Michelle Huang is a mixed-media digital artist focused on creating immersive experiences and exploring technologies related to human flourishing. Currently, she is the founder & CEO of akiyaDAO, a community-driven project that aims to revitalize abandoned homes in Japan into decentralized creative residencies and habitat installations.Previously, she worked in investment banking at Goldman Sachs, then in product at a unicorn startup in SF, before transitioning to a full-time creative via a sabbatical. Her work has been featured on Business Insider, NPR (National Public Radio), Vox Media (Now This), ABC, CNET, The Independent, BBC, and more.
Daum Kim is a Deputy Architect at DAL, Digital Garage Inc. She previously served as a Global Social Media Manager for the International Olympics Committee and a Digital Media Manager at the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympics Organizing Committee. Daum is currently pursuing her PhD in Media & Governance at Keio University, researching intergroup interaction and community formation on digital platforms. She also has experience as a sprint researcher at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, and is an alumna of Bai Xian Asia Institute (BXAI) and a named scholar of R. J. Chao Memorial Asian Scholarship.
In addition to her professional pursuits, Daum is committed to fostering intercultural understanding. With her vision of connecting people across cultures from the perspective of Eastern philosophy, Daum runs Ethnic Neighborhoods, a media project that aims to foster cross-cultural understanding by highlighting ethnic communities around the world.
Yudai Kachi is an assistant to Joichi Ito, Chief Architect. Born in Sydney and raised in Tokyo, he spent his middle school years in Kochi prefecture, and high school years in Pennsylvania, USA. After working for a marketing company where he directed a wide range of projects including data analysis, social media / website management, and video production, he joined DAL in 2023. On his days off, driven by the desire to bring happiness to as many people as possible, he volunteers weekly, leading sports-based interactions and language classes for children in children’s homes, Ukrainian refugees, and neurodiversity communities.
Joichi “Joi” Ito is a digital architect, venture capitalist, entrepreneur, writer, and scholar focusing on the transformation of society and technology. He works to respond to complex challenges such as democracy and governance, climate change, and redesigning systems of scholarship and science. He served as director of the MIT Media Lab from 2011 to 2019 where he led the establishment of the Digital Currency Initiative in 2015. He was the board chair and chief executive of Creative Commons and has served on numerous other boards, including at The New York Times Company, Sony Corporation, The Mozilla Foundation, The Open Source Initiative, ICANN and The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC). He served as a Senior Independent Advisor for the Minister for Financial Services of Japan from 2016 to 2019. His recognitions and awards include a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Oxford Internet and a Lifetime Achievement Award from EPIC. He co-hosts the TV show Earthshot – Technology That Changes the World. On his podcast Road to Henkaku he regularly features NFTs, and he is currently engaged in a web3 community development trial.
Zoe is an illustrator who creates images for DAL Media and Crypto Cafe & Bar. Puto-chan is one of her first works at DAL. She grew up in Mozambique, Austria, and Japan surrounded by diverse communities. As a child in rural Mozambique with limited access to stores, she had to come up with ideas to create her own toys and picture books which ignited her creativity. She pursued her studies in architecture at Keio University. Outside of DAL, Zoe is working on a picture book she hopes to publish someday.
Miho Shinada is a bilingual producer and writer based in Tokyo, specializing in story-driven original content for television, radio, and digital platforms. Her work has been featured on Netflix, Marketplace (APM), VOA, NY Times, Fuji TV, TBS, TV Tokyo, and J-Wave and more, and she has collaborated with top brands and agencies, such as American Express, Japan Airlines, Nestle, and Kumamoto Prefecture.
At DAL, she is dedicated to creating content that resonates with audiences and is grateful for the opportunity to pursue her passion.
After studying media studies in Spain and Mexico, Hiromi has worked as a director and producer for various radio stations in Tokyo and other cities. At DAL, she aims to create contents that excite both the creator and the listener. In her personal life, she is passionate about dancing flamenco. She loves Latin music and sherry.
Martha, with nearly a decade of experience in the technology industry in Taiwan and Japan, joined Digital Garage in late 2022. She currently works in the CTO office, where she plays a role in driving the implementation of technology initiatives. In addition, Martha actively contributes to DAL, collaborating with the team to advance the Lab’s mission and vision.
After graduating kindergarten, Putochan went straight into the work force and took a job as the mascot for the Crypto Bar. Putochan wants you to know, though, that being a mascot is NOT easy work. Every day they have to DJ, bartend (you have to try their “Puto-sour”!) and model in SO many advertisements. Putochan’s hobbies include researching web3 regulations in Japan, learning the intricate art of changing colors like a chameleon, attending crazy parties around the world, and evading paparazzi (it’s impossible to live a simple life when they’re so famous). Putochan’s friends would call them mischievous yet somewhat adorable troublemaker – they’re known to pull a prank or two 😉. Make sure to say hi to Putochan when you come by the Crypto Bar – drinks on them!
Joseph is a multifaceted tech professional with a decade of experience spanning diverse roles. His background includes multiple startups in London, Berlin, and Seoul, as well as positions in corporate, NGO, and public sectors. Notably, Joseph was part of the UK Government Digital Service team, where he contributed to the government’s digital transformation as a product manager.
With Master’s degrees in Human-Computer Interaction and Philosophy of Technology, Joseph is particularly curious about digital humanity and the fusion of storytelling and technology. At DAL, his primary role involves producing content to promote the company’s unique perspectives and philosophy on technology.
With a personal mission of “technology for everyone,” Joseph finds his goals well-aligned with DAL’s mission, and he is eager to combine his intellectual curiosity with the company’s objectives to create a meaningful impact.
Comugi is the co-founder and head researcher at Emoote, a web3/crypto fund. Previously he was a business book editor, a founding member and editor-in-chief of crypto web media in Japan, and producer of Japan’s largest blockchain conference. As a web3/crypto influencer in Japan, he contributed infographics for the special feature “Web3″ of WIRED Japan, actively posts about the latest web3 opinions under the name “comugi.eth” on Twitter. At DAL, he is conducting research on web3 in general, and providing a weekly report on the web3 trend every Friday at “weekly gm,” an online gathering of people who are interested/involved in web3 in Japan.
Madoka has a lot of administrative experience in various roles, including handling lending operations at a bank, serving as a secretary in a foreign law firm and a Chinese manufacturing company. Had lived in London for three and a half years from 2015, I traveled to many countries over the weekends with just a backpack. At DAL, her responsibilities include managing contract-related tasks, supporting various projects, and coordinating with various stakeholders.
After gaining experience in a sales company and a BPO business company, Kimi became an independent expert in marketing and customer experience. Kimi has a deep interest in sustainable social contribution activities and has dedicated over eight years to revitalizing the local community through a non-profit organization in Shibuya. Kimi also founded the NPOs O-Park and Olly, where, in collaboration with corporations, he created a number of projects that engage the younger generation in addressing social issues, promoting both practical growth opportunities and problem-solving.
Kimi specializes in flat community building and event planning. As the community manager of the Crypto Cafe & Bar at DALab, he focuses on maximizing the value created by the web3 community.
Kimi is interested in experiences that enrich the soul and am deeply involved in activities like light roast coffee, saunas, and agriculture.
After graduating from Duke University in 2023 with expertise in Computer Science, Design and Entrepreneurship, Oliver moved to Tokyo to fully immerse himself in a new culture. He has been a scrappy entrepreneur since 14 years old when he appeared on the American TV show “Shark Tank” and secured an equity deal for his patented ice cream cone accessory invention. He also recently designed & managed a shoe NFT collection and built a social change task app with a team from Amsterdam. Oliver is a User Experience designer and worked for two summers at Zoom, where he designed their new whiteboard product. Oliver loves embarrassing himself while freestyle rapping with his brother every week as it boosts creativity and improvisational skills. At DAL, he’s designing, building, and managing the Web3 community through physical and digital spaces.
Rena joined Digital Garage in 2018 as a new graduate, and led planning for the NCC event, ESG startup research and other projects. At DAL, she is involved in projects including the Crypto Cafe and Bar and expanding outreach. Rena studied marketing at a university in Japan and graduated in 2016, then earned a completion certificate from Northeastern University.
Her hobbies are traveling, snowboarding, and horseback riding.
Janine Liberty is an expert on digital content and strategy. A writer, editor, and digital media specialist, Janine focuses on storytelling to diverse audiences across a changing media landscape. She has brought her communications leadership and imagination to roles at the MIT Media Lab, MIT Open Learning, MIT AeroAstro, the Aurelia Institute, and numerous nonprofit organizations and innovation labs. Janine has Bachelor’s degrees in English and in History from Brandeis University. In her spare time she enjoys camping and hiking, mushroom hunting, and reading.
Katsuaki Usami studied green chemistry at Tokyo Institute of Technology. In 2012, he joined a startup company in Jakarta, Indonesia and led the company’s growth over four years as COO. After the company was acquired in 2015, he joined Digital Garage to accelerate healthcare business development and investments. At DAL, he works toward expanding DAL’s philosophy in Digital Garage.
Vincent has three decades of experience in the Japanese Internet industry, including technology and business leadership as well as participation in early Japanese Internet governance organizations such as APNIC and JPNIC. He has been involved in launching several startups in Tokyo and joined Digital Garage as group CTO in April 2022. He is currently leading technology initiatives at DAL, such as the Probabilistic Computing project.
Junpei has more than 10 years of experience in gaming and software industry. He has been involved in various activities connecting Japan and English-speaking countries. His work included creating in-game contents, localization (English↔Japanese) of internal and external materials, and management of translation function. He joined Digital Garage in November 2022, and currently supports Vince’s technical initiatives in DAL.
Soryung Seo is a brand designer with a professional background in graphic design. He previously led a design team at a non-profit organization where he worked on various branding and graphic design projects for the social sector in Korea. At DAL, he proposes brand strategies and provides creative solutions that align with the company’s goals.
Distinguished Professor, Keio University / Special Advisor to the Cabinet
After historic experiences such as Covid-19 and serious international conflicts, it is time to act on the promise of the global digital space provided by the Internet and begin new research for our future. This research must focus on new digital systems and digital data architecture, working across all areas of society to be impacted.
I look forward to being involved as an advisor in the DAL’s research activities, and sharing our vision for the future.
Professor, Keio University Faculty of Policy Management, Chair of the Japanese Government Digital Agency Web 3.0 Research Board
I’m excited to be a member of this project to transform society through the use of emerging technologies such as web3. I hope to help build a society in which everyone can take the initiative in shaping it.
