The person you'll work with.

I grew up in New Jersey and think in English and Japanese interchangeably. For an overseas brand in Japan, that matters more than it sounds: most failed entries aren't regulatory failures — they're translation failures, of intent and expectations.

After Keio University and JTB, where I ran hospitality operations for Formula 1 teams, the Toyota Cup and the 2002 FIFA World Cup, I studied clinical nutrition at the Institute for Optimum Nutrition and human nutrition at the University of Westminster in the UK.

Back in Japan, I negotiated the exclusive contract that brought Metagenics to Japan in 2009, then managed its products here — formulation changes, every import procedure, the supply chain, and a medical channel built from nothing. I did the same for Oragenics' patented oral probiotics, and signed exclusive agreements with more than ten raw-ingredient suppliers.

As Chief Product Officer at MSS, I led a range used by more than 7,000 Japanese medical institutions. I advised Metagenics Inc. on the joint venture that became Metagenics Japan, and served as its Board Director and CTO until 2024.

I completed a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology at Mahidol University in 2023, and I'm a Visiting Researcher at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine. Today I advise a Japanese GMP OEM manufacturer and develop products with Japanese D2C brands — the same work I now offer founders coming from abroad.