the Kanto Regional Forest Office
March 2008　Retired the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
May 2008　Joined ITO EN, LTD.
July 2010　 Director of ITO EN, LTD.
July 2014　Managing Executive Officer of ITO EN, LTD.
April 2019　Retired as Advisor of ITO EN, LTD.
April 2020　Professor at Platform for Arts and Science, Chiba University of Commerce (current position)
June 2022　Outside Director of NIHON KOHDEN CORPORATION (current position)
[Official HP] Hidemitsu Sasaya Official Site （https://csrsdg.com/）

Born in 1973, he worked for a major record company and a foreign advertising agency before joining TBWA HAKUHODO in September 2010. After serving as CCO of TBWA Hakuhodo for 10 years, he founded Earth Centric Design Lab (ECD). He works not only on advertising, but also on the design of products, services, architecture, and public facilities, and aims to build a sustainable creative system. He has also served as a judge and jury president for international creative awards such as Cannes Lions. He is an award winner of Campaign magazine’s Asia Creator of the Year award. He has a Master’s in Global Environmental Studies and is an associate professor at Keio University Graduate School of SDM Future Society Co-Creation Innovation.

He began his career as a system engineer at an IT services company.

In 2005 he joined a SoftBank Group company, and in 2008 he became the CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) and head of the information systems department at Alibaba.com Japan Co., Ltd.

Since 2012, he has been involved in high-tech R&D as the leader of a research team studying fields such as parallel processing algorithms and computer graphics at SoftBank Corp.

Recently, he has been active in R&D into the digitalization of primary industries.

Futoshi Takashima is a founder / CEO of the General Incorporated Association “NEWHERO”, which approaches social issues from the creator’s point of view and runs a community that connects social activists and creators.
Futoshi is also a visual director/documentalist, specialized in bringing out and capturing ephemeral emotions and moments from individuals, and actively creates social-good content.
He efficiently applies visual expression and ideas which he cultivated through his experience in the advertisement industry, in the field that solves social challenges, and works on creating new stories that reach out to people’s hearts.
His major works are P&G’s “Mom’s Happy 1st Anniversary”” (ママも1歳、おめでとう) etc., which won awards both at home and abroad.

Joined Sanyo Scott (currently knowned as NIPPON PAPER CRECIA) in 1988. Working mainly as a sales for family care product such as tissue paper and toilet roll. And then worked in the R&D and Marketing division. Developed environmentally and logistic friendly products, as well as women’s friendly products that focus on reducing housework and negative minds. In 2015, worked on “Scottie 3 times long lasting toilet roll” and “Scottie fine reusable paper towel” which became a hit product. From June 2020, she became the first female director in the company. Also as a General Manager of the Sales Planning Division and the Marketing Department. In 2019, set up an in-house CSV project “Crecia Shared Value Project” and focusing on sending message of NIPPON PAPER CRECIA’s SDGs.

Masa joined SMBC (former Sumitomo Bank) in 1993.
After working in various areas such as real estate and aircraft finance,
corporate restructuring, and investor relations,
he served in London for 5 years from 2017.
Masa returned in April 2022 as the General Manager of the Corporate Sustainability Department, and assumed the current position in April 2023.

Hidetoshi leads corporate sustainability strategy, management and reporting advisory practices at PwC Japan and provides advisory services to multi-national companies in automotive, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, cosmetics, airlines, chemical, telecommunication, ICT and technology industry. He has also played an important role to lead several thought leadership initiatives in the field of corporate sustainability in PwC global network.
He has 9 years experience as an environmental specialist at a multi-national automotive company. He was in charge of development and implementation of environmental strategy and also conducted research projects including GHG accounting and ecosystem service review in collaboration with external stakeholders and opinion leaders such as United Nations University.

MSc in Environmental Technology -Imperial College London
MEng in Civil Engineering -Osaka University

Chief Executive Officer of WWF Japan since July 2020.

Currently serving as WWF Network’s AP25 Senior Executive Team member, ADB (Asian Development Bank) WWF Partnership Steering Committee Chair.

Studied natural resources management at University of Edinburgh and graduated with Master of Science degree, joined WWF Japan in 1992 and worked on wetland and flyway conservation. Since 2000, initiated an international marine biodiversity conservation project for the Yellow Sea Ecoregion cooperating with scientists, environmental NGOs, local and central government agencies, and UN agencies in China and South Korea. Between 2011-2020, as Conservation Director for WWF Japan, managed a conservation programme. Between 2017-2020, also worked as an Asia-Pacific Representative of Conservation Directors and led the launch of the WWF Asia Pacific Counter-Illegal Wildlife Trade Hub.

Daiki Nagaoka, born in Katsuyama, Fukui, was an active member of the Katsuyama Machi-zukuri (Community Design) Project during his junior high school years. The project, which aimed to make Katsuyama “beautiful,” “energetic,” and “famous,” earned the 6th ESD Grand Prize for its impactful initiatives, including showcasing local attractions and selling goods to raise awareness.
In university, surrounded by peers from Tokyo, Daiki developed a deeper appreciation for rural areas and their untapped potential. In 2023, he studied at the University of Warwick in the UK as an exchange student, gaining an objective perspective on Japan and recognizing how rural areas are often overshadowed by major cities like Tokyo. This experience deepened his attachment to rural communities and inspired him to seek ways to connect them with the global community, starting with his hometown of Katsuyama.
In his free time, Daiki enjoys playing badminton and watching films.

After graduating from the Graduate School of Science and Technology at Shizuoka University with a major in Biological and Earth Environmental Sciences, Hidetoshi worked in global marketing at a domestic advertising agency group. In 2018, he joined ASICS Corporation.

Hidetoshi has held roles in the marketing and product departments of Onitsuka Tiger, and in 2023, he established the Circular Economy Promotion Department aimed at new business development, where he is responsible for product development and supply chain construction as a project leader.
In November 2024, he launched NEOCURVE™, a local production and consumption circular economy model in Europe.

Currently, Hidetoshi is engaged in strategic planning and development of various sustainable products at ASICS.

I am a 16-year-old first-year high school student. I’ve loved drawing and designing since childhood, winning several awards in various competitions. In high school, I took part in a six-month online course in collaboration with Stanford University, which deepened my interest in social issues. Inspired to use my design skills to address social challenges, I chose the research theme “How do packaging color and design affect the purchasing behavior of products that address social issues?” As a member of IHRP and under the guidance of Professor Yumiko Miwa from Meiji University, I am researching ways to promote products addressing social issues. Using hypothetical package designs and surveys, I am examining which social issues attract consumers, how much extra they are willing to pay for such products, and which packaging designs are most appealing. My goal is to develop packaging design strategies and collaborate with companies or start my own business to make these ideas a reality.

Born February 5, 2002 in Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture.
Currently enrolled in a master’s program at the Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University.
During his high school years, he founded LINDEAL, a student organization that aims to solve the educational disparity between rural and urban areas.
Expanding on these activities, he established a joint venture company, Tomorrow’s School, during his undergraduate years. The company promotes and supports inquiry-based learning for essential learning among middle and high school students.
In parallel with his corporate activities, he is currently conducting master’s research on the revitalization of U-turns to rural areas, with a focus on solving regional issues.

Shigeki Aoki is an expert on structuring and managing channels of distribution, and rivitarizing local areas throughout Japan. He is on a member of the board of trustees of the association of Design about Strategy for Zone Industry and Zone Brand.He has won several awards for his teaching, including Shakaijin Kisoryoku(Business Basic Skills) Award by MEIT(Ministry of Economy、Trade and Industry) in 2008. Professor Aoki has consulted and taught for a number of major corporations. Before joining KOMAZAWA in 2008, Professor Aoki served on the faculty of the University of Yamanashi Gakuin University.He is also a chairman of NPO Yamanashi Cycling Project. He got Master Degree of Commerce at Keio University in 1994. He finished the Ph.D Course of Commerce at Keio in 1997.

After having extensive experience in administrative departments such as stocks, derivatives trading, research-related work, human resources, finance / IR, and public relations at a major securities company, finance / IR consultants, M & A advisors, and corporate communication support managers of major companies Engaged as.
Leveraging a career in financial and non-financial consulting, including talks with numerous management teams, focusing on integrated thinking related to corporate management, ESG / SDG consulting, internal penetration, and information disclosure support services -Involved in a wide range of consulting services, including ESG Producer at the International Conference on Sustainable Brands, and is responsible for regional revitalization and regional collaboration between companies and local governments.

After working for an airline company, she became a training planner for a dispatched labor company. After that, she moved from her motivation for human resource development to a consulting company affiliated with a major manufacturer, and she became a manager of development, sales promotion, public relations, etc. related to human resource development to a general manager of the corporate training department. After that, started a business. With much of her experience in the business field, she continues to be involved in creating a variety of human resources and organizations, focusing on her diversity, including her experience in managerial positions and entrepreneurship in balancing childbirth and parenting.
Her goal is “Peace.”Asking the most influential “human” in the resources on the planet, She has been involved in many schemes that balance SDGs with social problem solving and business for many years, and also works as an SDGs promotion advisor.

After graduating from Waseda University’s Faculty of Science and Engineering, Suzuki began his career at Recruit Holdings Co., Ltd., contributing to the launch of various IT service businesses.
He later founded a promotion company specializing in the IT industry, where he spent over 20 years developing and executing marketing communications, branding, PR, and sales strategies for IT companies.
In 2012, he joined Hakuten Corporation, where he led new business development, digital initiatives, and global strategy under the concept of “Experience Marketing.”
His encounter in 2015 with KoAnn Skrzyniarz, founder of Sustainable Brands (SB), inspired him to bring the global sustainable brand movement to Japan, resulting in the launch of SB-Japan in 2017.
Since then, Suzuki has produced the annual SB international conference.
In August 2024, he transitioned to Sinc Inc., where he actively supports sustainability initiatives for both domestic and international companies and local governments.