Kiyoshi Kurokawa M.D., M.A.C.P..

Chair and Co-Founder

Professor, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies
Chairman, Health Policy Institute, Japan
Governor, Japan Chapter, American College of Physicians
Professor, Emeritus of the University of Tokyo

Biographical Sketch (as of April 27, 2010)

Dr. Kurokawa is a Professor, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies and Professor Emeritus of the University of Tokyo. He is an Adjunct Senior Scientist of the Earth Institute, Columbia University.

Dr. Kurokawa served as Special Advisor to the Cabinet (2006-08); a Commissioner on the WHO Commission for Social Determinants of Health (2005-08).

Dr. Kurokawa received a MD degree in 1962 from the University of Tokyo Faculty of Medicine. Following clinical training in internal medicine and then in nephrology at the Department of Medicine of the University of Tokyo Faculty of Medicine (1962-1969), he was research associate, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (1969-1971), senior research fellow at Cedars Sinai Medical Center and UCLA School of Medicine (1971-1973), assistant professor of Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine (1973-1974), associate professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Southern California (1974-1977), and UCLA School of Medicine (1977-1979), then professor of medicine, Department of Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine (1979-1984). He was then appointed as associate professor, Department of Medicine of the University of Tokyo Faculty of Medicine (1983-1989) and professor and chairman, Department of Medicine (I) of the University of Tokyo (1989-1996). He assumed Dean and Professor of Medicine of Tokai University School of Medicine (1996-2002) and Director of the Institute of Medicine Sciences, Tokai University (1996-2004). He was Professor, Research Institute of Science and Technology, Tokai University(2004-2006) as well as Adjunct Professor, the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, the University of Tokyo(2004-2007).

Dr. Kurokawa has served and serves as executive officer to many prestigious professional societies including the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine (chairman of the Board, 1990-1993, and President, 1995-1996), the International Society of Nephrology (councilor, 1991-1995, President-Elect, 1995-1997, and President 1997-1999), the Japanese Society of Nephrology (councilor and board member, 1990-present, president, 1993-1994, Chairman of the Board of Directors, 1997-2001). He was President of the International Congress of Internal Medicine in May, Kyoto (2000-02) and President-elect of the International Society of Internal Medicine (2003-05). Dr. Kurokawa is board certified in internal medicine and its subspecialty of nephrology by the American Board of Internal Medicine, and Master of the American College of Physicians, and Governor of the Japan Chapter of American College of Physicians (2004- ). He is an elected member of many prestigious professional societies including Science Council of Japan (Vice President, 2000-2003, and President, 2003-2007), Member of InterAcademy Panel (2001-), and InterAcademy Council (2001- ), American Society for Clinical Investigation, Association of American Physicians, and the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of the USA. He is also Board Member to the Agency for Science, Technology and Research(A*STAR), Singapore(2007-), Member of the President’s Council, New York Academy of Sciences(2006-) and Member of UNU(United Nations University)Honorary Advisory Committee(HAC) in Japan(2007-).

Dr. Kurokawa has served and serves in many committees of the Ministries of Japan and as Science Advisor for the Ministry of Education, Sciences and Culture.

Dr. Kurokawa is a leader and well known in his professional community both nationally and internationally. Because of his highly unique and unusual professional careers which span over 15 years each in both Japan and USA, he has been a leader in and an advocate for many academic and professional activities in Japan. He is a recipient of Order of Purple from the Government of Japan for Excellence in Academic Achievements in 1999.

William H. Saito

Scholarship Director and Co-Founder

Founder & CEO, Intecur, K.K.

An authority in the fields of encryption, authentication and biometric technology, William H. Saito has spent the past two decades shaping information security policy, establishing startups and managing public corporations. In 1991, he founded I/O Software, Inc., in California, and built it into a global leader in security software development, earning recognition in 1998 as Entrepreneur of the Year from Ernst & Young, NASDAQ and USA Today.

In 2000, he negotiated an agreement with Microsoft Corporation to integrate the company’s core authentication technology and biometric application program interface (BAPI) into the Windows operating system. The technology was subsequently licensed to over 160 companies worldwide.

After the acquisition of his company in 2004, he moved to Japan to address business and technology issues for clients worldwide and founded Intecur K.K., a consultancy that helps companies identify and develop applications and markets for innovative technologies. In this role, he helps several startups and entrepreneurs by serving in a non-executive capacity as chairman or director.

He also serves as advisor, director and/or manager on the topics of innovation and entrepreneurship to such governmental organizations as the Ministry of Economic Trade and Industry (METI), Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication (MIC), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) and the Information Technology Promotion Agency (IPA) of Japan, as well as to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States. He is also a fellow at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) and a professor at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT) in Japan.

Mr. Saito has earned numerous industry accolades, achieved congressional recognition, and is an accomplished author and a much sought-after public speaker.

Todd Porter

IMPACT Hub, TEDxTokyo Director, and Co-Founder

Founder & Curator of TEDxTokyo / IMPACT Japan

Starting his first international home stay in his early teens, Todd won a full university scholarship that allowed him to study human and natural systems around the world.

Graduating from Duke University in 1989, he got a strong introduction to strategy through his work at Bain & Company, and then followed his interest in social entrepreneurship to work with the pioneer in the field, Ashoka: Innovators for the Public.

Next, as Organizational Development Director of Public Allies, he led the proposal that won a major government grant to become a national pilot program in cities around the country, with now First Lady Michelle Obama leading the Chicago pilot.

Seeing the potential of the internet in the early 90s, Todd spent time as a fellow at The Meta Network, one of the first online social networks, before heading to Silicon Valley to focus on entrepreneurship and innovation at Stanford Business School. While a student there he co-founded a learning company and co-taught with legendary Stanford Professor of Creativity and Innovation Michael Ray.

He next worked as the Venture Catalyst at Imagine Media for entrepreneur and philanthropist Chris Anderson who now runs the leading innovation Conference TED. After a period of independent investing and research, Todd relocated to Japan with his Japanese wife and begin prototyping initial elements of a new platform to activate Japan, starting with TED Salon Tokyo (the precursor to TEDxTokyo).

While continuing to support the expansion of the TEDx movement in Japan and Asia, he began adding strategic projects for developing the fuller ecosystem in Japan, Taiwan and China, including the launch of a new catalyst organization, IMPACT Japan; design and fundraising for a new model of physical IMPACT Hubs; and early support for the global launch of Blue Economy, an important alternative to the stalled "green economy."

Haruko Nishida

Secretary General, IMPACT Hub Co-Director, and Co-Founder

Former North Asia Research Manager, in charge of Seoul and Tokyo Research and Information (R&I), McKinsey & Company Inc., Japan

Haruko Nishida is a Secretary General of IMPACT Foundation Japan. She is also working as a program director of the IMPACT Hub project with co-founder Todd Porter.

Until 2010, Haruko was a North Asia Research Manager, in charge of Seoul and Tokyo Research and Information (R&I) at McKinsey & Company. She joined McKinsey in 1992. After three years’ working as a consultant, she became a research expert. Since 1998, she had worked as a manger of the Tokyo R&I and took overall responsibility for the North Asia (Tokyo and Seoul) research activities from 2005 to 2010. While she worked on various macro-economic and industrial analytical research projects for McKinsey, she also made various lectures externally regarding “knowledge creation and open innovation”, the topics, which she has extensively researched with academic people, such as Ikujiro Nonaka for over 10 years.

From 1981-1990, prior to joining McKinsey, Haruko was a research analyst at the Research Institute of Mitsui Knowledge Industry, one of the oldest Japanese think tanks, where she specialized in macro-industry analysis and social research in the fields of telecommunications, education and regional development. She worked with a variety of clients in public sector, including the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, the Ministry of Education, and the Economic Planning Agency.

Haruko holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. She also has an MSc (Management) from Arthur D. Little Management Education Institute (now Hult International School) and a B.Lit. (Medieval European History) from the University of Tokyo.

Now, Haruko is attending the Non Profit Management Ph. D study course of the Tokyo Institute of Technology, where she seeks to develop an open social innovation model based on her study in knowledge creation and is keen to implement “Everyone a Changemaker” concept. She devotes herself to social innovation through her activity at the Impact Foundation Japan as well as helping other social business partners.

In addition to social business activities, Haruko is now operating her own research business through her “Office Phronesis”.

Patrick Newell

Education Director and Co-Founder

Founder & Learning Activist, Tokyo International School, 21 Foundation
Founder & Vision Navigator, TEDxTokyo, Living Dreams

Patrick Newell is the Co-founder of Tokyo International School that currently serves almost 380 students from 45 nationalities in central Tokyo. It has been a model school in many areas of education and learning.

As an educator for the past eighteen years, Patrick has navigated change and enhanced learning environments in Asia, Middle East, Europe, Russia and North America. He focuses on developing models in Technology, Board Governance, Accreditation, and Learning. Patrick is currently completing a documentary about shifting learning into the 21st Century as part of the 21 Foundation Patrick launched in 2009.

Patrick is also the Co-founder of TEDxTokyo an organization that focuses on Japanese and Foreign thought leaders sharing ideas. TEDxTokyo was a pilot program originated from the TED conference, which is regarded as the premier global community in the world for sharing ideas and changing the world.

He is also the founder of Living Dreams an NPO that empowers and enriches the lives of over 1,000 orphans from over 25 children’s homes in Japan. Living Dreams supports these children through Give Now and Make It LAST (Learning, Arts, Sports and Technology).

Patrick has been a Speaker and participant in over 20 international school conferences& workshops throughout the world. He has also been the Chair of International School Accreditation Teams throughout the world for Council of International Schools & New England Association of Schools & Colleges and currently serves as the Chair of the ACCJ (American Chamber of Commerce) International Education Committee.