The WEConnect International Asia Pacific (APAC) Summit in Osaka, Japan, is a dynamic three-day event designed to connect, elevate, and educate women-owned businesses in Japan and worldwide.
Anchored by the 2025 World Expo in Osaka, the conference will feature an engaging agenda of interactive forums, pitch sessions, and targeted matchmaking opportunities.
Andrew Cannon Brookes joined Standard Chartered Bank in 2016 and leads strategic sourcing, vendor management, global travel, and third-party risk governance. Under his leadership, the Bank has launched a public-cloud supply chain solution and significantly improved procurement ROI. With over 20 years of experience, Andrew previously served as a senior civil servant at the UK Ministry of Defence, where he cut defence inventory by a third, saving over £2bn, and delivered a £1.6bn logistics programme. Earlier, he held key supply chain roles at IBM across the US and Asia Pacific. A Cambridge graduate, Andrew is a Companion of the Chartered Institute of Management and was recently recognized on the CIPS Procurement Power List.
Nicole Denholder is the Founder of Next Chapter Ventures (NCV), a firm reshaping the landscape for female entrepreneurs, investors, and strategic partners. Through its flagship platform, Next Chapter Raise, NCV offers expert-led courses and coaching designed to demystify fundraising, connect female founders with investors and financial institutions, and accelerate business growth. She is also the Co-founder of Sophia, a financial education platform dedicated to closing the gender wealth and investing gap. Sophia empowers women to take charge of their finances, invest with confidence, and channel capital toward women-led ventures—driving systemic change in how wealth and opportunity flow.
After graduating from university, Ayaka joined the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) and was assigned to the Matsue bureau in Shimane prefecture as a TV program director (PD). As the only female director of a local station, she was thinking about gender norms on a daily basis when news of the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing Conference) sparked her interest in women's empowerment. After leaving the station, she studied at a graduate school in the United States. She then joined the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to work on women's empowerment in developing countries, supporting rural development, women's economic empowerment, and empowerment of the vulnerable in UNDP Bangladesh. She then worked for the International Labour Organization (ILO) at Headquarters and in the Bureau of Asia and the Pacific where she worked in the International Program on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC). In 2007, she received an award from the Cambodian government for her contribution through the project on the elimination of child domestic labour. After a break, Ayaka joined JICA and led an award-winning project on building capacity for victims of trafficking in person as a JICA expert in Thailand. Ayaka joined SPF in 2019 and she is currently working on the implementation of projects to promote economic empowerment of women in Asia.
Kaori Shimazaki, a Booth School of Business alumna, founded Ichido Sparkling Sake with a vision to bridge cultures and generations during the modern sake renaissance. Partnering with the historic Ninki Shuzo brewery in Fukushima, Kaori blended traditional Japanese craftsmanship with innovative culinary techniques to create a refined, approachable sparkling sake for both newcomers and connoisseurs. Ichido's unique flavor profile and elegant presentation reflect her commitment to honoring heritage while embracing modern tastes, making each sip a celebration of tradition, innovation, and culinary artistry.
Ichiro Tanaka is the Vice President and Head of Global Real Estate, Facilities, and Procurement at Takeda, a global, values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical leader committed to bringing better health to people worldwide. In this role, he oversees the strategic direction and operational management of Takeda's global real estate portfolio, facilities operations, and procurement functions, ensuring alignment with the company's business objectives and sustainability goals. With extensive experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Mr. Tanaka has held various leadership positions within Takeda, contributing to the company's growth and operational excellence. His expertise encompasses real estate strategy, facilities management, and supply chain optimization, playing a pivotal role in supporting Takeda's mission to deliver transformative therapies to patients.
Tomoe Ueyama is the founder of Project MINT, an innovative initiative helping mid-to-late career professionals in Japan’s aging workforce transition into more purposeful careers, with a 70% success rate among over 150 participants. Recognized internationally—including a feature in *The New York Times*—Tomoe is an expert in purpose-driven leadership and creating psychologically safe communities that support personal and professional growth. She also serves as a university lecturer, Forbes Japan columnist, and external auditor at HR tech startup Attuned. Previously, she held leadership roles in international marketing and business development at PlayStation and Sony Headquarters.
