About me
Kei Shimada is a Japanese American entrepreneur and award-winning innovation leader, currently serving as Chief Business Officer at Innovative Space Carrier (ISC) Inc., a Japanese startup dedicated to developing space vehicles for manned space travel and commercial services for microgravity and zero-gravity environments. He also serves as Chief Executive Officer of Sirius Technologies, ISC’s U.S. subsidiary, where he leads the company’s mission to make space accessible for all.
Renowned for prototyping the future, Kei has led the creation of multiple world-first, region-first, and industry-first projects. These include Japan’s de facto national evacuation shelter database, the world’s first AI-driven classical concert at Ars Electronica—which won a Silver Lion at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity—and a CES Innovation Award-winning smart speaker.
Previously, Kei served as Managing Director at the global creative and technology agency R/GA, Global Innovation Director at the world’s largest advertising agency Dentsu, and Founding Member and Lab Leader of the Digital Makers Lab at IBM Japan.
A highly sought-after global keynote speaker, Kei has presented in nearly 40 countries and mentors startups through Plug and Play Japan, the Japanese chapter of the world’s largest startup accelerator. He is also one of three official evangelists appointed by Japan’s Prime Minister’s Office, supporting business development efforts around the country’s Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS).
Kei holds a degree from Waseda University and an Executive MBA from the Quantic School of Business and Technology.