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.

Hideki has been working as an advisor to Japanese SMEs for 25 years, mainly focusing on product development and business models.

In the area of regional revitalization and cooperation, he has made full use of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and other public offices schemes to launch a variety of projects, from planning to on-site implementation.

At the same time as the commencement of JICA's SME overseas expansion support program in 2012, he moved his base of activity as an advisor from Japan to overseas based on his desire to “take Japanese technology to the world” and has successfully implemented several JICA projects and business development.

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.

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.

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.