Our People

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 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 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.  

Hannah is a passionate innovator with a background in Environmental Earth Sciences. She graduated from the University of St Andrews in 2019 and is now based in Tokyo. As an active member of the Herculean Climate Solutions team, Hannah has contributed to the development of several carbon and waste reduction schemes. Hannah is the lead nominator in PDIE for the Earthshot Prize.  

B.A. in Sustainable Development in the U.S. and Costa Rica, Elly has been involved in various environmental groups whilst working as a CX Marketer globally. She promotes sustainable living at work and private. Leading employee engagement on sustainability at a corporate aside of being a member of PDIE Group. 

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.

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 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.