Betsy Ziegler, CEO, 1871
Betsy is 1871's first female CEO, having previously served as Chief Innovation Officer at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and a principal at McKinsey & Company. Betsy is an advisor and investor in many young technology companies. Betsy is passionate about disruptive technologies and writes a monthly article on global innovations that are changing the world as we know it.
Akira Fukabori, ANA AVATAR Co-Director, Digital Design Lab
Akira has a vision to leverage the strengths of airlines to further connect the world. He belongs to ANA's Digital Design lab and is a prize developer behind the ANA AVATAR XPRIZE concept which won top honors at the XPRIZE Visioneers 2016 Summit. Akira entered ANA in 2008 after graduating from Tokai University with a degree in Aeronautics & Astronautics. His Blue Wing business model, which is a partnership model that bridges for-profit and non-profit organizations, was the grand prize concept of the Tokyo-based 2010 Global Agenda Seminar program. This earned Akira an invitation to the 2011 World Economic Forum. Akira is a serial intrapreneur who has helped to launch multiple initiatives within ANA together with his colleague, Kevin Kajitani, and is currently the Co-Director of the ANA AVATAR initiative.
Kevin Kajitani, ANA AVATAR Co-Director, Digital Design Lab
Kevin is passionate about improving the world through innovative business models. Together with his colleague, Akira Fukabori, Kevin has played a central role in the launch of multiple initiatives within ANA including their cause-related Blue Wing program and the airline's WonderFLY crowdfunding platform. Kevin is also a prize developer behind the ANA AVATAR XPRIZE concept which won top honors at the XPRIZE Visioneers 2016 Summit and is the Co-Director of the ANA AVATAR initiative. After graduating with Summa Cum Laude honors from the University of Washington with a degree in Aeronautics & Astronautics, Kevin worked as an aerodynamics engineer on the 787 program in the US before relocating to Japan.
