The Human Element in Exponential Growth
Our Founding Members
Christian Schmitz
Christian Schmitz
Christian Schmitz
After a corporate career in large multinationals such as Bayer, BASF, Henkel and the German SME hulsta furniture, he established his boutique consulting firm Aventa to bridge Japan and Europe. Various experiences in the startup world, investing in startups as well as running a global organization. Finally, he founded the PDIE to build his own global network of purpose driven entrepreneurs
Yuichi Terada
Christian Schmitz
Christian Schmitz
Yuichi was a third culture kid, growing up in the US and Germany. He developed his career at ANA, adidas, COACH, Amazon, GROUPON, MetLife, Publicis Sapient, as a management and marketing executive. After completing his Executive MBA, he founded Hiyoura-Lab as a social entrepreneur, envisioning a better future by collaborating with global business leaders.
Akira Hoshino
Christian Schmitz
Masako Amemiya
Akira is a former Itochu executive and as such has executed various international projects for example in Nigeria and the USA. He is an advisor to PDIE Group as he wishes to give back to the next generations and is fully aligned with the vision to co-create a better tomorrow by sustainable innovation. He also coaches C-Level executives in Japan.
Masako Amemiya
Christian Schmitz
Masako Amemiya
Masako advises executives, innovation centers, and universities, focusing on healthcare and sustainability. She supports breakthrough innovations from public research and has worked with governments, corporates, and institutions globally. A former child gymnast, she also advocates for women and child athletes.
Joerg Geier
Steffen Tim Weber
Nina del Marr
Joerg has lived and worked in the Silicon Valley, Cambridge (UK), and Berlin, Germany, clusters known for their innovative approach. This experience has shaped his dedication to the development of sustainable innovation ecosystems. From Berlin, he builds bridges across organizations and sectors with a specific focus on start-ups. At Cambridge University, he led customized leadership and capacity building programs. Applied research on green entrepreneurship ecosystems and new programs on impact investing, and futures thinking are the foundation of his approach. As a Fulbright scholar and member of the Club of Rome, his thinking has always been characterized by purpose, impact, and systems design.
Nina del Marr
Steffen Tim Weber
Nina del Marr
Based in Berlin, Nina has a gift to connect people to their inner purpose and works as a coach. She is American born and one passion is to work with leaders on transformation. She is also the founder of the womens' network Woven.
Steffen Tim Weber
Steffen Tim Weber
Steffen Tim Weber
Steffen has been working a long time in Brussels as EU secretary general and dealt with Climate Change and the Arctics. He knows the world of international politics and feels a strong need to foster human level connections. Steffen is based in Berlin.
Our Advisory Board
Akira Hoshino
David W. Russell
Akira Hoshino
Akira is a former Itochu executive and as such has executed various international projects for example in Nigeria and the USA. He is an advisor to PDIE Group as he wishes to give back to the next generations and is fully aligned with the vision to co-create a better tomorrow by sustainable innovation. He also coaches C-Level executives in Japan.
Hideo Rai
David W. Russell
Akira Hoshino
As the founder and CEO of rainmaker advisory, Hideo leverages 30+ years of experience in the marketing and advertising industry to help clients innovate and grow their businesses. He has studied at colleges in both Japan and US and has a proven track record of leading and managing successful global and integrated marketing campaigns, brand architecture, and strategic partnerships.
Before starting his own consulting firm, he was the executive director of Dentsu Innovation Initiative, where he spearheaded the R&D and implementation of cutting-edge solutions for the group. Prior to that, he was the president and CEO of Dentsu Aegis Network (Japan), where he oversaw the operations and performance of the largest media and communications network in the country. He is passionate about creating value for clients and delivering results that exceed their expectations.
Mimi Ishio
David W. Russell
David W. Russell
Mimi Ishio is a dynamic entrepreneur and investor dedicated to creating a positive global impact.
Since 2018, Mimi has focused on societal and charitable contributions, supporting medical institutions, aiding children worldwide, rehabilitating child soldiers in Africa, installing water facilities in Vietnam, and supporting adoption agencies. Her philanthropy extends to funding socially impactful companies.
Mimi invests in several startups and serves as an advisor to numerous companies and organizations, showcasing her commitment to global betterment.
David W. Russell
David W. Russell
David W. Russell
David is a teacher, award-winning author, and bilingual consultant on strategic global communications. During his 40 years in Japan, he has worked for a Japanese securities firm, both the Nikkei news group and Toyo Keizaimagazine, served as an interviewer for NHK-TV, and written key messages for both the 1996 and 2021 Olympics. Since forming a boutique consulting firm, he has helped dozens of major Japanese companies to enhance their brand strategies and improve their global communications. In addition to working with business, Russell has also done extensive work for the Japanese government, including: managing communications for a landmark international summit in Okinawa, serving as MC for a VIP event in NYC, and writing documents for METI, MOE, the Tourism Agency, and the City of Tokyo. He has authored over a dozen books (one of which was named Best Business and Management Book of the Year), written a landmark piece for the Harvard Business Review, and scores of magazine articles about Japanese business, culture, and government. He currently divides his time between offices in Tokyo and his home near Mt. Fuji.
Our Partners
Leila Djawas
Dr. Irene Lee
Dr. Irene Lee
Based in Jakarta, Indonesia, Leila is running her own consulting firm and always strives for bringing purpose and passion into her work. She also supports the Indonesian president's election campaign. She is our Indonesia Ambassador.
Dr. Irene Lee
Dr. Irene Lee
Dr. Irene Lee
Based in Singapore, Irene is an entrepreneur and artist and is the president of the Singapore Harvard club. She is investing into mega solar parks and always strives for finding sustainable solutions.
Peo Ekberg
Dr. Irene Lee
Dr. Ivani Pauli
Sustainability producer and journalist since 25 years between Sweden, Japan and Zambia. Crowd funded his Banana Paper Factory in Sambia and works with many Japanese corporations on SDGs. Founder of One Planet Cafe.
Dr. Ivani Pauli
Dr. Ivani Pauli
Dr. Ivani Pauli
Biology scientist from Brazil. Experienced in the academic, corporate, and philanthropy worlds, she navigated from drug discovery, through regenerative kitchens, farms, oceans, and cities, to communications, marketing, and filmmaking. Passionate about human behavior and systems innovation, she seeks disruptive ways of creating a systemic
Biology scientist from Brazil. Experienced in the academic, corporate, and philanthropy worlds, she navigated from drug discovery, through regenerative kitchens, farms, oceans, and cities, to communications, marketing, and filmmaking. Passionate about human behavior and systems innovation, she seeks disruptive ways of creating a systemic impact in the world. Today, she is the community and communications manager at PRETATERRA, the world's largest agroforestry intelligence hub.
Ian Shimizu
Dr. Ivani Pauli
Ian Shimizu
Ian is an Environmental activist based in Tokyo and founder of weMORI, an app for protecting and restoring forests worldwide. While in university, Ian helped founding the Japanese branch of 350.org, a global climate change non profit. Since leaving 350 in June 2018, Ian has worked across Japan educating the public and youth on sustainability and climate change.