{"id":60217,"date":"2025-10-25T02:56:40","date_gmt":"2025-10-25T02:56:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.usjapancouncil.org\/?post_type=news&#038;p=60217"},"modified":"2025-10-25T03:00:10","modified_gmt":"2025-10-25T03:00:10","slug":"venture-leaders-push-hawaii-as-strategic-bridge","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.usjapancouncil.org\/ja\/news\/venture-leaders-push-hawaii-as-strategic-bridge\/","title":{"rendered":"Venture Leaders Push Hawaii as Strategic Bridge Connecting U.S. and Japan Startup Markets"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>On October 15, a breakout session titled \u201cCross-Border Collaboration: Unlocking Potential Across the U.S., Japan, and Hawaii Start-up Ecosystems\u201d was held at the Annual Conference in Hawai\u2019i. The session, moderated by David Kenji Chang, General Partner at A-N Partners, addressed the development of the startup and venture ecosystem across the Pacific, with a specific focus on how regions like Hawai\u2019i and Japan can strengthen their innovation capabilities while maintaining local values and community priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"681\" src=\"https:\/\/www.usjapancouncil.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AfternoonHonolulu0002-1024x681.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-60223\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.usjapancouncil.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AfternoonHonolulu0002-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.usjapancouncil.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AfternoonHonolulu0002-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.usjapancouncil.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AfternoonHonolulu0002-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.usjapancouncil.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AfternoonHonolulu0002-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.usjapancouncil.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AfternoonHonolulu0002-2048x1363.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.usjapancouncil.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AfternoonHonolulu0002-560x373.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.usjapancouncil.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AfternoonHonolulu0002-493x328.jpg 493w, https:\/\/www.usjapancouncil.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AfternoonHonolulu0002-915x609.jpg 915w, https:\/\/www.usjapancouncil.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AfternoonHonolulu0002-287x191.jpg 287w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Maya Rogers (Chief Executive Officer at Tetris) discussed her venture fund&#8217;s role and suggested that Hawaii should focus on its unique strengths rather than attempting to replicate Silicon Valley.&nbsp; She stressed the importance of fostering a sustainable environment for people with local roots to create businesses, underscoring the value of the &#8220;Aloha Spirit&#8221; and the state&#8217;s unique identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kathy Matsui (General Partner at MPower Partners) highlighted the changing dynamics of the Japanese venture ecosystem, noting the rise of investment strategies focused on sustainability and diversity. She covered her firm&#8217;s work, including a women-focused fund, and the Japanese government&#8217;s initiatives designed to support the startup community\u2019s growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>William (Bill) Bryant (General Partner at Threshold Ventures) offered perspectives on the progress of Hawai&#8217;i\u2019s innovation ecosystem, citing efforts in entrepreneurship education and university partnerships. He discussed how the island&#8217;s cultural values of community focus and collaboration uniquely shape its approach to investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" src=\"https:\/\/www.usjapancouncil.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AfternoonHonolulu0008-1024x684.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-60225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.usjapancouncil.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AfternoonHonolulu0008-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.usjapancouncil.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AfternoonHonolulu0008-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.usjapancouncil.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AfternoonHonolulu0008-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.usjapancouncil.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AfternoonHonolulu0008-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.usjapancouncil.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AfternoonHonolulu0008-2048x1367.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.usjapancouncil.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AfternoonHonolulu0008-560x374.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.usjapancouncil.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AfternoonHonolulu0008-493x329.jpg 493w, https:\/\/www.usjapancouncil.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AfternoonHonolulu0008-915x611.jpg 915w, https:\/\/www.usjapancouncil.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AfternoonHonolulu0008-287x192.jpg 287w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">davemiyamoto@gmail.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Marcus Otsuji ( Japan Country Manager at Geodesic Capital) spoke about Hawai&#8217;i\u2019s evolving landscape and its role as a \u201cbridge\u201d between the West Coast in the U.S. and Asia. He shared insights into nurturing local talent and described his firm&#8217;s role in connecting Japanese capital with U.S. startups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The panel outlined a shared vision for inclusive, globally connected innovation ecosystems. A central theme was the critical need to balance rapid technological growth with the preservation of community and cultural values. The panelists stressed the strategic importance of cross-border partnerships for capital flow and talent exchange. The session concluded by highlighting Japan&#8217;s emerging attractiveness as a destination for global talent, providing a roadmap for a resilient and collaborative future between Japan and the U.S., especially Hawai&#8217;i.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"681\" src=\"https:\/\/www.usjapancouncil.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AfternoonHonolulu0053-1024x681.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-60227\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.usjapancouncil.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AfternoonHonolulu0053-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.usjapancouncil.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AfternoonHonolulu0053-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.usjapancouncil.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AfternoonHonolulu0053-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.usjapancouncil.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AfternoonHonolulu0053-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.usjapancouncil.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AfternoonHonolulu0053-2048x1363.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.usjapancouncil.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AfternoonHonolulu0053-560x373.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.usjapancouncil.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AfternoonHonolulu0053-493x328.jpg 493w, https:\/\/www.usjapancouncil.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AfternoonHonolulu0053-915x609.jpg 915w, https:\/\/www.usjapancouncil.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AfternoonHonolulu0053-287x191.jpg 287w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On October 15, a breakout session titled \u201cCross-Border Collaboration: Unlocking Potential Across the U.S., Japan, and Hawaii Start-up Ecosystems\u201d was held at the Annual Conference in Hawai\u2019i. The session, moderated [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"class_list":["post-60217","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Venture Leaders Push Hawaii as Strategic Bridge Connecting U.S. and Japan Startup Markets - U.S.-Japan Council<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usjapancouncil.org\/ja\/news\/venture-leaders-push-hawaii-as-strategic-bridge\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"ja_JP\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Venture Leaders Push Hawaii as Strategic Bridge Connecting U.S. and Japan Startup Markets - U.S.-Japan Council\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"On October 15, a breakout session titled \u201cCross-Border Collaboration: Unlocking Potential Across the U.S., Japan, and Hawaii Start-up Ecosystems\u201d was held at the Annual Conference in Hawai\u2019i. 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