board of directors

  • Lindsay Nakashima, Executive Director

    KonMari Consultant,
    Zen-Tidy Design + Organization

  • Mike Linder, President

    General Manager,
    Bar 17 Ranch & Arena

  • Simon Tse, Vice President

    Sr. Director for Space Research, AI and Quantum Computing

  • Patrick Jones, co-Treasurer

    Educational Content Creator and Consultant, PatrickJMT, LLC

  • David Campbell, co-Treasurer

    VP Finance Transformation, Dell Technologies

  • Anell Mejia Chen, Secretary

    Independent Consultant,
    Human Resources & D&I

  • Yoko Watabe

    Senior Budget Analyst, TDCJ-CJAD

  • Fumiko Futamura

    Professor of Mathematics,
    Southwestern University

  • Heather Farmakis

    COO Texas International Education Consortium TIEC

  • Vaughn McVey

    Director, Project Management Office, Yeti Coolers

  • Sabina Begimkulova

    Business Development Manager at AKKODIS

  • Sadami Sugimoto

    Vice President,
    All Nippon Airways

  • Meghan Frkuska

    Privacy Counsel
    Texas Department of Public Safety

  • Aerin Valkyrie

    Administrative Assistant, Valor North Austin

  • Sora Valkyrie

    Freelance Project Management

  • Katie Heywood Graphic Design Consultant

    Senior Motion Designer, Solarwinds

  • Danielle Corban-Foy

    Language Advisor

  • Tracie Whiting Kipper

    Curriculum Advisor

  • Anel Sotomayor, JASGA Intern

    University of Texas at Austin International Relations and Global Studies

  • Doris Yao Yu, Graphic Design Intern

    ACCD Spactial Experience Design, Tama University, Tokyo

  • Alan Cook Ambassador to the Taniguchi Garden

    Legislative Editor, Texas Senate

Honorary Members

  • Masahiro Sakurauchi

    Executive Director JETRO Houston

  • Kirk Watson

    Austin Mayor

  • Brigid Shea

    Travis County Commissioner

  • Frank C. Cooksey

    Former Austin Mayor

Special Advisor

The Honorable Zentaro Naganuma
Consul General

Consulate-General of Japan in Houston