From Japan to Global: Exporting the New SAKE Experience

Kaori’s journey spans diverse corporate landscapes and entrepreneurial milestones. Before entrepreneurship, she held pivotal roles, including Business Planning Lead at Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan, P&A Manager at Asurion Japan, and Controller at Credit Suisse. During her tenure at Coca-Cola, Kaori pursued an MBA at the University of Chicago while co-founding the pioneering SAKE project with an international team. This venture reached the finals of the Chicago Global New Venture Challenge Competition. Once Established Sake Generation in 2019, her initiatives garnered recognition from various prestigious platforms, such as the U.S. Embassy’s Women’s Entrepreneurship Program, where she secured the Bronze Award in a competitive pitch contest. Additionally, she contributed to Tokyo’s NY Expansion Support Program (X Hub Tokyo) and the APTWoman program, which led her to explore Silicon Valley as a cultural envoy. Kaori’s commitment to expertise is reflected in her professional qualifications, including a U.S. CPA acquired in 2008, an MBA from the University of Chicago in 2019, and certifications as a Certified SAKE Professional and Sake Sommelier in 2019 and 2021, respectively.