Lisa Kanehiro

Lisa Kanehiro is the Director of Finance and Administration at the U.S.-Japan Council (USJC), where she leads the organization’s financial operations, compliance, and administrative functions. Based in Honolulu, Lisa brings more than two decades of financial leadership experience spanning the nonprofit, venture capital, and research sectors.

Before joining USJC, she served as Controller at Elemental Excelerator, a nonprofit climate technology investor. She previously spent over 15 years in Silicon Valley in senior finance roles, including as Controller at the SETI Institute—a nonprofit NASA contractor—and at Presidio Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Sumitomo Corporation.

Originally from Hawaii and a graduate of Maui High School, Lisa earned her degree from the University of Colorado Boulder. Outside of work, she enjoys running, discovering new restaurants, and spending time with her family.