- South Torrance High School (Graduated in June 2008)
- School of International Liberal Studies, Waseda University (Graduated in March 2013)
- Morgan Stanely, JP Morgan (April 2013~March 2020)
- Riviera Partners (May 2020~October 2023)
- Novastar Ventures (November 2023~Present)
― Please tell us your current career.
After a career at Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan, I am now working in Nairobi, Kenya, one of the leading innovation hubs in Africa, as a Venture Capitalist investing in bold entrepreneurs transforming fundamental industries, while tackling the most difficult issues across Africa and Global South, such as Agriculture, Food Supply-Chain, Healthcare, Financial-access, and Education.
Private sector investing in Africa is very nascent, and everyday feels like you’re in a live MBA class, but as both a professor and a student, and the most answers are still unwritten. Whilst I spend most of my time on the African continent, there are also businesses trips to Japan, Europe, Middle East, India, and Asia – and one of the joys of that is catching up with fellow SILS classmates.
― How did you decide your current career path?
Being born and raised in the United States, and maybe watching too many Wall Street movies, I had a natural aspiration to work in the investment banking industry, so I took primarily business and finance courses at SILS, then really double-downed in the field during the 1-year exchange at University of Toronto, Rotman School of Commerce, where I met many fascinating colleagues from various backgrounds.
Most challenging was navigating the job-hunting process for investment banking during time of “hiring-freeze” post 2008-09 Lehman Shock. I started my job-hunting early by going to the Boston Career Forum in junior year, obtaining an internship, and followed through until landing an offer from Morgan Stanley in the Japan office. In hindsight, I feel that the turning point was being introduced through a mutual acquaintance to a “senpai” in Goldman Sachs, who kindly connected me to various key leaderships in the industry.
― What do you find the most rewarding/satisfying about your current career path?
3 things that comes to mind. Firstly, I am able to witness the changes in BOP (Bottom of Pyramid) society day-to-day due to the investments that we make, and how it transforms consumer behaviors of the mass market of Africa– which was not that case most times on the trading floor. Secondly, though counterintuitive, many of my decision making and views are based on my experiences from SILS and previous career, so this feeling of continuity within keeps me sane. Lastly, throughout my career I’ve been able to reconnect with many SILS friends and colleagues by coincidence through work, and whilst it is a personal reward for me, it also demonstrates the genuine cohesiveness within SILS alumni community.
Presenting at Africa-Japan Business Conference about role that innovation and technology can play in Africa’s development
Basigo, one of Novastar’s investments, is running largest EV-Bus fleet in Africa – replacing polluting “Matatu” buses
―What do you think about the appealing point and strength of SILS？
Definitely the department’s commitment to diversity and opportunity stands out to be SILS’s strength. For myself, during the 1 year of exchange to University of Toronto is also the time in which I took a step to join the Boston Career Forum, and also when I took 2 months to backpack around world – which was the first-time stepping foot on the African continent as well. At that time, I never thought of connecting “Finance” and “Africa”, but now it has become a life-work in which there are significant potential to alter the growth of African population to a more sustainable path.
― Any message to our prospective applicants?
After 20 years since inception of department, SILS alumni has grown across various leadership roles in Japanese and Global companies, also across various sectors and regions. I truly hope future students of SILS consider leveraging the growing alumni network in order to explore and pursue career path that aligns with their life goals.
This content is as of the time of issuance.
